When you descended from the mountainous…
When you descended from the mountainous region towards the plains, on the way, in a picturesque valley of the Nainital district, there was a place called Tapovan, where a group of accomplished yogis resided. There, they used to light their own sacred fires, establish hermitages, and worship their chosen deity through Hatha Yoga postures.
However, some among them, unable to concentrate in meditation, resorted to intoxicants, considering a state of intoxication as divine devotion. They had become highly arrogant. Due to the dryness caused by intoxicants like cannabis and datura, they were often filled with anger, which resulted in a habit of frequent quarrels among themselves.
These yogis displayed their mystical powers to the common people and received grains and essential items in donations from them. When Guru Nanak Dev Ji encountered these people, he was deeply saddened to see their degraded state. He remarked that those who were supposed to guide the people were instead hiding in the mountain caves, lying in a state of intoxication.
He said, "They have even destroyed their spiritual lives because arrogance and anger—these two fundamental vices—distance us from the Lord’s feet. Even after attaining supernatural powers, no real transformation comes in life; rather, a person gets lost and strays from the true path of merging with the Lord."
Guru Ji then sat beneath a soapberry tree, and Bhai Mardana, due to extreme cold, gathered some wood from the forest to burn for warmth through the night. However, the yogis, out of jealousy, refused to give him fire to ignite his sacred flame. They thought, "Who are these new ascetics? Where have they come from? What if they try to take over our territory?"
Seeing their mean behavior, Guru Ji advised Bhai Mardana to create fire by striking two stones together and lighting the dry grass. Bhai Mardana did as instructed and successfully lit his fire. But at midnight, a fierce storm broke out, followed by heavy rainfall, which extinguished all the sacred fires of the yogis.
By the Lord’s grace, only a few embers remained in Guru Ji’s fire, from which Bhai Mardana rekindled the flames. The yogis were greatly disturbed, wondering how they could now approach Guru Ji for fire, as they had themselves refused to give it to Bhai Mardana the previous evening. Helpless, they finally came to Guru Ji, apologized, and humbly begged for fire.
The benevolent Guru Ji forgave their misconduct and immediately gave them fire. He then instructed Bhai Mardana to play the rabab and sing hymns in praise of the Lord. The raga Ramkali was a favorite of the accomplished yogis. When they heard the melodious hymns in their beloved raga, they could not resist and gradually came to sit before Guru Ji. Then, Guru Ji recited the following verse:
"Pūre gur te nām pāiā jāi, jog jugati saci rahai samāi. Bārah mahi jogī bharamāe, sanīāsī chhiā chārī." (Siddh Gosht, Raga Ramkali, Page 941)
Meaning: The true Name is obtained only from the Perfect Guru. The true method of yoga is to remain immersed in the Eternal Lord. But the yogis, lost in their twelve sects, and the renunciates, divided into ten sects, stray from the true goal despite their deep penance.
Hearing this hymn, the yogis began to have doubts about themselves. They realized that they had been living a life filled with errors and had deviated from the path of truth. In reality, they had gone far from their ultimate goal due to their self-willed practices. The actions they called religion were actually misdeeds.
Thus, they humbly requested Guru Ji to guide them towards a successful life. Guru Ji said, "You have strayed from the path of truth. The elaborate rituals you have created are nothing but false displays and self-will; they have nothing to do with true devotion. Mere changes in attire do not bring spiritual transformation. For that, renouncing desires is essential. Look within yourselves and see. The intoxicants you have taken in the name of meditation are actually a terrible sin that pushes a person into a dark pit.
"If you truly wish to practice yoga, control your mind and earn the wisdom of the True Guru’s words. Live a life free from desires, as if you no longer exist. This is what it means to die while still alive."
"Nanak jīvatiā mari rahiē, aisā jogu kamāiē." (Raga Suhi, Page 730)
Meaning: (The one who, through the Guru’s words, dies to worldly attachments while still alive, finds the path to liberation from ego.)
Upon hearing this teaching, the yogis realized their mistakes. However, some of them, still consumed by pride, were not ready to accept their defeat so easily. To engage Guru Ji in debate, they began asking various questions.
Meanwhile, Bhai Mardana, feeling hungry, expressed his desire for food. Guru Ji advised him to find some edible roots and tubers, but the yogis had already hoarded all available food plants for themselves. So, Bhai Mardana returned empty-handed.
Guru Ji then told him, "Eat the fruits of the soapberry tree under which we are sitting." Immediately, Bhai Mardana climbed the tree and began eating the fruits. To his delight, all the soapberries were sweet. He quickly gathered many of them and brought them to Guru Ji. Guru Ji distributed these sweet soapberries as sacred offering (prasad) among the yogis.
The yogis were skeptical about the sweetness of the soapberries, so they tested one themselves—and indeed, it was sweet. Astonished, they plucked soapberries from other trees, but they remained as bitter as they naturally should be. Their pride was shattered, and they humbly bowed before Guru Ji, seeking forgiveness for their lack of hospitality.
An elderly leader among the yogis then requested Guru Ji to visit their chief spiritual master, who resided in a large monastery 20 kos (approximately 40 miles) away at a place called Gorakhmata. He earnestly pleaded for Guru Ji to bless their master with his presence.