It is believed that Nanak traveled to Baghdad, Sri Lanka, and central Asia in order to disseminate his teachings. During his final journey, he preached the Oneness of God and visited Mecca and Madina, the holiest places in Islam.
On Guru Nanak Jayanti, the first of Sikhism’s nine gurus, Guru Nanak, also known as Baba Nanak, celebrates his birthday. On this day, Sikhs gather for a procession known as Nagar Kirtan, during which they visit gurudwaras and sing hymns.A distinct faith emerged as a result of Nana’s teachings. Both Muslim peasants and Hindus from lower castes were among his followers. Five things about his life are worth being aware of.
1. Being raised in a Hindu household, he developed an early interest in philosophical issues.
On April 15, 1469, Nanak was born into a Hindu family in the city of Nankana Sahib, which is now in Pakistan. He is reported to have been curious about philosophy, religion, and the meaning of life from a young age. After getting married young and having his kids, he found himself going back to these inquiries.
According to Khushwant Singh’s book A History of the Sikhs, he joined a Muslim minstrel named Mardana after serving as an accountant in Sultanpur for a while. Singh cited janamsakhis, narratives of the gurus’ lives derived from historical records and oral traditions. Regarding the two men, it is said that “They fed everyone who came, and every night they sang hymns. He would take a bath in the river an hour and a half before sunrise, and by daybreak, he would be working in the durbar.
2. He had a spiritual experience when he was thirty years old.
According to Singh, it was during one of these early-morning ablutions by the river that Nanak experienced his first mystique. According to the Janamsakhi, it was a communion with God, who gave him a cup of amrit (nectar) to drink and gave him the following instructions to carry out: “Nanak, you have my support. My name will be exalted through thee. I will save whoever follows thee. Go forth into the world and impart the art of prayer to all people. Don’t let the ways of this world defile you. Praise the Word (ntim), serve the Lord (sevii), give to the needy (dan), ablution (isniin), and pray (simran). Nanak, I promise you this. Make this your life’s work. For three days and nights, he did not return, and it was thought that he had drowned. The fourth day, he was back. “Nanak went and joined the fakirs,” declared the janamsakhi. Mardana, the musician, left with him. A day went by. The following day he stood up and talked. “There is no Muslim, there is no Hindu.” Nanak repeated these lines over and over.
3. He disseminated his message by foot.
It is believed that Nanak traveled to Baghdad, Sri Lanka, and central Asia in order to disseminate his teachings. In addition to visiting locations revered by other religions, his final journey took him to Mecca and Madina, the holiest places in Islam. These expeditions were known as “udaasis.” He dressed in a manner reminiscent of both Muslim fakirs and Hindu sadhus. The incidents that occurred during these travels are discussed in the janamsakhis. Nanak conversed with various religious leaders, Sufi saints, and pandits in the area.
4. Guru Nanak preached the Oneness of God to people in various communities.
Singh described one such incident involving Nanak’s trip to Mecca. While residing in a mosque, he dozed off with his feet facing the Kaba, a revered cube-shaped building in Mecca. It was believed that the act seriously disrespected God’s house. After shaking Nanak violently and saying, “O servant of God, thou hast thy feet towards Kaba, the house of God; why hast thou done such a thing?” the mullah arrived to offer his prayers. “Then turn my feet towards some direction where there is no God nor the Kaba,” Nanak retorted. The Sanskrit terms “sisya” (meaning disciple) or “siksha” (meaning instruction or education), which are also found in the Pali language as sikkhii, are where Singh derives the name “Sikhs,” which is used to refer to Nanak’s followers.
5. How Nanak selected the second Guru, Guru Angad.
During his final years, Nanak resided in Kartarpur, where his followers adhered to a specific regimen. They rose before the sun came up, took a cold shower, and assembled in the temple to perform hymns and the morning prayer. Additionally, service, or sewa, was rendered. It still operates today as a system where people give their labor and assist the poor by doing things like preparing meals for them at gurudwaras (a practice known as “langar”). After taking care of their own business, people could gather once more in the evenings to sing hymns. After eating and praying once more, they would depart for their homes. This was also the practice of other gurudwaras. The disciple Lehna was one of them. Given that the sons of the Guru lacked a spiritual bent, Nanak designated Lehna as his successor and gave him the name Angad, which translates to “of my own limb.” He had a sizable fan base of his own as well. September 22, 1539, was Guru Nanak’s death date. One of his most famous incidents is the attempt by Muslims and Hindus to claim their own rituals. In Khushwant Singh’s words: “We will bury him,” the Muslims declared; “We will cremate him,” the Hindus replied; and Nanak responded, putting flowers on each side with Muslims on my left and Hindus on my right. Whoever’s flowers are still fresh tomorrow will win. He requested that they offer prayers. After the prayer, Baba covered himself with the sheet and fell into an eternal slumber. When they lifted the sheet the following morning, they saw nothing. Both communities’ flowers were in-season. Muslims took those they had placed, and Hindus took theirs.