Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji left the Jessore…

Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji left the Jessore district and set out for Dhaka. In those days, dense forests surrounded the area, and among them was a famous temple known as 'Dhakeshwari Devi.' The village near this Dhakeshwari temple was called Dhakeshwari village, but it had very little population. One of the reasons for this was that apart from the river water, there was no other source of fresh water; the available water was salty.

When Guru Ji arrived there, the annual festival was being celebrated at the Dhakeshwari temple. A large number of devotees were arriving for worship and prayers. Guru Ji set up his camp near the temple and started kirtan (devotional singing). The enchanting kirtan attracted a huge crowd. Since it was an annual festival, many saints, ascetics, and spiritual seekers from distant places had gathered there. They had set up their camps and were busy collecting donations from people under the pretext of religious rituals. Among them were prominent figures like Lutiya Siddh, Mel Nath, Ravidas, Narayan Das, Chand Nath, and others.

Seeing the large crowd drawn to Guru Ji’s melodious kirtan, they realized that they were lost souls. They understood that the Supreme Lord is omnipresent and cannot reside in a stone idol. They all requested Guru Ji to provide them with in-depth knowledge on this subject.

Then, in his discourses, Guru Ji explained that the eternal and birthless God cannot be created from stone or clay. The Divine resides in every particle of the universe and is the true deity of all human beings. Remembering Him is essential for spiritual strength. We should seek Him within our hearts because He is omnipresent. Therefore, there is no need to renounce the world. We, as living beings, are the conscious forms created by the Lord, and He is present within every being. But He cannot exist in lifeless idols created by human hands. Since we are living beings, what can we gain from worshipping an inanimate idol, which is our own creation? Thus, we should not wander in the darkness of blind faith. Such activities only waste our time, and all our efforts become futile. Instead, we should consciously seek the truth.

"Blind, dumb, and lost in darkness, Fools and ignorant people worship stones. The very ones they bring to the river to sink, How can they then save others from drowning?"

Raag Bihaagra, Ang 556 Guru Ji’s teachings spread rapidly. Large groups of people started coming to embrace his wisdom. Some devotees presented Guru Ji with a Khanda (a double-edged sword), which they had originally brought as an offering for Dhakeshwari Devi. Guru Ji accepted their offering on the condition that they would dedicate their future lives to the worship of the formless One God.

Some devotees humbly requested Guru Ji to solve the issue of fresh water scarcity in the area. If the problem were resolved, they pledged to build a Dharamshala (spiritual lodge) and conduct daily congregations to promote the worship of the formless Lord.

Guru Ji then instructed five respected individuals from the community to join in prayer. After the prayer was completed, Guru Ji began digging a well with the same Khanda that the devotees had gifted him. As the community members continued digging, they eventually reached a source of fresh water. Their joy knew no bounds. That very day, the foundation for the Dharamshala was laid to ensure daily spiritual gatherings and the spread of the teachings of the formless One God.