From “Maut Ki Hai” by Giani Harbans Singh
Translated by Manpreet Singh, Shan Singh
Death is not a foreseeable entity. When the breath of Man is fully exhausted and there is a cessation of movement from the hands and feet, when the tongue is pulled, when the light of the eyes have departed and all movement of bodily appendages become inoperative, then it is said that the human being is dead, that a Death has occurred. Just as dusk comes after dawn, Death following Birth is a divine decree.
In the eyes of the common masses, Death is quite a terrifying scourge. When the Death of a youth transpires, dialogue commences on how Parmātmā [The Supreme Spirit] has engaged in a revolting act, that an atrocity has been committed, that by wedding Death, where is Death itself taking the individual? Such utterances are propagated by witless individuals who thus become partakers of Pāp [transgressional sin]. It is of the law of Nature that when the vessel of the breaths is turned over, at that moment, no one can be saved. In such circumstances, the various medicinal expertises of the Vaids [traditional physicians] will not be substantiated. The quintessential crux is that: ‘ਜੈਸੀ ਕਲਮ ਵੁੜੀ ਹੈ ਮਸਤਿਕ ਤੈਸੀ ਜੀਅੜੇ ਪਾਿਸ’—Just as the pen of destiny flows on your forehead, so shall your life transpire (Srī Rāg, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Mehellā Ang 74). Yes, those who have found the Jīvālanhār [the Sustainer of all Life], for them, Death is absolutely nothing. If birth is certain, then Death is also certain, and there is no need for perturbation.
Death is envisioned unfavorably by Man because He aspires to live indefinitely. Even if one does not send an invitation to Death, without asking, she carries Man away:
Consumed by wordly entanglements, slowly but surely, one’s life passes in this manner. So says Gurū Nānak Sāhib, to whom should one inquire? Without any inquisition, She [Death] takes them away.
- Salōk Vārāṅ te Vadhīk, Mehallā 1, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Ang 1412
For this reason, whenever Man hears the news of a friends or loved one’s Death, He becomes immensely astonished. His heart experiences a sudden jolt, he becomes incredibly unnerved, and upon His face, despondency engulfs Him. While Death itself has become a horrifying affair for Man, it is an inexorable reality that infants, adolescents, the elderly, the rich and poor, educated and uneducated, theists and atheists, none of them have or will escape the clutches [of Death]. The Satgurū [True Gurū], after beholding the cataclysmic conditions of those living within this world, asserted the following declaration:
Within this world, they detest and forever conceal themselves from expiration, exclaiming, “may Yama [the angel of Death] not snatch and take us away…
- Gurū Rām Dās Sāhib Mahārāj, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Ang 447
That Man, who shortly before his passing was the owner of the house, he earned his living and provided for his family, he cackled and frolicked about, he provided alms for the people and received their admiration in return, but after his passing, he was declared as dead. The ownership of the house was eliminated, and that body which had received considerable love from the family, is now labeled as a pret [ghost]. Orations then quickly were initiated for its eviction:
1.
When the Prāṇ [life-spirit] and the body are separated, they [one’s family] shall shriek “Pret!“[ghost].You are not kept for even half a ghaḍī [24 minutes], and you are ejected from the house immediately.
- Rāg Devgandhārī, Mehallā 9, Ang 536
2.
The wife of your house whom you love immensely is always within your presence and company. When the individual spirit in the form of the swan abandons the body, she [your wife] will scream, ‘Pret! Pret!’, and take flight.
- Rāg Sōraṭh, Mehallā 9, Ang 634
This truth has been thoroughly illustrated in the Śabds [divine revelation] of Bhagat Benī:
You have lost your strength, and your spirit, in the form of a bird, has flown away. Your body in the courtyard of your home has now become an unpleasant sight to behold. So says Benī, listen OBhagats [devoted disciples]! Who has achieved Muktī [liberation], upon such a death?
- Srī Rāg, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Bhagat Benī, Ang 93
This clarifies that a corpse lying in the courtyard is a completely unpleasant sight. When the Jīvātmā [individual spirit] exits from the body, it reveals itself to no one. The body is offered to the fire, in which, after burning, it becomes a heap of ashes:
Your armies, war drums, and lavish homes shall all remain behind. So says Gurū Nānak Sāhib, [your body was created] from a heap of clay, and so shall it merge within the earth again.
- Rāg Sāraṅg, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Ang 1244
The body, which is an effigy of the five elements, all disintegrate and merge back into their true origins. Just how within Dasmeś Pitā’s [The Tenth Father; Guru Gobind Singh’s] Akāl Ustat, the ambrosial words profess:
Just as millions of sparks arise from the fire and then converge within the fire once more, Just as innumerable [specs of] dirt materialize and merge within the earth again, just as how from the ocean countless waves are produced, but all waves of the ocean are still considered the same body of water, so too did the Creator, in the form of the Viśv [all-pervading universe], manifested insentient and sentient beings, who sprung forth [from the Lord] and will merge back again [after physical death]. ॥੧੭॥੮੭॥
- Akāl Ustat, Dasam Granth Sāhib, pg. 14
One must always remember that the Jīvātmā can never perish, and neither can the mind. It is a Gurvāk [sacred utterance of the Gurū] that:
1.
