Bâbâ Nânak (A. D. 1469-1538). The story is that, Nânak, while resting in the neighbouring village of Tung, asked a man called Buddha, who was herding cattle, to bring him some water in a vessel from a tank close by, which occupied the site of the present Golden Temple. Buddha said that there was tank at the spot indicated, but that it was dry. Nânak said: 'Go and see the tank is not dry.' Whereupon Buddha went and found, to his astonishment, that the tank, which had been quite dry in the morning, was now full of water. Buddha thereupon brought water to Nânak and became one of the best known of his disciples.

No particular attention, however, was paid to the spot till the time of the third Guru Amardas, who chose the site for the present temple on 1st Hâr, Sambat 1620 (A. D. 1564). After this (in 1577) the fourth Guru Râmdâs, in order to carry out the wishes of his predecessor, obtained the leave of the Emperor Akbar to purchase from the Zamindars of Tung for Rs. 700 a plot containing 250 acres of land, which came to be known as Chak Râmdâs or guru kâ Chak or Râmdâspur, and in this plot he commenced the excavation of the present tank on the 1st Mâgh, Sambat 1634 (A. D. 1577). The fifth Guru, Arjan, spent a good deal of his time at Amritsar, and commenced the masonry construction of the tank on 1st Mâgh, Sambat 1645 (A. D. 1588).

Guru Arjan (who was the compiler of the Granth) is said to have composed the following verses:

We have seen all places, but none like thee.
Thou art founded by god, therefore thou art beautiful.
Thou art populated immensely, O unrivalled Râm-
dâspur.

Nanak says: All sin may be washed off, bathing in Râmdâsar, the tank.'

The sixth Guru, Hargobind, was installed at the Akâl bûnga, but did not spend much time in Amritsar; and the remaining four Gurus had little or nothing to do with the place which is now the recognized centre of Sikhism.

THE CENTRAL SHRINE.

known as the Harmandar Temple of God. It stands feet square, and is itself a

The Central Shrine is (or Hari-Mandar), i. e., the on a platform in the lake, 65 square of 40 feet, with four doors, one on each side, and consists of a single room surrounded by a covered gallery. The exterior walls are adorned below with marble

inlay, and above with reliefs in copper gilt. The domes are also carved with heavily gilt plates of copper. It was Mahârâja Ranjit Singh, who first, in 1803, roofed the Harmandar with these sheets of gilt copper which now cause it to be known among Europeans as the 'Golden Temple.'

On entering the Shrine the visitor will find on his left front a copy of the Holy Granth or Sacred Scripture of the Sikhs wrapped in folds of cloth and resting on the Manji Sâhib (a silk-woven stand with four silver legs). Above it is stretched a fine awning of silk, and behind it sits the reciter or Granthi, who waves over it a Yak's tail (chaur) with a gold handle.

The Granth Sahib is looked upon as the Spiritual representative of the Sikh Gurus or Teachers, and the same respect is shown towards it as would be shown to a living Guru. Just as the Gurus used to sit and receive their disciples in semi-regal state, after the fashion of the Darbârs' of native Princes, so the Granth Sahib now comes each day to receive the respects and offerings of its followers, and the place where this is done is known as the Darbâr Sâhib'. The Shrine which is known

6

to Europeans as the Golden Temple' is universally known among natives as the Darbâr Sâhib.'

Since the annexation of the Panjab, the temple has lost none of its importance; it is still the centre of all Sikh devotion, and attracts crowds of worshippers especially at the two great autumn and spring festivals.*

The cause of causes is the Creator.

In His hand are the order and reflection.
As He looks upon, so it becomes.

He Himself, Himself is the Lord.

Whatever is made, is according to His pleasure.
He is far from all, and with all.

He comprehends, sees, and makes discrimination.
He Himself is One, and He Himself is many.
He does not die nor perish, He neither comes nor goes.
Nânak says, He is always contained in all.

—ÂDI GRANTH (OF THE SIKHS.)†

Countless (lit. crores) Avatâras of Vishnu didst Thou make.

Countless Brahmândas are the abodes of Thy Law;

Countless Maheshvaras are created and absorbed;
Countless Brahmâs Thou did'st set to fashion the

worlds;

So rich is my Lord,

Whose great qualities I cannot speak of in details;
Whom countless Mâyâs attend.

(The hearts of) countless beings are His resting place;
Countless are (the devotees) who embrace (lit. or

draw close to) Thy limbs (personified for worship).

• From Guide to the Golden Temple by Sirdar Sundar Singh Ramgarhia.

+ Quoted in Religious Systems of the World.

Countless the devotees who dwell with Hari.

Countless the Kings (lit. Lords of Umbrellas) who

pay Thee homage.

Countless Indras standing at Thy portals;

Countless Heavens in Thy glance ;

Countless (Thy) priceless Names;

Whose countless resonances sounded forth;

Countless tourneys of wondrous action;

Countless Shaktis and Shivas obedient to His will;
Countless the beings whom Thou nourishest;
In whose feet are countless Tîrthas (sacred places);
Countless pure ones repeat Thy dear name;
Countless worshippers render Thee worship;
Infinite Thy Expanse; there is no second;
Whose pure and spotless glories are countless ;
Whose praise is sung by countless Brahmâ-Rishis ;
In the winking of an eye whose creations and ab-
sorptions are countless;

Countless Thy qualities that may not be numbered,
Countless wise men declare Thy knowledge;

Countless meditators meditate on Thee;

Countless ascetics perform austerities;

Countless Munis sit in silence;

Unmanifest Lord, Imperceptible Master,

Filling all hearts and controlling from within,

Wherever I look Thou dwellest there;

The Guru (or great one) illumined Nânak (with this knowledge).*

[GURU V. BHARON. ]

HYMN.

Thou art the Lord-to thee be praise.

All life is with thee.

* From Annie Besant's Lecture on Sikhism.

Thou art my parents, I am thy child-
All happiness is derived from thy clemency.
No one knows thy end.

Highest Lord amongst the highest-

Of all that exists Thou art the regulator.
And all that is from thee obeys thy will.

Thy movements-thy pleasure-thou only knowest.
Nânak, thy slave, is a free-will offering unto thee.*
-NANAK.

HYMN.

Love, and fix thy whole heart upon Him-
The world is bound to thee by prosperity-
No one is another's.

Whilst prosperity endures many will come,
And sit with thee and surround thee;
But in adversity they will fly,

And not one will be near thee.

The woman of the house who loves thee,

And is ever in thy bosom,

When the spirit quits the body,

Will fly with alarm from the dead.

Such is the way of the world

With all on which we place affection;

Do thou, Nânak, at thy last hour,

Rely alone upon Hari.*

-NANAK.

Space itself (Thy) salver; the sun and moon (Thy) lamps;

The starry host thy pearls, O Father.

The fragrant breeze of the Malaya mountains (Thy) incense;

* From the Works of H. H. Wilson.