Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 1.djvu/288

192 religious sanction. The Brahmans set the Veds, the Purans, and the Shastars at variance. The professors of the six schools of Hindu philosophy quarrelled with one another, and while so employed indulged to their hearts' content in hypocrisy and superstition.

Not only were the Hindus divided into four castes, but the Muhammadans were divided into four sects, 1 and while the Hindus worshipped the Ganges and Banaras, the Muhammadans addressed their devo tions to Makka and the Kaaba. The devil fascinated the members of both religions ; they forgot their holy books ; they went astray on every road ; and truth was the one thing they failed to discover. There was no guru or religious guide, and without one the people were pushing one another to their destruction. Sin prevailed throughout creation. Pure religion was weeping day and night, and finally began to disappear from men's gaze beneath the earth. She was weighed down by human trans gressions. In lowly attitude she appealed to God for a guide. God observing men's anguish and hearing their piteous cries, conferred supernatural attributes on Guru Nanak. He bestowed on him the supreme wealth of the Name and humility, and sent Mm into the world to relieve its sufferings. When Guru Nanak contemplated the world, he everywhere saw spiritual darkness, and heard the cry of pain. He endured the greatest privations and travelled to different countries in order to regenerate the human race. He pointed out to men the straight way that there was but one God, the primal and omnipreaent. He restored the three legs which religion had lost, and reduced to one the four castes of the Hindus. He placed the king and the beggar on a spiritual equality, and taught them to respect each other.

1 Hanifi, Shafai, Maliki, and Hanbali.