Guru Nanak, The enlightened teacher

Nanak naam jahaz hai, charhe so utre paar,

(Nanak is the name of the ship which takes you to your salvation)

Jo sharda kar sevde,gur paar utaran haar.

(The ones who preach Waheguru’s(the Supreme Being or the creator of all) name in their hearts, He takes those to their salvation)

These lines are taken from Ardas, a Sikh prayer that is done before performing or after undertaking any significant task. There is a mention of Waheguru in these lines. Waheguru is a term used in Sikhism to refer to God, the Supreme Being or the creator of all

                       Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak also called Sadguru Nanak, Baba Nanak, Nanak Shah Faqir, Bhagat Nanak, Nanak Kalandar etc. by people from different religions and Cults is the founder and the first of the ten Sikh Guru. He was born in 15 April, 1469 in Talwandi, a village in Sheikhupura district, 65 km west of Lahore( Present day Nankana sahib, Punjab, Pakistan)His father Mehta Kalu and mother Mata Tripta belonged to the merchant caste. His father was the local accountant for crop revenue in the village of Talwandi. 

From a young age he started displaying his brilliance. He became interested in spirituality and divine subjects when he was just five. And started to attend school when he was seven years old. As a boy , Guru Nanak learnt Arabic, Persian besides other regional languages.. When he attained the age of 11, his father arranged for him to participate in the sacred thread ceremony, a Hindu ritual symbolizing man’s connection with God(purity). But the boy rebelled and refused to participate in this ritual as he felt that it was a meaningless one. When the priest continued to insist that the young Nanak done the string he went into a trance and sang:

"Let mercy be the cotton, contentment the thread,

Continence the knot and truth the twist.

Oh priest! if you have such a thread,

Do give it to me.

It will not wear out, nor get soiled, nor be burnt, nor lost.

Says Nanak, blessed are those who go about wearing such a thread."

When Guru Nanak was 12 years old his father gave him twenty rupees and asked him to do a business, just to teach him business. instead Guru Nanak bought food from the money he got and distributed all among the saints, needy and poor. when his father asked him about the business, he replied that he invested all the money in 'True Business'. At present the place where he distributed food to the poor is a Gurudwara (the place where Sikhs come together for congregational worship) named as Sacha Sauda.

He had one sister, Bebe Nanki, who was five years older than he was. In 1475 she got married and moved to Sultanpur. Nanak was attached to his sister so much that he followed her to Sultanpur to live with her and her husband. At the age of around 16, Nanak started working  as the manager of the government's grainary under Daulat Khan Lodhi, employer of Nanaki's husband. it is there that he came into contact with Mardana, a muslim musician. Guru Nanak married Sulkhini of Batala in 1487 and had two sons ( Sri Chand and Laxmi Das), one in 1491 and the second in 1496. 

He performed well in his job as he was a very hardworking and sincere employee. He also proved to be a very kind and generous person. In spite of being a married man and father now, he was not distracted from his quest for spiritual knowledge.He became friends with  Mardana with whom he used to pray and meditate.Sometimes Mardana played the Rebaba( musical instrument) while Nanak sang. 

  One morning he went to bathe in the Kali Bein or Black River with Mardana. He walked into the river and disappeared beneath the water. There was no sign of him and everyone believed that he had drowned in the river.Three days later he miraculously appeared out of the river. But he remained silent. 

The next day, he spoke," There is neither Hindu nor there is Muslim, but only man. So whose path shall I follow? I shall follow God's path.God is neither Hindu nor Muslim and the path i follow is God's." Nanak further said that he had been taken to god's court. There he was offered a cup filled with amrit ( nectar) and was given the command, "This is the cup of the adoration of God's name. Drink it. I'm always with you. I bless you and raise you up. Whoever remembers you will enjoy my favor. Go, rejoice of my name and teach others to do so. I have bestowed the gift of my name upon you. Let this be your name." He was spiritually awakened by this incident and was completely enlightened. People then started calling him," Guru Nanak".