Guru Nanak Sahib Ji (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ) is the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus, the eleventh Guru being the living Guru, Guru Granth Sahib. His birth is celebrated world-wide on Katak Puranmashi, the full-moon day which falls in October–November.

Guru Nanak traveled to places far and wide teaching people the message of one God who dwells in every one of God's creations and constitutes eternal Truth. He set up a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternity, love, goodness, and virtue.

Before Guru Nanak merged (passed away) with God in 1539, his name had traveled throughout India and far beyond into Arabia, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Afghanistan, Turkey, Burma, and Tibet.

The name "Nanak" was used by all subsequent Gurus who wrote sacred text in the Sikh holy scripture Guru Granth Sahib. Hence Guru Angad is also called the Second Nanak. All Gurus carried the same divine message and are known as the Light of Nanak.

Guru Nanak is also known as Satguru Nanak, Baba Nanak, Nanak Shah Faqir, Bhagat Nanak, and Nanak Kalandar. Sikh belief holds that his spiritual authority descended upon each of the nine subsequent Gurus.

Legacy

• Universal message for all people
• Equality of humanity (including women)
• Naam Japna – Meditating on God’s name
• Vand Chhako – Sharing with others
• Kirat Karo – Honest living

Family and Early Life

Guru Nanak was born in November 1469 at Rai Bhoi Ki Talvandi, now called Nankana Sahib near Lahore, present-day Pakistan. His parents were Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta. His father worked as a patwari under Rai Bular Bhatti.

His elder sister, Bibi Nanaki, recognized his spiritual nature early. Guru Nanak later lived in Sultanpur and worked under Daulat Khan Lodi, gaining valuable exposure to administration and society.

Guru Nanak had one sister, Bibi Nanaki, who was five years older than him and became a spiritual figure in her own right. In 1475, she married Jai Ram and moved to the town of Sultanpur, where he served as a steward (modi) to Daulat Khan Lodi, the eventual governor of Lahore during the Afghan Lodhi dynasty.

Guru Nanak was deeply attached to his elder sister and, following traditional Indian custom, moved to Sultanpur to live with her and her husband. Around the age of sixteen, Guru Nanak also found employment under Daulat Khan. This period proved formative, as suggested by the Puratan Janam Sakhi, and his later hymns contain numerous references to governance and social order, insights likely gained during this time.

Commentaries on Guru Nanak’s life describe a blossoming spiritual awareness from an early age. At five, he expressed deep interest in divine subjects, and at seven, his father enrolled him in the village school. Traditional accounts narrate how young Nanak astonished his teacher by explaining the symbolism of the first letter of the alphabet—an almost straight stroke—representing the oneness of God.

Other childhood narratives speak of remarkable events, including an incident witnessed by Rai Bular, where the sleeping child’s head was shaded from the harsh sun— either by the unmoving shadow of a tree or, in another account, by a protective cobra.

On 24 September 1487, Guru Nanak married Mata Sulakhani, daughter of Mūl Chand and Chando Rāṇī, in the town of Batala. The couple had two sons: Sri Chand (8 September 1494 – 13 January 1629) and Lakhmi Chand (12 February 1497 – 9 April 1555).

The earliest biographical sources on Guru Nanak’s life, recognised today, are the Janamsākhīs (life accounts) and the vārs (expounding verses) of the scribe Bhai Gurdas. The most popular Janamsākhīs were allegedly written by a close companion of the Guru, Bhai Bala. However, the writing style and language employed have led scholars, such as Max Arthur Macauliffe, to conclude that these works were composed after Guru Nanak’s death.

Bhai Gurdas, a reputed scribe of the Guru Granth Sahib, also wrote about Guru Nanak’s life in his vārs. Although these writings were compiled after Nanak’s time, they are considered more reliable, though less detailed than the Janamsākhīs. The Janamsākhīs themselves recount minute details of the Guru’s birth and early life.

The important Janam Sakhis are:

• 1540 – Bhai Bala’s Janam Sakhi
• 1635 – Puratan / Hafizabad / Wilayatwali Janam Sakhi
• 1650 – Mehrban’s Janam Sakhi (nephew of Guru Arjan)
• 1711 – Sri Gur Sobha by Sainapat
• 1712 – Gyan Ratnavali by Bhai Mani Singh
• 1751 – Gurbilas Padshahi Dus by Koer Singh
• 1769 – Bansiwala Nama Dus Padshahian by Kesar Singh Chibber
• 1776 – Mehma Prakash Vartik by Bawa Kirpal Singh
• 1776 – Mehma Prakash Kavita by Sarup Das Bhalla
• 1797 – Gurbilas Dasvi Padshahi by Bhai Sukha Singh

Gyan Ratnavali, Janamsakhi
written by Bhai Mani Singh

Guru Nanak’s teachings are preserved in the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, a vast collection of revelatory verses recorded in the Gurmukhi script.

From these writings, several fundamental principles emerge. Guru Nanak taught the existence of a supreme Godhead who, though incomprehensible, manifests in all major religions. God is described as the singular “Doer”, formless, indestructible, and eternal.

Guru Nanak warned against egotism (haumai – “I am”) and urged devotees to worship through the Word of God. Naam signifies God, the ultimate Reality, the divine Word (Shabad), and the divine order (Hukam). True worship involves singing God’s virtues, discarding doubt, and engaging in selfless service (sewa).

