And showed the way unto all holy men. …

[The narrative continues:]

Nānak assumed the body of Angad,

And made his religion current in the world.

Afterwards Nānak was called Amar Dās,

As one lamp is lit from another.

When the time for the fulfilment of the blessing came,

Then Rām Dās became Guru.

Amar Dās gave him the Guruship according to the ancient blessing,

And took the road to paradise himself.

The holy Nānak was revered as Angad,

Angad was recognised as Amar Dās,

And Amar Dās became Rām Dās.

The pious saw this, but not the fools,

Who thought them all distinct;

But some rare person recognised that they were all one.

They who understood this obtained perfection—

Without understanding perfection cannot be obtained.

When Rām Dās was blended with God,

He gave the Guruship to Arjan.

When Arjan was going to God's city

He appointed Har Gobind in his place.

When Har Gobind was going to God's city,

He seated Har Rāi in his place.

Har Krishan, his son, afterwards became Guru.

After him came Teg Bahādur,

Who protected the frontal marks and sacrificial threads of the Hindus,

And displayed great bravery in the Kal age.

When he put an end to his life for the sake of holy men,

He gave his head but uttered not a groan.

He suffered martyrdom for the sake of his religion;

He gave his head but swerved not from his determination.

I shall now tell my own history,

How God brought me into the world as I was performing penance

On the mountain of Hem Kunt,

There I performed very great austerities

And worshipped Great-death.

I performed such penance

That I became blended with God.

When God gave me the order,

I assumed birth in this Kal age.

I did not desire to come,

As my attention was fixed on God's feet.

God remonstrated earnestly with me,

And sent me into this world with the following orders …

[God then tells the Guru how He had created the demi-gods and the various prophets, but how

they had all been false to their religion, and had attracted glory to themselves.]

"None of them recognized Me, the Supreme Being.

I have cherished thee as My son,

And created thee to extend My religion.

Go and spread My religion there,

And restrain the world from senseless acts."

I stood up, clasped my hands, bowed my head, and replied:

"Thy religion shall prevail in the world when Thou vouchsafest assistance."

On this account God sent me.

Then I took birth and came into the world.

As He spoke to me so I speak unto men:

I bear no enmity to any one.

All who call me the Supreme Being

Shall fall into the pit of hell.