When Nanak was born, the entire villagers gathered and rejoiced. As He was delivered, the villagers felt a blissful surge of joy within their hearts. They experienced that some Divine being had come to the world. His mother also felt different. The positive vibes could not hold the people, and they felt attracted towards the house. His father was surprised seeing the mob approaching their house, and he tried to convince that nothing extraordinary had happened. The day passed by.
His mother and elder was aware about the Divinity, who was delivered. When She conceived, She could see some light within Her womb and in the body as well. Her previous pregnancies didn’t yield any such experiences. Nanaki, His elder sister, could also see a majestic ray of light penetrating her mother’s forehead, and a saintly image blessing her mother. She felt that Lord was born. She ran to her father and told him about her experience. He thought that she was uttering some child-like figments, but her mother understood her notion. His father was also a very pure and humble being.
When Nanak was two to three years, Mughals were ruling the country. The place of his birth, Nanakana (a town in Punjab, India) became a relay center for the pilgrims, who visited Kashi (in Uttar Pradesh, India) and Kashmir in the North. The fakirs and sadhus passed by His house in multitude. Whenever He saw any saint approaching his house, he used to give anything which he clutched in his hands. From His clothings to the most priceless assets of the house, He used to give off. Worried over the pranks of her son, she used to lock Him in the attic, for he could not make them bonkers at the end. His father felt that He would force them to run of the streets with begging bowl. The income of His father was minimally sufficient to make the ends meet. Even from the room, the Boy often threw of His clothes, he wore, to serve the saints.
When He was about seven years old, His father gave Him ten rupees and asked him to double the amount and bring it back, till dusk. Nanak left and saw a bunch of thousand sadhus. With the money, he served them all, with all the means he could, with utmost love. At dusk, he remembered that he had to go home. He ran across the streets and ventured in. His father asked him about the amount. Like an innocent child, he bowed his head and didn’t say anything. He was aware that he might receive lashes from His father. But, the service had given Him the priceless asset of blessings. The saint had said to Him that Lord would take care of Him. As His father lifted up his arm to beat Him, Nanaki held his hand and told him not to do that again, as Nanak was the incarnation of Almighty Himself. Seeing the obstinate loving steps of his daughter, he forgave Him.
He grew little older, then He was sent to school for primary education. His teacher taught him to write numerals, in Gurmukhi script. He asked them if the writings and education could make Him realize His Self. He wrote the letters of ‘Ik Onkar’ and tilted it a bit, which reflected ‘Allah‘ in Arabic. (God is One, irrespective of religious sacraments). The teachers remained silent and nodded in shame. He left the school and didn’t study. He was the one, who never slept at nights. As all went to go to sleep, He used to occupy His mat and meditate for hours. His sister saw Him meditating and She too meditated with Him, for several nights.
As the girl grew older, about twelve years of age, she was married to a rich but highly generous man, a resident of Sultanpur. He was a charitable man, and lived a life of humility. She was upset as she had to leave her Brother. She asked her husband if they could take Nanak with them to Sultanpur. Her husband agreed. She asked her father for the permission and consoled him that he would work for some livelihood. All the three left. Reaching Sultanpur, she asked her husband for if he could manage a job for her Brother. He agreed and consulted his friend, who was a true fakir and owner of a shop. He was a man of humility as well. Nanak was told to work as a helper in the shop. The duties began.
One day, the calendar showed the date thirteenth of the month of Purushottam (thirteen is called terah in hindi). He was on job, and he gave off all the commodities for free to the customers. The people who were his foes grinned stealthily and planned to bring the owner to interrogate Him. The shop was exhausted. He closed the gate of the shop and left, at night. He went him, and began His meditation. The next morning, the guys and the owner arrived and ventured into the shop. They saw that everything was arranged in a systematic manner, and the grains and assets were available in the recorded manner. The register was maintained. Seeing the scenario, the owner smiled and growled at the people who complained about Nanak, and warned them to never repeat the mistake of complaining about Nanak. The man offered the shop to Nanak. This went on for few weeks, and then He decided to leave the vocation.
He left and marched towards a river, in Sultanpur. He entered in the waters and went into samadhi. He remained there for seven days and nights. The news unfurled in the city and even to the city of His parents. All arrived at the shore, and divers were deputed to find Him. All the efforts appeared futile. On the seventh day, He was seen floating on water, erect in samadhi. Mardaana, one of the pilgrims to Kashi, was the first to see Him. He felt something extraordinary about Him, and went to Him and touched His feet. Nanak opened His eyes and blessed him, uttering his name (despite they were meeting for the first time). They became best friends, from that day.
There were seven people in His initial mobile group. All belonged to various sects, but without a speck of discrimination. They used to visit several places in undivided India. One day, they decided to go to Mecca. He spread the mat and asked the others to sit on it. Then, he hailed in Allah’s Name, and they could fly all way from India to Mecca. They went to Qaba. He was sitting in a posture, in which His feet pointed towards Qaba. The people hushed to Him and asked Him not to point the feet towards Qaba. He agreed and folded them. In response, Qaba flipped towards the direction of His feet. He flipped them again, Qaba moved again. Seeing the unusual event, people thought that He was a magician and shouted to make Him a prisoner. He humbly replied to their cries, said that He was no magician, but wanted to prove that postures and rites are just to fix the faith in Allah; the Qaba was within all of them.
Even, the concept of langar (community kitchen) was initiated by Him. He was the one who brought the rains through prayers and helped millions in the famine.
The time of His departure arrived. He had proclaimed that He would leave the physical abode on that particular date and time. People appeared in masses. He was in the samaadhi awastha, and suddenly, He enunciated OM and left the abode. Then, the people began quarrelling for the procedures after His demise. Muslims proclaimed their rights for the rites and Hindus announced their beliefs. Suddenly, the body turned into a heap of flowers. People from various sects collected the flowers and acrried out the rituals according to the belief.
The day of His arrival of Earth as Nanak is celebrated as Prakash Parva. Prakash means light and parva means celebration. It is the celebration of arrival of an Incarnation of Oneness. He was never born, never died, He visited to elevate people from the clart.
