Love of God my brother, affection mine own begotten son,

Patience my daughter--I am pleased with such relations--

Peace my companion., wisdom my disciple--

This is my family in whom I ever rejoice.

The one God who adorned us all is my Lord.

Nanak, he who forsaketh Him and clingeth to another shall suffer misery.

Guru Nanak then became silent, lay down, and ate and drank nothing. The whole family represented to Kalu that something ought to be done for his son. A physician ought to be called, and medicine prescribed. 'Who knows but that behind a straw there is a lakh?' that is, by a small expenditure Nanak may recover. Upon this, Kalu went and brought a physician. The physician came, and began to feel Nanak's pulse. He withdrew his arm, and, drawing in his feet, stood up and said, 'O

{p. 27}

physician, what art thou doing?' The physician said that he was diagnosing his disease. Upon this Nanak laughed, and then uttered the following verses:--

The physician is sent for to prescribe a remedy; he taketh my hand and feeleth my pulse.

The ignorant physician knoweth not that it is in my mind the pain is.[1]

Physician, go home; take not my curse with thee.

I am imbued with my Lord; to whom givest thou medicine?

When there is pain, the physician standeth ready with a store of medicine:

The body is weeping, the soul crieth out, 'Physician, give none of thy medicine.'

Physician, go home, few know my malady.

The Creator who gave me this pain, will remove it.

The physician asked Nanak what he himself thought his illness was. Nanak replied:--

I first feel the pain of separation from God, then a pang of hunger for contemplation on Him.

I also fear the pain which Death's powerful myrmidons may inflict.

I feel pain that my body shall perish by disease.

O ignorant physician, give me no medicine.

Such medicine as thou hast, my friend, removeth not

The pain I feel or the continued suffering of my body.

I forgot God and devoted myself to pleasure

Then this bodily illness befell me.

The wicked heart is punished.

Ignorant physician, give me no medicine.

As sandal is useful when it exhaleth perfume,

As man is useful as long as he hath breath in his body,

So when the breath departeth, the body crumbleth away and becometh useless:

No one taketh medicine after that.

[1. Malâr ki Wâr.]

{p. 28}

When man shall possess the Name of the Bright and Radiant[1] One,

His body shall become like gold and his soul be made pure;

All his pain and disease shall be dispelled,

And he shall be saved, Nanak, by the true Name.[2]

The following was on the same subject:--

Pain is arsenic, the name of God is the antidote.

O ignorant man, take such medicines