After departing from Dhaka, Shri Guru Nanak…

After departing from Dhaka, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji reached ‘Chato Gram.’ There, a carpenter named Jhanda was very famous. Every morning, he used to sing the praises of the Lord. He had formed a congregation in which even the elite class of the city participated in the praise of the Lord. Among them was a person named Indrasen, the nephew of the local king. These people worshiped one God sincerely, without any ostentation, and encouraged everyone to engage in formless worship without any discrimination. The rest of the day, Bhai Jhanda earned his livelihood through carpentry work and considered helping the needy his supreme duty.

When they learned that a great saint had arrived in the city, who performed divine praises through Kirtan and whose philosophy aligned with theirs, they went to meet Guru Ji. Guru Ji welcomed them warmly and said, “Brother Jhanda, in reality, we have come to meet you, because our vision is the same. The work that we are doing, you are also trying to propagate by the command of the Lord. Therefore, our objective is one.” Upon receiving the love of Guru Ji, Bhai Jhanda was overwhelmed, and tears of love flowed from his eyes. Jhanda Ji invited Guru Ji to stay at his place, which Guru Ji gladly accepted.

With the arrival of Guru Ji, daily congregations began to take place there. Devotees started coming from far and wide to listen to Kirtan and sermons. When the local king, Sudharsen, received this news, he began to wonder why such a popular personality had not met him first, as he was the king of the region. Filled with pride, he sent his soldiers to summon Guru Ji.

When Indrasen, the king's nephew, found out that the soldiers were heading towards Jhanda, the carpenter’s place, he immediately intervened and went to the king. He explained to him that to meet great saints, one should approach with humility, request their blessings, and become worthy of their grace, which would lead to spiritual welfare. Showing arrogance would achieve nothing. Soon, the king realized his mistake, and he personally went with some gifts to have Guru Ji’s darshan. At that time, Kirtan was being performed in the congregation, and Guru Ji was singing the following hymn:

"Koi bhikhaku bhikhia khai, koi raja rahia sabhai. Kisehi maan kise apmaan, dhahi usare dhare dhiaan. Tujh te vada nahi koi." (Raag Asa, Ang 354)

Meaning: Forgetting God, one man begs for alms to survive, while another enjoys his kingship, immersed in royal pleasures. Some receive respect and become arrogant because of it, while others face dishonor and lose all self-worth. A man makes many plans in his mind, then erases them, but O Lord, there is none greater than You.

Upon hearing this hymn, King Sudharsen’s heart melted like wax, and all his royal pride disappeared. He fell at the feet of Guru Ji in surrender. Seeing his humility, Guru Ji embraced him and blessed him. Soon after, this blessing came true. The eighteen nearby principalities, which had considered themselves independent, gradually came under Sudharsen’s rule. Indrasen requested the gift of devotion, to which Satguru responded, “One who has conquered his mind has attained everything. One who remembers the Name with love and devotion experiences the presence of the Eternal Lord. If you never forsake justice and righteousness, your welfare is assured.”

Guru Ji was extremely pleased with Bhai Jhanda’s hospitality and said, “You are blessed because, along with your own salvation, you are also striving for the welfare of the common people by singing the praises of the Lord daily. Our thoughts are nearly identical. You shall attain the supreme state because all your actions are selfless and dedicated to service.” Then Guru Ji granted him divine vision, and his inner consciousness became illuminated.

Everyone expressed their desire to receive initiation from Guru Ji. Thus, Guru Ji initiated Jhanda, the carpenter, Indrasen, King Sudharsen, King Madhrasen, and many others along with the common people and accepted them as his disciples. He instructed that the congregation should continue to gather there regularly. Therefore, a grand Dharamshala was built at that place, and Bhai Jhanda was appointed as the first preacher of Gurmat. Due to King Sudharsen’s love and devotion, Guru Ji stayed there for almost three months to establish Gurmat firmly. Before departing, Guru Ji entrusted Bhai Jhanda with the responsibility of continuing the mission, granting him the authority of the center by bestowing upon him a ‘Manji’ (preacher’s seat).