The Source Book On Sikhism

Malik Bhago

In Eminabad there also lived a rich landlord named Malik Bhago. He was very proud and arrogant. It hurt his pride that the Guru should have chosen to ignore him and stay with a carpenter.

Soon he held a general feast to which he invited all persons of the holy order in the town. The Guru, who was also invited, refused to attend the feast. This enraged the Malik who sent his footmen to bring the Guru by force.

When the Guru reached the Malik’s presence, the love and goodwill radiating from his divine form disarmed the latter completely. Reverently he said, “Holy Sir, how is it that you choose to ignore my hospitality and prefer to stay with that fellow carpenter?”

The Guru replied, “The food procured through honest effort contains the milk of humankindness while the tyrant’s food smacks of blood and it corrupts the soul.”

So saying, he took in one hand the rich delicacies prepared by the Malik and in the other the coarse bread of Lalo and squeezed them both. And lo! there spurted out blood, dark and ominous, from the Malik’s food but from Lalo’s bread oozed out milk, warm and fresh.

All those present were dumbfounded. The Malik’s pride was humbled. He distributed his wealth among the needy and resolved to devote the rest of his days to the service of the poor.