Those [loved ones] who you weep and cry out, “Mine! Mine!” for, [know that] their Jīarā [life-spirits] are not subject to true Death.
- Rāg Gāudī, Guru Granth Sāhib, Ang 188
2.
Your Prāṇ [the vital breath of life] merges with the Air [upon physical death] and the fire within your body coalesces with the fire [of the funeral pyre]. Upon your material demise, the Earth [of the body] shall become one with the Earth of the ground. Who will support the mourner, who laments [in a state of delusion]? Who has truly died? Who is truly dead? Meet and converse with the Brahm-Gyanīs [the enlightened fully-realized disciples of the Guru], who will impart you [the truth on the cycle of birth and death]. Rahāo [Pause for reflection on this central concept]. The mourners receive no news of the departed [from the Hereafter], nor will they know their own condition [upon their physical death], for they too shall depart [in the same manner]. You are trapped and chained by the shackles of doubt and Moh [temporal attachments], and are withering and suffering in distress within the darkness of this dream. The Kartār [Creator] of this world has designed this playful drama, and One comes and goes through [the Lord’s] unfathomable Huqam [Divine Order]. No one has ever truly died [in the past], nor are they susceptible to actual Death [in the future]. [Even now] One will not perish, for their [life-spirits]are imperishable. How you perceive them, so they are not! Those who have understood this truth, I am a sacrifice unto them [in love and devotion]! So says Guru Nānak Sāhib, it is the Guru who has lifted these doubts, for no one truly dies, or comes and goes [within this world].
- Rāg Rāmkalī, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Ang 885
Where Does the Mind Go After Physical Death?
The sentient mind [in the form of Consciousness] exits the physical body to enter into a new one for the fulfillment of sensual pleasure and desire. As long as one’s sensuality or desires are not fully satisfied, until then, they will aimlessly wander in various life-cycles and never achieve liberation.
The physical body is akin to clothing. Just as how one’s mother and father adorn their child in beautiful attire, and replace the clothes with new ones when they become dirty or old and torn, the Pitā Parmeśvar Jī [The Supreme Creator embodied as the Father], in accordance with the Karma of the individual, embellishes the Jīvātmā [the individual spirit] with a new form and appearance. However, there are those inept individuals who express and commemorate affliction in the departing of the physical body, while others exhibit happiness. You witness it on a daily basis, how some children, when prompted to don fresh apparel, resist fiercely, darting away, while others bask in the thrill of new attire.
It is in the discourse of the psychologists that physical death is not painful or agonizing. On the contrary, Man fears Death because He is incognizant about its true reality. They are unaware that — Where will Death toss them after retrieving them from this world? Here, in this mundane life, He lives, laughs, and plays, immersed in a theater of vivid scenes, filling His days and nights with distractions, His heart captivated by the constant flicker of screens and televisions. Yet beyond [in the Hereafter], the mystery deepens. What kind of realm lies ahead? What unknown beings await him there, and what will be their ways? This is why Man feels unsettled, for He is ignorant of the nourishment, the attire, and the provisions of that unknown realm. Who can say if They will find shelter or sustenance to Their heart's desire? Gurbāṇī offers a profound and graceful glimpse into this hidden mystery:
The pathway to the abode of Yama [the Angel of Death] is indiscernible, for it is shrouded in complete desolation and darkness. There is an absence of water [to quench one’s thirst], cots and blankets [to ward off the cold], and a lack of variety of food [for physical sustenance].
- Rāg Vadhans, Mehallā 1, Guru Granth Sāhib, Ang 581
According to scientists, there is not a single object in this world, no matter how miniscule, whose essence is truly destroyed. In this universe, nothing ever truly perishes, nor can it. The spirit, consciousness, and desires aside—even simple, inert objects like dust particles, bricks, and stones never cease to exist; they simply transform their appearances.
Another beautiful analogy about Death is thus: the vital breath of life is the horse, and consciousness is its rider. When the spirit, in the form of consciousness, parts from the vital breath of life as it fades away, the gross mortal physical body reaches its destined end. Just as a rider remains intact even when the horse expires, so too does the spirit endure beyond the physical body's destruction. And yet, as the body withers away, the spirit is grieved, burdened with sorrow and regret as it treads along the path of Yama. Enshrined within Mārū Kī Vār there are six questions about physical death, serving as symbols of profound, hidden wisdom:
Whotruly dies, and who truly kills them? Who arrives within this world and who departs from it? So says Gurū Nānak Sāhib, Tell us! Who achieves the state of Anand [spiritual bliss], and whose consciousness merges [with the Divine]?॥੧॥
- Rāg Mārū, Mehallā 1, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Ang 1091
Purport: (1) Who has truly died? (2) Who is the one that causes such death? (3 & 4) Who arrives and who departs [from this world]? (5) Is there anyone who transcends birth and death? and (6) Whose sentience merges eternally with the One (becoming free from materialist mundane perception)?
