Lehal Library

Birth of Sikhism 29 At the age of twelve he was married to Sulakhni, the daughter of Mool Chand Chona of Batala. Even the marriage did not turn his mind towards mundane matters. 'He began to do worldly tasks, but his heart was never in them; he took no interest in his home. His family complained: "'These days he wanders out with the fakirs.'" Nanak was nineteen when his wife came to live with him. For some time she succeeded in turning his attention to herself and two sons were born to them, Sri Chand in AO 1494 and Lakhmi Das three years later. They also probably had a daughter or daughters who died in infancy. TI1en Nanak's mind went back to spiritual problems and he again sought the company of wandering hermits for guidance. His father tried his best to get him to tend his cattle or co sec up as a tradesman, but it was of no avail. His sister brought him over to her home in Sultanpur, and through her husband's influence got him a job as an accountant with the Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi, a distant kinsman of the reigning sultan of Delhi. Although Nanak took over the post with some reluctance, he discharged his duties diligently and won the affection of his employer. At Sultanpur, a Muslim minstrel, Mardana,joined Nanak and the cwo began to organize the singing of hymns in the town. The janamsakhi describes their life in Sultanpur: 'Every night they sang hymns.... They fed everyone who came.... An hour and a quarter before sunrise he would go to the river to bathe, by daylight he would be in the durbar doing his work.' 1' During one of these early morning ablutions by the river, Nanak had his first mystic experience. The janamsakhi describes it as communion with God, who gave him a cup of amrit (nectar) to drink and charged him with the mission in the following words: 'Nanak, I am with thee. Through thee will my name be magnified. Whosoever follows thee, him will I save. Go into the world to pray and teach mankind how to pray. Be not sullied by Khfzlsii Sama Ciir in 1948. It is a compendium of all the other janamsakhis. See Appendix l on sources. 13 janamsiikhi, p. 16.