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Sri Guru Nanak Sahib was the incarnation of the Lord Almighty, a prophet, a Jagat Guru. Sri Guru Nanak sahib embodies ten divine-forms and Eternal Sri Guru Granth Sahib as one single Divine Entity.

Nanak was born in a Hindu family of mother Vedi (Bedi) and father Mehta Kalu at Talwandi (now Nanaka Sahib, Punjab) in the month of Vaishakh in AD 1469. His Muslim midwife, Daultan revealed to the neighbourhood that the child (Nanak) laughed at his birth like an adult. Nanak refused to stay long at school. He devoted most of his time to meditation upon God. Instead of being vigilant on cattle to graze the field, he meditated on God under a banyan tree. He refused to wear the sacred thread. He said, “If compassion be the cotton of contentment, the thread of continence the knot, and of truth the twist, these would weave an ideal thread for the soul.”

From childhood, he was deeply spiritual. Instead of purchasing provisions for the house, he fed holy men with the money so given by his father. Naturally, this made his father very angry. Nanak said to his father that feeding the hungry holy men would be more profitable to you and me. He refused to farm. He said, “In my body’s farm, the mind is the ploughman, right conduct is the cultivation, Humanity the watering of it, God’s essence the seed, contentment the harrow and Poverty the fence. Tended by love this seed will sprout and fill the granaries of those who will act thus. O Father, I will grow so much in my farm that it will be sufficient not only for me and my family, but the whole world. I till my land for Him, who protects and gives enough. Measure not my Master’s worth. He who loves Him merges in Him. To the physician, who was examining Him.” Nanak said, “Feel not my pulse for the malady is not in my body, but in my soul. The malady with I am blessed is of love for Him.” Nanak was given in marriage. He was blessed by two sons.  His father sent Nanak to his sister Nanki at Sultanpur (now in the district of Kapurthala) for a change in environment. Nanak joined the service of Muslim Nawab, Daulad Khan. Nanak used to disappear and go in trance. He saw the vision of God. He was blessed by God - “Nanak, I am ever with thee. I bless thee. He who utters thy name, with love, will also be blessed. Go thou in the wide world and instruct man in my will.” God honoured him with a Robe. On being called by Nawab for his aloofness from work and uttering that both Muslim and Hindu are men and there is no difference, Nanak answered the Nawab in one of his hymns with music played by Mardana, the Muslim low caste drummer.

“Some say that I am wild, others that I am out of step.

And some say that I’am crazy after my King, my God.

And know not another than Him, nay not another!

Yea, he alone is mad who is struck with God’s fear

And knows not another than His only Master,

And, he alone who yokes himself to His master’s task,

And accepts His will and plays not clearer with His Love. 

And loves no one other than Lord, the God,

And think himself bad and everyone else holy and good.”

To angry Qazi, he replied,

“If compassion be mosque, and faith the prayer mat,

And honest living one’s Quran;

And Humility one’s circumcision and continence

And one’s fasting then, verily; one may be called a Musalman

If virtuous deeds make up one’s pilgrimage to Kaaba

And Truth be the guide of one’s spirit

And one’s prayer be for the Lord Grace

And the rosary be of his will, then God will 

Assuredly keep one’s honour. 

Nanak said to Qazi, that my first prayer is of truth, the second honest living, the third the Grace of God and fourth of a clean mind and fifth, the remembrance of God. Nanak said that while you were praying in the Mosque, your mind was in Kabul purchasing horses of fine breed. Qazi then kept quiet being afraid of further humiliation. At a village perhaps on the border of Surat/Gujarat, Guru Nanak was served with heartiest hospitality. He blessed them thus, “May all scatter.” At another village he was poorly received. Guru said, “May all remain, where you are.”Guru explained to Mardana that people who served him heartily would set an example of goodness and make others like themselves if they scatter. People who survived poorly would corrupt others by their bad manners. Once Guru Nanak told his followers to put fire in the houses of a village where the villagers were lazy. When the followers asked him the reason, he told them that he was doing so in order to bring the villagers out of their laziness. To save themselves and their houses from fire the lazy villagers would try their best to dig well and bring water. In this way they will learn to work.

