Guru Nanak Dev Ji, gradually moving towards…

Guru Nanak Dev Ji, gradually moving towards his goal, one day reached Haridwar. There, in a few days, a fair was to be held on the auspicious occasion of Vaisakhi. Therefore, he found a picturesque spot and set up his camp on the sandy ground by the banks of the Ganges. People were coming from far and wide for the sacred Ganga bath. Due to the fair, tents of sages and ascetics could be seen spread far and wide. There was no vacant space anywhere. It seemed as if everyone had come for the Ganga bath.

The next morning was the auspicious festival of Vaisakhi, so the bathing was to begin at the Brahma Muhurta. Therefore, Guru Ji took his place at a ghat called Hari Ki Pauri a few moments before sunrise. As soon as the first rays of the sun appeared, Guru Ji immediately turned his back towards the sun and started throwing water towards the west.

Seeing this surprising act, the crowd standing there, waiting for their turn to bathe, gathered around. Seeing such an act against tradition, people curiously came closer and said, "You are mistaken, the east is behind you; pour the water in that direction." But Guru Ji ignored them and started throwing water towards the west with double speed.

Seeing all this, one person gathered the courage to ask, "Where are you pouring this water?"

Instead of answering, Guru Ji asked him, "Where are you pouring the water?"

They all replied, "We are offering water to our ancestors in Pitru Lok, which is near the sun."

Guru Ji then asked them, "How far is that place from here?"

They replied, "That place is situated millions of kos (miles) away from here."

Upon hearing this, Guru Ji continued to throw water towards the west in the same manner. Seeing this, they could not control themselves any longer.

They again asked Guru Ji, "Where are you offering this water?"

Then Guru Ji replied, "I am watering my fields in Punjab because there has been no rainfall there these days."

Hearing this answer, all the people started laughing.

At that moment, Guru Ji asked, "What is there to laugh about?"

Some people said, "Your fields are about 300 kos away. How can your water reach there when this water is falling back into the river?"

Then Guru Ji said, "This is exactly what I want to tell you—do not engage in futile rituals. Your water is also falling back into the river; it does not reach any Pitru Lok or other such places. All these talks about Pitru Lok are nothing but fabrications and mere imagination. In reality, some cunning people have misled the common people for their own benefit, deceiving them and keeping them in illusion. These things have no connection with spiritual life. Such acts become fruitless because blind faith leads a person into darkness."

Hearing this argument, all the people felt ashamed. They immediately stopped offering water towards the sun.

This incident spread throughout the fair like wildfire. All the intellectuals started coming to Guru Ji's camp to exchange spiritual thoughts. Guru Ji advised all the seekers to believe in one God and refrain from futile rituals and meaningless practices. He said that in the spiritual world, the body is secondary, and only purity of mind is accepted there. One should not expect salvation merely by taking a dip in the Ganges.