When Guru Nanak Dev Ji reached Prayag,…

When Guru Nanak Dev Ji reached Prayag, Allahabad, it was the time of the Kartik Purnima bathing festival. Hence, an immense crowd had gathered at the Triveni Ghat to take advantage of this special bathing occasion. Guru Nanak Dev Ji sat at a serene place and instructed Bhai Mardana Ji to perform kirtan. And then what happened! Most of the crowd gathered at the feet of the Guru to enjoy the divine hymns:

Lab kutta, kood choohra thag khadh murdaar, Parninda par mal mukh sudhi agan krodh chandalu.

Raskas aap salahna ae karam mere kartar, Baba boliye pat hoe. — Sri Raag, Ang 15

Meaning: Our greed is like the habit of a dog. Speaking falsehood is like the action of a vile scavenger. Earning a livelihood by deceiving others is equivalent to eating the flesh of the dead. Slandering others is akin to consuming their filth. Unprovoked anger is like the nature of the cruel outcasts. Engaging in such base pleasures, we praise ourselves, but we should only speak words that enhance our honor in society.

Due to the massive crowd around Guru Nanak Dev Ji, some priests came to assess the situation. One of them, who was their leader, was filled with rage. He wondered in astonishment—who is this new saint who is attracting everyone towards him? Our livelihood is at risk; no one is coming to us. How will we sustain ourselves? The priests then began to contemplate a strategy to divert the crowd away from Guru Nanak Dev Ji towards themselves.

At that moment, Pandit Chatur Das approached Guru Nanak Dev Ji and addressed the crowd, saying, “Dear devotees, notice carefully that this man is an incomplete saint. His kirtan will be of no benefit because he has neither applied a tilak nor worn a Tulsi mala. He does not possess a Shaligram idol, nor has he adorned himself with a chimta or a kamandal.”

To this, Guru Nanak Dev Ji replied, “Pandit Chatur Das Ji, the signs of a saint that you have described are merely external attire. Many people have been seen deceiving the common folk by disguising themselves with such symbols. No one becomes great merely by displaying these symbols unless they truly earn the Name of the Lord and purify their hearts from vices.”

“Most people engage in slandering others to sustain themselves, but they never introspect about where they stand in the spiritual world.” Hearing this truthful statement, Pandit Chatur Das Ji began to see his own true reflection.

Then Guru Nanak Dev Ji instructed Bhai Mardana Ji to play the rabab. Bhai Ji started playing a melodious tune in Basant Raag, which Guru Nanak Dev Ji expressed in the following verses:

Salgram bip pooji manavhu sukrut Tulsi mala, Ram naam jap beda bandhahu daiya karahu daiala.

Kahe kalra sinchahu janam gavavhu, Kachi dhahag diwal kahe gach lavhu. — Basant Hindol Mahala 1, Ang 1170

Meaning: I believe only in the remembrance of the Lord’s Name for divine realization. I have no need for symbolic ornaments. Hoping to attain salvation by merely wearing these symbols is like irrigating barren land or expecting a strong building from an unstable mud wall. In the same way, external symbols such as Shaligram, Tulsi mala, tilak, etc., do not lead to divine realization. This means that one who does not meditate on the Name of the Lord cannot be liberated, just as a boatman who does not untie his boat’s rope will not move forward, even if he rows tirelessly. Similarly, adopting the external appearance of a saint is futile.

After these discourses, many seekers humbly requested Guru Nanak Dev Ji to liberate them from these ritualistic practices and guide them on the path of truth. At that moment, Guru Nanak Dev Ji again instructed Bhai Mardana Ji to play the rabab, and he recited:

Tirath navan jau tirath naam hai, Tirath shabad beech antar giyan hai. — Dhanasri M1, Ang 687

Guru Nanak Dev Ji then spoke, “O true seekers! In reality, meditating on the Lord’s Name is the true pilgrimage. Contemplating and living according to the teachings of great saints is the true wisdom that leads to salvation. By engaging in these practices, one can focus the mind, heart, and intellect towards achieving the ultimate goal, which is the true sacred bath of Triveni or Sangam.”