Poison may be held in the hand, but man dieth if he eat it.

The sovereignty of the True One is known in every age.

He who obeyeth God's order shall become a noble in His court.

The following allegory of mounted cavalry refers to the different stages of asceticism:--

The Master sent obedience to His orders as a steed into the world;

Reflection on the instruction which the Guru imparteth is its kettle-drums.

Some have mounted their steeds, others have them ready caparisoned;

[1. Owing to the exigencies of prosody, only Râhu is mentioned in the original text. Râhu arid Ketu are two demons, who, according to Indian astrologers, inflict pain or., mortals as they do on the sun and moon on occasions of eclipse.

2. Some understood jâu to be the Sanskrit jâyâ, wife. The gyanis translate--All the fascinating women of heaven may go, as far as I am concerned.]

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Some have loaded their baggage for the march, and others have set out.

In the following allegory the mill is the world, the corn is the soul, the husk the body, refuge in God the axle:--

When the field is ripe, it is cut; only the chaff and the hedge remain.

The corn is threshed with the husk, and the chaff is winnowed away.

Men then put together the two mill-stones and sit down to grind corn.

That which attacheth to the axle escapeth. Nanak hath seen a wonderful thing.[1]

Good men, like sugar-cane, are subject to torture:--

See how sugar-cane is cut down and made into sheaves after the stalks are cleaned.

The labourers put it into a press and squeeze it.

Having expressed the juice, they put it into a pan, and it groaneth as it burneth.

The residue is collected and put into the fire beneath the pan.

Nanak, sweet things are thus ill-treated; come and see, O people.

It is useless to endeavour to instruct a fool:--

What can deep water do to it fish? What can the sky do to a bird?

What can cold do to it stone? What can married life do to a eunuch?

Even though thou apply sandal to a dog, he will still preserve his canine nature:

Even though thou instruct a deaf man, and read for him the Simritis;

Even though thou place a light before a blind man, and burn fifty lamps fox him, all would be of no avail.

[1. That the corn attached to the axle is not ground, that is, the soul which is attached to God is not tortured by Death.]

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Even though thou put gold before a herd of cattle, they would still pick out the grass to eat.

If a flux be put into iron it will melt, but not become cotton.[1]

Nanak, the peculiarity of a fool is that what is said to him is ever lost.

When his Sikhs inquired how an alliance could be formed with God the Guru composed the following:--

When bronze, gold, and iron break,

The blacksmith weldeth them by means of fire.