Puran Chand Sharma
‘Life is a Journey Not a Guided Tour’ While navigating through this temporal world in these critical times we observe that the people are living and behaving as if they have come in this world to live forever as per their sweet will and convenience. Human beings are deeply engrossed in their worldly pursuits and accumulation of disproportionate wealth beyond their needs as if this is their permanent home and they are commanded to stay here till eternity despite the fact that they are not empowered and to carry their materialistic possessions in cash and kind to the next birth. In spite of having been blessed with fully developed intellect and thinking power to understand this as nothing but illusion and a gross misbelief. However, contrary to this stark reality, modern man has not been changing his ways but getting more and more embroiled in the worldly quagmire. This author deems it fit to narrate a true anecdote of GURU NANAK DEV JI who is said to be a widely travelled SAINT thought of saving common people from misleading whims, mental agony and other crippling conditions of worldly life.
“Title of the story is Guru Nanak And Duni Chand: Guru Nanak Dev used to travel to far off places educating people about the ancient wisdom and knowledge of our Bharatvarsha. He had no belief in just ritual worship sans implementation of its teachings in our lives. Once he had been to Lahore wherein number of people came to meet him and listen to his sermons. People had special love for his Shabads. Bhai Mardana and Guru Sahib Ji used to sing them and subsequently Guru Nanak Dev would magnanimously explain the underlying meaning of the Shabads to the Sangat. In the city of Lahore lived a very rich man named as Duni Chand. He came to listen to Guru Nanak and respectfully insisted Guru Ji to visit his house. Initially Guru Sahib was reluctant as he did not care for luxuries or wealth. But Duni Chand kept on requesting and accordingly Guru Ji gave his consent to stay at his home. While entering into his house Guru Nanak happened to have a glimpse of so many buntings/ flags fluttering outside his house. Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana were nicely honoured and served with sumptuous food. Subsequent to the feast Guru Ji asked Duni Chand , ” why are these flags fluttering outside your house?” Bubbling with ego Duni Chand replied, “Those flags indicate and symbolize my richness and prosperity, Every flag represents Rs. 1 crore. Seven flags are fluttering outside my residence , this means that I possess wealth worth 7 crores of rupees. Guru Nanak smiled and said innocently, ” Then you must be a very happy person.”
Duni Chand said, ” Actually I am always worried about the fact that there are many more people who are richer than me. I earnestly nurse a wish to be the richest person in the world.” A little later, Guru Nanak Dev gave him a small needle and said, “Duni Chand, Preserve this needle very well and give it to me in the next world when we meet after death.” Duni Chand respectfully took the needle inside to keep it in his Almirah. His wife noticed it and enquired , “What is it?” Duni Chand replied, “Guru Nanak has given a needle to me for safe keeping. He desires me to return it in the next birth when we meet after death. On hearing this, wife of Duni Chand was wonderstruck. She said, have you gone berserk? How can you take anything away with you when you die. This is absolutely impossible. Whatever belongs to this world remains here only.” Duni Chand was surprised and shocked as to why he could not realize it so far. He ran to the Guru and said, ” Guru ji please take back your needle. I cannot take it with me to any world after my death. Do not make me have this debt.” Guru Nanak smiled and said, “Duni Chand, when you cannot take such a small needle with you after you die, why do you store your wealth with you in such a miserly fashion? You cannot take that with you either. You have to leave it behind after death. Not just that, it could even be plundered by others. Duni Chand understood the truth of the Guru’s words and said please guide me as to what should I do of this huge wealth of mine. Guru Nanak advised, “Distribute your wealth wisely among the poor and needy. Do not let anyone go empty handed from your house. Feed the hungry, clothe the poor. When you honest earn the wealth and generously give it away as Daan and Bhiksha you will be taking it away with you even after your demise.” On listening these words of Guru Nanak, Duni Chand got magically transformed and was perfectly a changed person. It was a 180 degree turnaround. Right from that enlightening tryst with Guru Nanak Dev Ji, he commenced establishing number of Educational and charitable institutions and rendering financial support to the needy and underprivileged people living around in the society. Guru Nanak uttered the following Shabad on this occasion: “False are kings, false their subjects, false the whole world; false are mansions, False palaces, false those who dwell therein; False is gold, false silver, False he who wears them, false the body, false raiment, false peerless beauty; False husbands, false wives; They pine away and become dust. Man who is false loves what is false, and forgets the Creator. With whom contract friendship? The whole world passes away. False is sweetness, False honey, in falsehood shiploads are drowned. Nanak humbly asserts-Except Thee, O God, Everything is thoroughly false.” (Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, Slok Mahala 1, Asa KI VAR, Ang 468).
The inference drawn from this true story and the hidden message of Shabad uttered by Guru Nanak Ji is loud and clear “This mortal and the transitory world is false and perishable, only Braham / God is absolute Truth. ‘Krit Kar Bhand Shak’ (Work, Earn and Share).
