Guru Nanak And The Yogis

In the summer of 1496 Guru Nanak Dev Ji left his home at the tender age of 27. He trusted that God would care of His wife and sons and said a most humble prayer and set out with Mardana Ji. Guru Nanak Dev Ji went to the mountaintops and met many yogis there. He admonished them for using their psychic powers and black magic to frighten and control people rather than to elevate and heal them. He was in the Himalayas where many Yogis lived and Guru Nanak Dev Ji wanted to meet them. As Guru Ji and Mardana Ji approached the place, the energy changed and the temperature became colder. Soon they began hearing mystical sounds. They came to a clearing by the lake, and Guru Nanak Dev Ji sat down under a tree. Slowly, naked Yogis and sadhus who had attained mystical powers began to emerge from the forest that surrounded the great lake. A yogi named Charpat greeted them and asked them the place from where they had come there.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji replied that He need not tell them that as they had left it to suffer and they do not require to care about it now!

Charpat stared a little as no one dared to talk to him in this manner. However, he said that whether they had come to join them.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji replied that there was nothing to join them. To this Charpat said, if they wanted a spiritual life then they have to renounce the world and come to live with them.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji said that Charpat and other sadhus have the knowledge and power which they have developed by living in the Himalayas, which could elevate and heal the suffering humanity. Hence they should leave this place and help the suffering humanity!

All the sadhus were silent and stunned by the words of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 

Charpat said that they should have tea together. Saying so he handed Guru Nanak Dev Ji, a large iron urn and asked him to fetch water from the nearby lake. Guru Ji took the urn quietly and went to the lake to get water for tea. But when he knelt down to take water, he saw the lake filled with gems, gold, silver, rubies, sapphires and brilliant diamonds, in place of water!

When He returned, Charpat asked him that did he fetch the water. Guru Nanak Dev Ji said that there was a treasure all over the lake in place of water. For this reason, he could not get the water and placed the urn before Charpat and sat before the fire.

There were many sadhus and all were impressed with Guru Nanak Dev Ji as no one had ever passed this test. Guru Ji was undeterred even by looking at so much treasure.

 One of the sadhus said to Guru Ji to join them as there was true spirituality here and not in any other place.

Guru Ji replied that when the former would depart and leave his body, then where would his soul reside. The sadhu could not answer this question of Guru Ji. 

Guru Ji continued saying and said that all the sadhus sitting there had great mystic powers with the help of which they could turn water into gold, manifest things in the air, could levitate themselves in the air, etc. But by doing all these things they have not come closer to God! They lived here and obtained powers that could be better utilized to deduce the sufferings of mankind. They have not renounced the world but retreated from there. They enchant and bewitch for a fee and practice black magic and by doing so they get trapped by these spiritual powers. They know the mantras to change their form and manifest in the air, but they do not know the name of the Lord. They practice all their rituals in order to attain power.

Yoga is union but their union is not with God, but with their ego! They could not offer him anything here except the powers that they coveted.

Guru Ji said that they knew meditation and could help people to be free from their fear and superstitions. Then they should not turn their back on those who pray for help!

The Yogis could not answer Him. They tried to challenge and argue with him, insisting that only a renunciant could receive spiritual awareness, however for each argument and each challenge, Guru Nanak Dev Ji vanquished them with the truth and power of His words!

Guru Nanak Dev Ji remained for a brief time with the Yogis. After that Guru Ji and Mardana Ji made their way from the mountains and continued their journey further.