Who is Guru Nanak Dev Ji?
Meet Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru, who taught that we are all one family.
Grown-ups: A gentle first look at Guru Nanak Dev Ji's life; the story is a sakhi from Sikh tradition, so you may know it told slightly differently at home.
A special baby in Talwandi
Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in 1469 in a village called Rai Bhoi di Talwandi. Today it is called Nankana Sahib and is in Pakistan. His father was Mehta Kalu Ji and his mother was Mata Tripta Ji. His big sister, Bebe Nanaki Ji, loved him very much. She is remembered as one of the first people to see that her little brother was special.
A curious, kind boy
Young Nanak asked big questions. Why do people treat each other differently? What is God really like? He loved nature and spent time thinking quietly. According to tradition, he shared what he had with anyone in need, even when grown-ups expected him to do something else. He cared more about being kind and truthful than about showing off.
Long journeys to share a message
When he grew up, Guru Nanak Dev Ji travelled far on long journeys called Udasis. His friend Bhai Mardana Ji came along and played the rabab, a stringed instrument, while the Guru sang. Everywhere they went, the Guru taught that there is One Creator, that everyone is equal, and that we should live honestly and help others.
A farmer and a teacher
In his later years Guru Nanak Dev Ji settled in Kartarpur. He worked on the farm with his own hands, and people came to sing, learn and eat together. Before he passed away in 1539, he chose Bhai Lehna Ji to become the next Guru, Guru Angad Dev Ji. His light carried on through all the Gurus after him.
Words to know
The True Bargain (Sacha Sauda)
This is a story from Sikh tradition. When Nanak was a young man, his father gave him twenty rupees and asked him to go to the market and make a good bargain. On the way, Nanak met a group of holy men who had not eaten for days. He felt there could be no better bargain than feeding the hungry, so he spent all the money on food for them. His father was upset at first. But the story is still told today because it shows what Guru Nanak valued most: caring for people is the truest deal of all. Many Sikhs remember this as the seed of the Langar.
From Gurbani
ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Ik Oankaar Sat Naam Kartaa Purakh Nirbhau Nirvair Akaal Moorat Ajoonee Saibhan Gur Prasaad.
There is One — the single reality behind everything. Its identity is Truth. It is the Creator, present in what it creates; without fear and without enmity; beyond time; never born; self-existent. It is realised through the Guru's grace.
ਇੱਕ ਹੀ ਹੈ — ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਇੱਕੋ ਅਸਲੀਅਤ। ਉਸ ਦੀ ਪਛਾਣ ਸੱਚ ਹੈ। ਉਹ ਕਰਤਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪਣੀ ਰਚਨਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ; ਡਰ ਤੋਂ ਰਹਿਤ ਅਤੇ ਵੈਰ ਤੋਂ ਰਹਿਤ; ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਪਰੇ; ਕਦੇ ਜਨਮ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੈਂਦਾ; ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਤੋਂ ਹੈ। ਉਹ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਨਾਲ ਅਨੁਭਵ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।
These are the very first words of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, written by Guru Nanak Dev Ji: there is One Creator, who is true and has no fear and no hate.
ਘਾਲਿ ਖਾਇ ਕਿਛੁ ਹਥਹੁ ਦੇਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਾਹੁ ਪਛਾਣਹਿ ਸੇਇ ॥੧॥
Ghaal khaae kichh hathahu dee. Naanak raahu pachhaaneh se.
One who works for what they eat, and gives some of it away with their own hand — says Nanak, such a person recognises the true path.
ਜੋ ਮਿਹਨਤ ਕਰਕੇ ਖਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਕੁਝ ਆਪਣੇ ਹੱਥੀਂ ਦਾਨ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ — ਨਾਨਕ ਆਖਦੇ ਹਨ, ਅਜਿਹਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਸੱਚਾ ਰਾਹ ਪਛਾਣਦਾ ਹੈ।
Guru Nanak Dev Ji says: work hard for what you have, and share some of it with your own hands.
My 'True Bargain' drawing
- Fold a sheet of paper in half.
- On one side, draw something you could buy with some pocket money.
- On the other side, draw a kind thing you could do or share with someone instead.
- Talk with a grown-up about which side feels like the 'true bargain', and why.
- Pick one kind thing from your drawing to do this week.
Family conversation
- Why do you think Guru Nanak Dev Ji thought feeding hungry people was a good bargain?
- If you could go on a journey to share one kind message, what would it be?
- Who in our family is a bit like Bebe Nanaki Ji — someone who sees the good in others?