Parambrahm Guru Nanak shines in each manifestation in full glory and each of ten Gurus reveals various divine aspects of the Guru Nanak Sahib. This spiritual wonder enraptures the soul of mankind with their divine essence and unity.

Teachings of Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak felt that it would be improper to postpone Nama Smarana or remembering the Name of the Lord, even by a single breath. Nanak says, “We are men of one breath. I know not a longer time-limit.” He also said that there are no barriers of race, class, caste, creed or colour which check the progress of any in reaching the goal. He realised the great truth of the brotherhood of religions. He preached the universal brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God to all people. Guru Nanak insisted on realising the unity with all. He said, “Love God as the lotus loves water, as the bird Chatak loves rain, as the wife loves her husband. Make divine love thy pen and thy heart the writer. If you repeat the Name, you live; if you forget it, you die. Open your heart to Him. Enter into communion with Him. Sink into His arms and feel the divine embrace.” Guru Nanak clearly said, “The road to the abode of God is long and arduous. There are no short-cuts for rich people. Everyone must undergo the same discipline.

Everyone must purify his mind through service of humanity and Nama Smarana. Everyone must live according to the will of the Lord without grumbling or murmuring. How to find Him? There is one way. Make His will your own. Be in tune with the Infinite. There is no other way.” Guru Nanak attaches very great importance to prayer. He says that nothing can be achieved by man without divine favour. He says, “Approach God with perfect humility. Throw yourself on His mercy. Give up pride, show and egoism. Beg for His kindness and favour. Do not think of your own merits, abilities, faculties and capacities. Be prepared to die in the pursuit of His love and union with Him. Love God as a woman loves her husband/lover. Make absolute unreserved self-surrender. You can get divine favour and love.”

The beautiful composition of mystic poems uttered by Nanak is contained in ‘Japji’. It is sung by every Sikh at daybreak. The ‘Sohila’ contains the evening prayers. In ‘Japji’, Guru Nanak has given five stages or Khandas through which man must pass in order to reach the final resting place or abode of eternal bliss. The first is called Dharm Khand or ‘The Realm of Duty’. Everyone must do this duty properly. Everyone must tread the path of righteousness. Everyone will be judged according to his actions. The next stage is Gyan Khand or ‘The Realm of Knowledge’ where the spirit of divine knowledge reigns. The third stage is Sharam Khand - ‘The Realm of Ecstasy.’ There is spiritual rapture here. The Dharma has become a part of one’s own nature. It has become an ingrained habit. The fourth stage is Karam Khand or ‘The Realm of Power.’ The God of power rules over this realm. The aspirant acquires power. He becomes a mighty hero. He becomes invincible. The fear of death vanishes. The fifth or the final stage is Sach Khand or ‘The Realm of Truth’. The formless One reigns here. Here the aspirant becomes one with God. He has attained Godhead.

He has transmuted himself into Divinity. He has attained the goal of his life. He has found out his permanent resting place. Now ends the arduous journey of the soul.

‘Vahe Guru’ is the Guru Mantra for the followers of Guru Nanak – “Ek Omkar Satnam Karta Purkh Nirbhav Nirvair, Akalmurat Ajuni Savai Bhang Gur Parsad” which means God is one, His Name is true, He is the Creator, He pervades the whole universe, He is without fear, He is without enmity, He is immortal, He is birthless, He is self-born and self-existent, He is the remover of the darkness (of ignorance) and He is merciful. The Lord is eternal. He has no beginning and no end.”

To Muslims :  ‘There are five prayers and five times. All the five have five names. The first is truth. The second, right occupation. The third, charity is the name of God. The fourth is the right resolve and the fifth praise of God. Recite the Kalma of righteous deeds and then call thyself a Musalman.’ 

To Brahmin : ‘A Brahmin is he who knows Brahman and practises repetition (of name), austerity and self control to that end. He sticks to the vow of good temper and contentment. He breaks all bonds and gets emancipated. Such a Brahmin is worthy of adoration.’ 

For women : ‘In a woman we are conceived, of a woman we are born, to a woman we are betrothed and married. Through a woman new trends are found. The woman continues the race. Why to call her low of whom are born men great and powerful.’