Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji departed from Banaras…
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji departed from Banaras and, passing through Chandrouli, reached the city of Gaya. Here, on the banks of the Phalgu River, there is a Hindu pilgrimage site. In those days, a popular story was prevalent that a demon pleased Lord Vishnu and asked for a boon that whoever saw him would attain salvation. Based on this belief, Hindu pilgrims would come here with the goal of ensuring the liberation of their ancestors and would offer pind (rice balls) made of barley flour to the priests.
Along with this, there was also a custom of offering a large amount of money as a donation. When Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji arrived here and observed all this, he explained to the Hindu pilgrims that this was merely a ritual that served only to sustain the livelihood of the priests. In reality, the deceased did not gain any benefit from this. During that time, the Pitru Paksha fair was taking place. Therefore, Guru Ji asked Bhai Mardana Ji to play the rabab, and he himself sang the following hymn:
Deeva mera ek naam dukh vich paaya tel. Uni chanan oh sokhiya chooka jam siu mel.
Loka mat ko fakad paai. Lakh madiya kar ikathe ik rati le bhaah. Rahao. (Raag Asa, Ang 358)
Meaning: The divine name of the One Lord is my lamp. The oil in it is the suffering of the world. The divine name of the Lord has eradicated all sorrows. Wherever there is devotion to the Almighty, even the messengers of death cannot reach. My friends! Understand my belief. Just as a small spark of fire can burn down a huge pile of wood to ashes, similarly, a single spark of the Lord’s name is enough to destroy heaps of sins. The Almighty alone is my offering and my sacred plate for the ancestral rites, and the true name of the Creator is my posthumous ritual. In this world and the next, in the present and the future, the name of the Lord is my only support. O Lord! Your worship alone is my Ganga and Banaras. Self-contemplation itself is the holy place of the Ganga flowing in Kashi. This sacred place can only be attained when the mind becomes absorbed in the devotion of the Lord.
Guru Ji’s sermon deeply influenced both the priests and the vast crowd present there. With the support of the congregation, Guru Ji established a dharamshala at that place. Here, daily congregations were held, and instead of performing mere rituals, discussions on the search for truth took place. The group of priests and worshippers also prayed at Guru Ji’s feet for their salvation. Guru Ji responded: "In the future, live a life of righteousness. This alone will bring you well-being."