The Source Book On Sikhism

Travels Of Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak travelled on foot towards all the four global directions across the intractable deserts and the high seas, the impassable mountain ranges and the desolate wilds. He cared not for sun or rain, or other trials of travel in his zeal to do good to mankind. He left no place important to his mission unvisited. More especially he singled out centres of the Hindu and the Muslim religions for the propagation of his ideas.

His first journey was to the East during which he visited such cities as Kurukshetra, Hardwar, Aligarh, Mathura, Brindaban, Kanpur, Lucknow, Kanshi, Patna, Bodh Gaya, Dacca, Gohati, Puri, Bhopal, Jhansi, Gwalior, Agra, Gurgaon, Rewari, etc. This was his longest journey and it lasted 12 years (1497-1509).

His second journey was to the South. In the course of this he visited Zira, Bikaner, Ajmer, Abu, Indore, Ujjain, Hyderabad, Bidar, Madras, Pondicherry, Cudappa, Rameshwaram, Trincomalee, Matala, Cochin, Baglore, Poona, etc. It took him 5 years (1510-1515).

His third journey was to the mountain regions of the North. During this, he visited Jawala Mukhi, Mandi, Kulu, Jammu, Srinagar, Kailash, Mansrover. Besides these, he visited some cities of Nepal, Tibet and South China. This journey lasted two years (1515-1517).

His last journey was to the West. During this, he visited the great centres of Islam like Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Jerusalem, Damascus, Baghdad, Mashed, Bukhara, Samarkand, Balkh, Kabul, Peshawar and Hassan Abdal. This journey lasted four years (1517-1521).

At Hardawar

Visiting places like Kurukshetra and Delhi, the Guru reached Hardawar. It is situated on the banks of the Ganges, the river most sacred to the Hindus.

On account of a fair, people had gathered there in large numbers. They were bathing in the sacred river and throwing water towards the rising sun. They believed that the water so thrown reached the souls of the dead.

The Guru knew that the people were mentally too lazy to think for themselves and were reluctant to forgo the beaten track. The Guru wanted to teach them that right action inspired by right thought alone could lead to truth.

So, tucking up his sleeves, he went knee-deep into the river and began to throw water towards the West instead. This strange sight aroused the curiosity of his fellow pilgrims. They said, “We all throw water to the rising sun which is to the East. But wherefore are you throwing water to the West?”

The Guru replied, “To my fields in the Punjab, which is to the West.”

The people laughed and said, “What a simpleton you are! How can this water reach your fields hundreds of miles away?” This was exactly the reply the Guru was awaiting. He retorted, “Then tell me, friends, how you can expect this water to reach the Sun which is millions of miles away?”

They had never thought of this before. They hung their heads in shame for doing an act which really had no meaning!