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The Guru's Way

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The Jealous Brother

The Jealous Brother

Once the Guru sent Arjan to Lahore and asked him not to leave Lahore until he was told to do so. A long time passed and young Arjan received no orders from his father. This made him sad. He thought that his father had forgotten to send his orders. He longed to see his father. One day he wrote him a letter. "As the Chatrik bird (The Cuckoo Hawk of the Punjab) cries for rain drops, so do I cry for a sight of thee, O father," he wrote. The letter reached Amritsar where Guru Ram Das lived. Unfortunately, it fell into the hands r of jealous Prithia, who did not pass it on to the Guru. Instead, he sent a message to Arjan to stay at Lahore and wait for the Guru's orders. Arjan grew sadder than before. After some time Arjan wrote-another letter. "I pine for thee like a Sarang bird who pines for water, O father," he wrote. Once again Prithia pocketed the letter and did not let it reach the Guru. Arjan again received orders from Prithia in the Guru's name to stay at Lahore.

After some time, Arjan again wrote a letter and put number 3 on it. He told the messenger to give the letter only to the Guru and to no one else. This time the letter really found its way to the Guru. The Guru at once guessed the meaning of number 3 on the letter. This was the third letter, so he wanted to know what had happened to the first two.

He asked Prithia about them but he said, "I know nothing about them."

"Are you sure?" asked the Guru.

"Yes, I am. Do you think I am a liar?" replied Prithia.

At this the Guru smiled and sent one of his Sikhs to bring Prithia's coat from his room. Of course, the two missing letters were found in his pocket. Prithia felt ashamed but still he said, "These are not letters. These are hymns written by me." "Alright," said the Guru, and he sent for Arjan from Lahore.

When Arjan came, the Guru also called Prithia before him. He asked them both to sing the fourth hymn to match the three already in his hand. Prithia proved to be a liar as he could not utter a word. Arjan at once sang the fourth stanza, "By good luck I have found the saint, indeed I can see God in my house." And he completed the whole stanza.

The Guru was so pleased that he embraced Arjan and said. "Only he who is good and great can be the Guru of the Sikhs." As one candle lights another, so did the greatness of Guru Ram Das pass on to Arjan, who became the fifth Guru of the Sikhs.

Prithia was very angry at the Guru's decision. He even abused the Guru. But the Guru said, "It is a sin to quarrel with your father. Repeat the Name of God and be a true Sikh." Finding him still angry, Guru Arjan said, "Dear father, give away everything to him. I need neither a house nor money. I need only the grace of God. He will give me all I need."

So Guru Arjan left all his worldly goods to the greedy Prithia who was not happy even then. He became the Guru's enemy. Later he tried to poison Guru Arjan's son Hargobind but failed. He remained the Guru's enemy for a long time.

"Only they offer prayers to God Who have the Lord on their side; How can one be jealous of them, When God himself is their Guide?"
(Guru Ram Das)

"God, like a mother and father, protects His servant. The face of the jealous is blackened here and hereafter. God heard the prayer of His servant Nanak, And the jealous sinner was destroyed beyond hope."
(Guru Arjan)