Guru Nanak Dev- Encyclopaedia of Saints of India (Part-8)

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Guru Nanak Dev's early career shows that he was born to do a 'great' work for the welfare of humanity. His was a dedicated and disci- plined life who believed and preached piety, truthfulness, non-violence, non-possession and mutual support, His hymns and teachings throw much light on the working of his pure mind which always gives us a valuable lesson to do much work for the welfare of the people irrespective of the fact that they belong to a particular caste, creed and religion. In spite of several difficulties, he did not lose the true path of life.

Hopefully this work would be a useful study for teachers, research scholars, students and all those who are deeply interested in the religious and social philosophy of Guru Nanak Dev.

Contents include: Early Career; Mission of his Life; Teachings of Guru Nanak-1; Teachings of Guru Nanak-II; The Nature of God; Guru's Sabad: Prophet of Unity; The Japuji- Prolegomena; The Rahiras; The Problem of Life; The Physician; The Battle of Life.

Dr. S.R. Bakshi, Ph.D., D.Litt. is an eminent. scholar of Modern Indian History and is the author of several works on Indian nationalism and freedom movement. His recent works include 'Encyclopaedic History of Indian Culture and Religion' (in 5 Vols.), The Great Marathas' (in 5 Vols.), The Great Rajputs' (in 6 Vols.), 'B.R. Ambedkar: His Political and Social Ideology' (in 2 Vols.), 'Encyclopaedic History of The Sikhs and Sikhism' (in 6 Vols.), The Great Moghuls' (in 8 Vols.), and Development of Women, Children and Weaker Sections' (in 5 Vols.). Dr. Bakshi is member of several academic institutions having deep bearing on historical research.

Dr. Sangh Mittra, LL.B. Ph.D. from Lucknow University, is Dy. Director (Research) in Indian Council of Historical Research. Her Ph.D. thesis on 'Iconographic Study of Minor Brahmanical Deities in Northern India' is published along with more than 20 Research Papers in reputed historical journals. She is Life Member of several academic institutions and a reputed examiner of Ph.D. thesis of Universities of North India. Besides she has actively participated in numerous national and international Seminars.

Born on 15 April, 1469, Guru Nanak Dev was a precocious child and did not mix with other boys. He was sent to the village mosque where he studied Arabic and other subjects. His teacher was very happy with his academic performance. In a few years he began to ponder over the character of the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer and to question the efficacy of rituals of Hindus as well as Muslims.

During his younger days, he had some problems with his parents. When he was asked to graze the cattle, he would let them stray into people's fields. When his parents gave him some money to do business, he would distribute it among the poor and the needy. At the age of sixteen, he was married to Sulakhni, daughter of Mulchand Chona of Batala, in the Punjab. They had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das.

He had firm belief in a catholic, dynamic and comprehen- sive concept of religion. Throughout his life, he incessantly strove to bridge the gulf between the various communities and culture-groups of India and preached to them the gospel of truth, love, honesty and moral integrity. The fact that when he died, the Hindus claimed his body for cremation and the Muslims for burial shows the extent in which he had succeeded in bridging the gulf between the Hindus and the Muslims by setting a personal example.

Indeed he had a vast and varied experience of life. He travelled extensively, met all sorts of people, rich and poor, Hindus and Muslims, yogis and sufis, soldiers and scholars, villagers and townsfolk. This in fact gave him a rare insight into human character. He rejected the idea of caste and declared noble character rather than noble birth to be the real test of human greatness.

**Contents and Sample Pages**