The Word of God cleanses the individual and enables true devotion. Guru Nanak emphasized that God alone is the Doer, and without God there is nothing. He cautioned against hypocrisy and falsehood, noting that even religious actions can be futile if devoid of sincerity. Ascetic practices were discouraged; instead, Guru Nanak taught spiritual detachment while living as a householder.

Through popular tradition, Guru Nanak’s teachings are understood to be practiced through the following principles:

• Vand Chhako – Sharing with others and helping those in need
• Kirat Karo – Earning a living honestly, without exploitation or fraud
• Naam Japna – Meditating on God’s Name to overcome the five evils and live a peaceful life

Guru Nanak placed the greatest emphasis on the worship of the Word of God (Naam Japna). One should follow the guidance of awakened individuals (Gurmukh) rather than the self-centered mind (Manmukh), which leads only to frustration. Devotion to God transcends all religious divisions, as God is not separate from any individual.

Let no man in the world live in delusion. Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore.

Whoever, styling himself as a teacher, lives on the charity of others, never bow before him. He who earns his livelihood by the sweat of his labor and shares it with others—O Nanak—only he knows the true way.

The Word is the Guru, and the Guru is the Word. All nectar is enshrined in the Word. Blessed is the Word which reveals the Lord’s Name, and blessed is the one who realizes it by the Guru’s grace.

Guru Nanak taught that God is One, yet manifests in innumerable forms. God is the creator of all and cannot be established or created. The formless One is complete within itself and cannot be fully comprehended by reason, even if one reasons for ages.

Even kings and emperors with immense wealth and power cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God.

As fragrance abides in the flower,
As reflection is within the mirror,
So does your Lord abide within you—
Why search for Him without?

Fresco of Guru Nanak at Sri Goindwal Sahib

Guru Nanak with the Sikh Gurus,
Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana

Guru Nanak crossed into Arunachal Pradesh and visited large parts of the region. While traveling towards Lhasa (Tibet), he passed through Tawang after crossing from Bhutan and entered Tibet from Samdurang Chu. He later returned from Lhasa and visited the famous monastery of Samye, eventually entering Pemoshubu Menchukha in Arunachal Pradesh, where he meditated for some time.

From Menchukha, Guru Nanak returned to Tibet and brought the residents of southern Tibet, settling them in Menchukha. Thereafter, he traveled through Gelling and Tuiting, proceeding to Saidya and Brahma-Kund before re-entering the state of Assam.

Guru Nanak was deeply moved by the suffering of humanity and sought to convey the true message of God. People were confused by conflicting teachings of priests, pundits, qazis, and mullahs. Determined to guide the masses, Guru Nanak set out in 1499 on his sacred mission to spread peace, compassion, and righteousness.

Most of Guru Nanak’s journeys were undertaken on foot with his companion Bhai Mardana. He traveled in all four directions—north, east, west, and south. It is believed that he covered more than 28,000 kilometers during five major tours between 1500 and 1524.

Guru Nanak observed the world suffering from hatred, fanaticism, falsehood, and hypocrisy. Seeing humanity engulfed in moral decline, he resolved to educate people and guide them towards divine truth. Carrying the torch of heavenly love, peace, and joy, he spread his message among people near his home for one year before continuing his wider mission.

In 1500, Guru Nanak embarked on his divine mission, traveling east, west, north, and south. He visited centers of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Sufis, Yogis, and Sidhas, engaging with people of diverse religions, cultures, tribes, and races. His journeys, known as Udasis, laid the foundation of Sikhism across India and beyond.

According to the Puratan Janamsakhi, Guru Nanak undertook five major missionary journeys to distant lands including Sri Lanka, Mecca, Baghdad, Kamroop (Assam), and Tashkand. He traveled extensively across present-day India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, South-West China, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

First Udasi (1500–1506 AD): Lasted about seven years and covered Sultanpur, Tulamba (modern Makhdumpur, zila Multan), Panipat, Delhi, Banaras (Varanasi), Nanakmata (zila Nainital, Uttarakhand), Tanda Vanjara (zila Rampur), Kamrup (Assam), Asa Desh (Assam), Saidpur (modern Eminabad, Pakistan), Pasrur (Pakistan), and Sialkot (Pakistan).

Second Udasi (1506–1513 AD): Lasted about seven years and covered the Dhanasri Valley and Sangladip (Ceylon / Sri Lanka).

Third Udasi (1514–1518 AD): Lasted about five years and covered Kashmir, Sumer Parbat, Nepal, Tashkand, Sikkim, and Tibet.

Fourth Udasi (1519–1521 AD): Lasted about three years and covered Mecca and various Arab countries.

Fifth Udasi (1523–1524 AD): Lasted about two years and covered regions within Punjab.

To spread divine knowledge, Guru Nanak traveled widely throughout Asia. The first Udasi focused on central and eastern India; the second covered southern India and Sri Lanka; the third reached Bihar, Nepal, Lhasa, Leh, Tashkand, and returned via Kashmir; and the fourth extended into Arab lands. The fifth Udasi took place within Punjab.

The Five Udasis and other locations
visited by Guru Nanak