Guru Nanak and Sheikh Sajjan

One day Guru Nanak and his companion Mardana came to a town, called Tulambha, now in West Pakistan. On the road leading to the town stood a number of fine, tall houses. The high compound wall had in the centre a fore-hall with a big gate. On passing through the fore-hall one could see fine places of worship---a temple for Hindus and a mosque for Muslims. They were known as the buildings of Sheikh Sajjan. Away from the temple and mosque stood good residencial houses, where the pilgrims, who came there, were lodged for stay by Sheikh Sajjan.

Contrary to the meaning of his name, Sheikh Sajjan was a villain. Initially he used to serve the travellers very well. In the evening he would come and with folded hands invite them to retire for the night. He would leave them to fine and comfortable beds and in the night would kill them. Then he would take all their belongings, money and clothes and deposit their dead bodies in the secret wells beneath the rooms. Thus countless innocent travellers fell into the trap of Sajjan, the villain and not a trace was left of them.

The Guru and Mardana also cmae to the door of the Sheikh’s house. Sajjan sat there wearing the milk-white clothes and looked like a gentleman.

Sajjan thought that some rich man had arrived along with his servant. The bright face of Guru Nanak indicated to Sajjan that he indeed was a rich man but perhaps dressed like a Sadhu to escape suspicion by the thieves etc.

After evening came the darkness of the night. Late in the night Sajjan said humbly, ‘You are probably tired and may now rest for the night.’ The Guru said, ‘If you permit, I will recite some holy verse, before retiring for the night.’ The Guru then recited the following verse:

Bronze is bright and shiny, but when it is rubbed, its blackness appears. Washing

it, its impurity is not removed, even if it is washed a hundred times.

(A life of virtue and truth is superior to one of wickedness and falsehood. It is the internal purity of mind, which is more fascinating than the external beauty.)

They alone are my friends, who travel along with me; and in that place,

Where the accounts are called for, they appear standing with me.

(Actually Sajjan is the one who can also render help in the other worlds where the Karmic accounts are settled.)

There are houses, mansions and tall buildings, painted on all sides;

but they are empty within, and they crumble like useless ruins.

(The fine decorative work on the palaces is deceptive, for inside they are all hollow.)

The herons in their white feathers dwell in the sacred shrines of pilgrimage.

They tear apart and eat the living beings, and so they are not called white.

(The milk-white stork stands in the middle of the pool, killing and eating fish : In reality it lacks the real whiteness, the purity.)

Hearing all this Sajjan’s mind were recalled the memories of his past deeds, the memory of cold-blooded murders which had made him rich. He imagined himself to be like the fish-devouring stork of the verse.

Guruji continued reciting

My body is like the simmal tree; seeing me, other people are fooled.

Its fruits are useless just like the qualities of my body.

(Deceived by the size of the Simmal tree, the birds make their nest on it, but its fruit is useless as it has no food value at all.’

The blind man is carrying such a heavy load, and his journey through the mountains is so long. My eyes can see, but I cannot find the Way. How can I climb up and cross over the mountain?

(The man who is blind, carries a heavy burden and the way is long and difficult, being blind he cannot see the way.)

Hearing all this, Sajjan became conscious of the enormity of his sins and his wicked deeds and he was wondering whether there was any escape from the punishment for the sins he had committed.

Then Guruji recited the last verse:

What good does it do to serve, and be good, and be clever? O Nanak, contemplate

the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and you shall be released from bondage.__

(Noble deeds and virtue and the contemplation of Lord’s name alone can release one from the bodage and save him from the results of his evil deeds.)

Sajjan now got up and fell at Guru’s feet. He said to himself that all these verses are applicapble to his own life and deeds. The great man knows all my past misdeeds. I cannot hide anything from him. So he begged forgiveness for all his faults and confessed all his crimes. Guru Nanak advised him to return the looted property in respect of persons whose names and homes he knew. He should also pull down his big houses, since they had been built with the earnings of sin. Sajjan obeyed all this.

New rooms were put up with the honestly-earned money of Sajjan, who was now a changed man, engaged in a noble life and divine worship.