Hollow Rituals 3.....

Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana reached the holy place of Kurukshetra where the war of Mahabharat had been fought. That was the day of solar eclipse, so people had come in large numbers from far and near for a holy dip. On every side people were waiting for the eclipse to start. Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana chose an open place and sat there. No sooner had the eclipse begun than groups of beggars started asking for alms. The rich started to give charity to make amends for their sins. People started bathing in the river. This fallacy is in vogue that if anybody bathes and gives alms at the time of the eclipse, all his sins are washed away in the same way as dust is washed from the body with water. Those desirous of washing away their sins were heaping money on the hands of Brahmins even though they had not given a single papa to the poor before.

Guru Nanak was sitting and watching this show when Jagat Rai, the prince of Hansi state, placed a deer before him and requested, "Holy man, I have nothing for charity at this auspicious time except this deer which I hunted on my way. Please accept this." At Guru Nanak's bidding, Bhai Mardana lit a fire and placed the deer on it to cook.

When Brahmins saw the smoke, they came running to Guru Nanak and said, "No one can light a fire at this auspicious time. It is a great sin to light a flre. Nothing can be cooked. Only charity can be given at this time." Nanu Brahmin said, "What have you placed in this pan to cook ?" Bhai Mardana said, 'This is the meat of a deer." Nanu was still more angry on hearing it.

Guru Nanak told those who were raising a hue and cry, "It is not a sin to cook something to satisfy hungry stomach. It is a sin to rob innocent people by telling lies. Tell me how the sins of a sinner can be washed away by giving charity to sinners like you who do not know what meat is. Listen, all bodies consist of flesh. Flesh eats flesh. Flesh marries flesh and brings her home. All the relatives are flesh. When you realise the word of the Lord, you gain the knowledge of what meat is. These foolish vegetarians do not understand that vegetables are also meat. Woman is also flesh. Those who decry meat, make love to it at night. Children are also flesh which take shape out of the flesh of their parents. Grain, cotton etcetera are all flesh. If you give up eating and wearing all these then you have given up meat. Those from whom you accept charity, according to your reckoning, will go to hell for eating meat while you will go to hell for accepting charity from them."

Hearing these words from Guru Nanak, all those who were raising a hue and cry became silent. Guru Nanak further told them, "No god is under threat. Eclipse are caused by the movements of the planets. Nobody's sins are washed away by bathing in this water and giving charity to these Brahmins. Only remembering and keeping God in mind can wash away sins."

source : sikh-history.com