Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 1.djvu/207

Rh to death. The Brahman acted on his advice. After some days Babar assaulted and destroyed the city. He also devastated the neighbouring villages. There was a general massacre of the people, and Pathan as well as Hindu habitations were plundered and razed to the ground.

The lives of the Guru and Mardana were spared, probably because they were strangers, but they were imprisoned and placed under the superinten dence of Mir Khan, an officer of Babar s army. Mir Khan, on seeing them, ordered, Take away these slaves to work.’ The Guru was condemned to carry loads on his head, and Mardana to do the work of a groom. The Guru upon this uttered the following :

I am a purchased slave, my name is Lucky.

I have sold myself in the shop for God s word ; where He placed me, there am I placed.

What cleverness hath Thy slave ?

He cannot obey the Lord s order.

My mother was a slave, my father a slave, I was born a slave.

My mother danced, my father sang, I perform Thy service, O King.

If Thou drink I will fetch Thee water, O Lord ; if Thou eat I will grind Thee corn.

I will fan Thee, I will shampoo Thy limbs, and continue to repeat Thy name.

Saith Nanak, ungrateful is Thy slave ; if Thou pardon him, it will be to Thy glory.

In the beginning, in every age, Lord of mercy, Bestower, without Thee salvation is not obtained.

When the Guru had finished this hymn, Mardana saw some women weeping and shrieking as they passed along, and asked his master what had hap pened to them. The Guru told Mardana to play the