At forty he is in his prime, at fifty his feet halt, at sixty old age cometh on;

At seventy he loseth his intellect, at eighty he cannot perform his duties

At ninety he reclineth on his couch, and feeleth no strength whatever in himself.

I, Nanak, have sought and searched, and seen that the world is a mansion of smoke.

The following is said to have been addressed to a holy man called Thakur Das at Priyag:--

Were I to dwell in the cavern of a golden mountain or in a pit of water

Were I to stand on my head on earth or in the heavens

Were I to cover all my body with clothes,[1] and did I nothing but bathe;

Were I to shout aloud the white, the red, the yellow, and the black Veds;[2]

Were I to remain dirty and filthy,[3] all this would be foolish and sinful.

Nanak, since I have pondered on the Word, I am not, I was not, and I shall not be.[4]

Guru Nanak declares the folly of external purifications:--

Man washeth his clothes and his body, and mortifieth himself.

Knowing not of the filth attaching to his heart, he rubbeth and cleanseth himself externally.

Being blind he is led astray, and falleth into Death's noose.

He deemeth the property of others as his own, and suffereth for his pride.

Nanak, when pride is dispelled under the Guru's instructions, man meditateth on God's name,

Repeateth the Name, adoreth the Name, and through thc Name is absorbed in happiness.

[1. This is done. by a sect called the Kâprias, who cover even their faces.

2. As the Brâhmans do.

3. The reference is to the Jains.

4. That is, I am totally absorbed in God.]

{p. 281}

Some important subjects are briefly treated as follows:--

God hath caused the union of body and soul

He who created them can separate them.

A fool while enjoying pleasure bath all pain

Disease proccedeth from sinful pleasure.

From worldly rejoicing proceedeth mourning, separation from God, birth, and death.

The fool while boasting becometh involved in disputes

The decision resteth with. the True Guru; He putteth an end to disputes.

That which the Creator doeth cometh to pass; what man hath set in motion must stop.

The following was addressed by the Guru to a Qazi at Sultanpur:--

Thou utterest falsehood, eatest carrion,[1]

Yet thou goest to admonish others.

Cheated thyself thou now cheatest thy companions.

Nanak saith, that is the sort of guide thou appearest!

As a Qazi beheaded a goat, some drops of blood fell on his garments, which he at once wiped off. He said that he could not join in prayer until the pollution had been removed. The following was uttered by the Guru on the occasion:--

If clothes become defiled by blood falling on them,

How can the hearts of those who drink human blood[2] be pure?