Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Biography – Birth, Childhood, Education, Marriage and Enlightenment

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and His Teachings and Life for PSSSB, PPSC, Punjab Police, Patwari, Excise Inspector, Senior Assistant, Labour Inspector, and Other Related Exams

In this article, you will learn about Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and his teachings and life, which are very important for competitive exams like PSSSB, PPSC, Punjab Police, Patwari, Excise Inspector, Senior Assistant, Labour Inspector, and other related exams. Studying the life and teachings of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji not only helps you prepare for upcoming competitive exams but also aids in character building and makes you aware of the challenges faced during the time of his birth.

The life of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji can be categorized into three main periods to better understand the different phases of his life. This categorization also helps us comprehend the chronological sequence of events in the life of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

1. First Period: 1469 to 1499 A.D.

In this period, you will learn about the Birth and Parentage , Childhood and Primary Education , Various Occupations , Marriage Life , Service at Sultanpur Lodhi , and the attainment of Enlightenment .

2. Second Period: 1499 to 1521 A.D.

After attaining enlightenment in 1499 A.D. , Guru Nanak Dev Ji left Sultanpur Lodhi and embarked on Udasis (religious travels). In this section, we will learn about all three Udasis of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, which he undertook with his devoted companion, Bhai Mardana Ji .

3. Third Period: 1521 to 1539 A.D.

After completing his third Udasi, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji settled in Kartarpur , a town he founded on the banks of the River Ravi in 1521. In this article, we will learn about the last 18 years of his life, which he spent in Kartarpur. During this time, he nominated his devoted disciple, Bhai Lehna Ji , as his successor, who later became Guru Angad Dev Ji . Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji merged with the Divine in 1539 A.D.

1. First Period: 1469 to 1499 A.D.

Birth and Parentage

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born on 15^th April 1469, on Purnima (the day of the full moon), at Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi (now known as Nankana Sahib in Pakistan). His father, Mehta Kalu Das Bedi, more commonly known as Mehta Kalu Ji, was a Bedi Khatri by caste and the Patwari of the village in the service of Rai Bular, a local Muslim chief. His mother, Bibi Tripta Ji, was a deeply religious lady.

Childhood and Education

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was a quiet, serious, and precocious child who, at the age of five, began asking profound questions about the purpose of life. He was more interested in the worship of God than in playing games. At the age of seven, he was sent to the Pathshala (school) of Pandit Gopal Ji for elementary learning, including the Hindi alphabet and mathematics. His thoughts and wisdom surprised Pandit Gopal Ji with his deep spiritual knowledge. Two years later, he was sent to learn Sanskrit from Pandit Brij Nath and Arabic and Persian from Mulla Qutub-ud-Din. He continued to astonish them with his compositions, such as an acrostic poem imbued with deep philosophical and mystical meaning.

When he was nine years old, Purohit Hardyal was called to perform the sacred thread ceremony (Janeu). However, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji bluntly refused to wear the sacred thread, remarking that he would instead wear the “thread” of kindness, contentment, and truthfulness—qualities that cannot be broken.

Occupations

When Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s father Mehta Kalu Ram Ji noticed that he was often lost in deep thoughts, he decided to keep him busy with some work. First, he asked him to graze buffaloes. However, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji remained absorbed in meditation, and the buffaloes would often wander into the farmers’ fields, damaging their crops. One day, the farmers, angered by this negligence, collectively complained to Rai Bular, the village chief, seeking justice. In response, Rai Bular sent a man to assess the damage. Upon reaching the fields, the man was astonished to see no harm to the crops—they were standing as if nothing had happened.

After this incident, Mehta Kalu Ji put him to work in agriculture. However, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji showed no interest in farming either. Consequently, his father decided to involve him in trade. He handed over twenty rupees to him and told him to go to the market and make some profitable business. On his way to the market, Guru Nanak Dev Ji encountered some hungry Sadhus (holy men) who had not eaten for days. Instead of using the money for trade, he spent the entire amount feeding the Sadhus and returned home empty-handed, much to his father’s surprise.

This event is famously known as Sacha Sauda (the True Bargain).

Marriage and Children

His ascetic nature worried his father. In order to divert him toward worldly pursuits, his parents decided to arrange his marriage. Thus, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was married to Sulakhni Ji, the daughter of Mool Chand from Pakhoki village in Batala (Gurdaspur District), on 24^th September 1487 . In due course of time, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was blessed with two sons: Sri Chand Ji , born on 8^th September 1494 , and Lakhmi Chand Ji , born on 12^th February 1497 . However, even the responsibilities of married life and raising children did not distract Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji from his spiritual path.

Work at Sultanpur Lodhi

After observing all this, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s father, Mehta Kalu Ji, decided to send him to his sister, Bibi Nanki Ji. At her home, Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s brother-in-law, Sri Jai Ram, held a high position under Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi in Sultanpur Lodhi. At the age of 20, through Jai Ram Ji’s recommendation, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was appointed as the ModiKhana (the store) of the government storehouse under Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi.

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji performed his duties diligently for ten years and earned the affection of his employer. However, whatever he earned, he always distributed among those in need.

Attainment of Enlightenment

Mardana, a Muslim minstrel and a childhood companion of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, joined him in Sultanpur Lodhi. Together, they organized the singing of hymns at night after completing their daily work. They shared their meals with the people who are in need and also preached the importance of living a simple and honest life.

When during the stay in Sultanpur Lodhi, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji went to the River Kali Bein, which is a tributary of the Beas River, each day for the morning bath. But eventually, one day he went as usual but did not return from the river and remained in the river for three days. During those three days, Guru Nanak Dev Ji attained spiritual knowledge and also understood the true meaning of God. His disappearance is also described as his meeting with God, who ordained him to spread the message of love to the world.

He was 30 at the time of gaining the spiritual knowledge, and after reappearing from the river his first words were “Na ko Hindu, Na Musalman,” which literally means “There is no Hindu, no Musalman.” This signifies that all humanity is equal, and every person is a child of God.

After attaining the spiritual knowledge, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji decided to renounce the worldly attachments of this world, which included all ties with his family, children, and wife. Along with this, he decided to go on journeys to preach the message of God, which are known as the Udasis.

His sole aim for these Udasis was to save the people from all the ill practices, sins, and suffering caused by worldly attachments. He dedicated 21 years of his life to traveling to different parts of the world.

In the next article, you will learn about the second period from 1499 to 1521, where he went on extensive journeys (Udasis) to different parts of the world and preached to the people with the message of God.

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