The Source Book On Sikhism

THE SAFFRON-ANOINTINGS

Lehna was the son of a very rich man, and he used to dress in yellow silk of Bukhara. One day he came from his native place to see the Guru, and went to the field where the Guru was working. The Guru put a heavy load of wet grass on the head of Lehana; who then followed the Guru home, the mud dripping from the wet grass and staining his silken clothes. As they entered the house, the Guru’s wife said with great concern: “Sire! See how his fine clothes are stained with mud!” Guru Nanak looked back and said, “Mud! Seest thou not, good lady! He bears the burden of suffering humanity. They are not mud stains, they are the sacred saffron-anointings! The Heaven anoints him, he is a Guru.”