The heart is the paper, conduct the ink;[1] good and bad are both recorded therewith.

Man's life is as his acts constrain him; there is no limit to Thy praises, O God.

O fool, why callest thou not to mind Thy Creator?

Thy virtues have dissolved away by thy forgetfulness of God.

Night is a small net, day a large one; there are as many meshes as there are gharis in the day.

With relish thou ever peckest at the bait, and art ensnared O fool, by what skill shalt thou escape?

The body is the furnace, the mind the iron therein; five fires[2] are ever applied to it.

Sin is the charcoal added thereto, by which the mind is heated; anxiety is the pincers.

The mind hath turned into dross, but it shall again become gold when it meeteth such a Guru

As will bestow the ambrosial name of the one God; then, Nanak, the mind shall become fixed.[3]

[1. Literally--Conduct---heart being the paper--the ink.

2. The deadly sins.

3. Mâru.]

{p. 71}

The Guru then took the opportunity of discoursing on the immoral shopkeeper's peculiar vice: 'Man is fickle when he beholdeth a courtesan; he then hath a special desire for love's play, and can in no way be restrained. On meeting her he loseth his human birth. Bereft of his religion he falleth into hell, where he undergoeth punishment and profusely lamenteth. Wherefore look not on her, but pass thy time among the holy.'

After this they all separated, and the Guru and Mardana continued their wanderings. On the way they were encountered by robbers. On seeing Guru Nanak, they said to themselves that he on whose face shone such happiness could not be without wealth. They accordingly went and stood around the Guru. As they beheld him morning dawned, so they were able to examine him more closely. He asked them who they were, and what they wanted. They candidly replied that they were thags,[1] and had come to rob him. The Guru gave them spiritual instruction, and said that their sins should be wiped out when they had abandoned their evil career, turned to agriculture, and bestowed charity out of the spoils in their possession. They acted on his suggestions, began to repeat the Name, and reform their lives. The Guru on that occasion composed the following:--

Covetousness is a dog, falsehood a sweeper, food obtained by deceit carrion;

Slander of others is merely others' filth in our mouths the fire of anger is a sweeper.[2]

Pleasures and self-praise-these are mine acts, O Creator.

My friends, doth any one obtain honour by mere words ~

Call them the best, who arc the best at the gate of the Lord; they who do base acts sit and weep.

[1. Indian robbers who generally effect their purpose by the use of stupefying and poisonous drugs.

2. Also translated--Slander of others is our neighbour's dirt, filthy language a sweeper, anger fire.]

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