The answers to these questions Gurū Nānak Sāhib Pādshāh Jī have themselves provided:
Those enveloped in Egoism are those who die, and it is worldly attachments that kill them, while their Tṛṣṇā [excessive desire], embodied as the river stream, flows forth from the body in the form of breaths. Thus asserts Guru Nānak Sāhib! Only when the mind is fully imbued with the love of His Nām [the Divine mantric name] does one’s Tṛṣṇā ceases to exist. Their eyes gaze with love upon the Loinī [the One with eyes everywhere]. Listening to the Nām, their consciousness, through the ears, immerses in the hearing of His praise. As the tongue savors the sublime taste of the Rass [flavor] of Nām, it blushes red with bliss whilst meditatively reciting the name of the Beloved. Their hearts, permeated with the fragrance of Nām, are immersed in tranquility, such worth [of the Gurmukhs] in such a state is truly immeasurable!॥੨॥
- Rāg Mārū, Mehallā 1, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Ang 1091
Purport: They have "died" due to their egoism and their worldly attachments have slain them. Yet the river of breath, the vital force of life, flows on. As long as desire lingers within, the spirit remains bound to the cyclic existence of birth and death. When such longing is extinguished, their consciousness becomes immersed in the colorful hues of the Nām [the Divine mantricname] of Parmeśvar [The Supreme Master]. Then! Their outward vision [that gazes upon the physical materialist world] dissipates, and their eyes merge with the ‘One with a thousand eyes’ —Harī! It is then that their sentience, their consciousness achieves the state of Saṃdṛṣṭī [the vision of impartiality; Unicity in multiplicity]. They begin to correctly perceive all light as manifestations of the One Divine Light, wholly merging with the Nām of the omnipotent Master. The tongue savors the Rass [essence] of the Nām of Rām. Other temporal tastes dissolve, and recitational praise is only for the Nām of Parmātmā [The Supreme Spirit]. In this manner, the inner spirit is suffused with the fragrance of the Divine Nām—a wondrous and ethereal hue, beyond any measure or price.
The truth is that such a spiritual state is obtained only with filial fear [of the Creator]. Whosoever lives with such pristine reverential piety within them, never truly experiences death. Bhagat Kabīr Jī, in Rāg Āsā, in providing guidance on the true path of life [while criticizing the external ritualistic practices devoid of Nām in various other traditions], asserts, “In the end, [they] all shall die” (Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 476).
Birth and death are beyond the control of the individual; for all are subject to His Huqam [The Divine Order]. No person, of their own accord, can bestow life to another. Abhimanyu was Arjun's only son, and he was slain by enemies on the battlefield. Arjun brought his son’s body to Kṛṣṇa and pleaded, “Master! How could my only son die in your presence? Show mercy and bring him back to life.” The Gītā offers a fine explanation of life and death, but despite Kṛṣṇa’s attempts to console him, Arjun was inconsolable. In reality, when the heart is deeply wounded, even wisdom has little impact. Arjun was so shattered by his son's death that he couldn’t hear the philosophy of the Gītā. Arjun insisted, “Master, reserve these dialogues of knowledgeable teachings to yourself. I want my child alive!” Kṛṣṇa thought, “Arjun is not in a state to understand the essence of the matter, so it is better to use another approach now.” Kṛṣṇa handed Arjun a golden vessel and ordered, “Go, fetch water from the nearby river tank.” Arjun, believing that Kṛṣṇa might perhaps chant a mantra over the water and sprinkle it on his son’s face to bring him back to life, as sorcerers do, became immensely elated and eagerly ran to fetch the water. Brimming with hope, he returned and said, “Master! Now, please bring my son back to life!” Kṛṣṇa with a calm demeanor, commanded Arjun, "Take this water and pour it back into the lake." Believing it to be part of some divine ritual or mystical act, Arjun obeyed without question, emptying the vessel into the lake. He then returned, holding the now-empty vessel, and implored once more, "Master, now please bring my son back to life." Kṛṣṇa responded, "Arjun, retrieve the very same water you poured into the lake, and I will restore your son to life." Arjun stood stunned, his mind reeling. "Lord," he said, "why do you speak in such paradoxes? The water I poured has already blended into the vastness of the river tank—how could I ever extract it again?" Kṛṣṇa said, "If water, once absorbed into the vastness of the river tank, cannot be retrieved, how then can a Jīvātmā [individual spirit], having merged with the infinite ocean of Parmātmā [The Supreme Spirit], be summoned back? Even I do not wield the power to separate a spirit that has dissolved into the eternal essence of the Supreme." In Gurbāṇī, this profound truth is expressed as follows:
Just as water within a vessel seems distinct from its source, but as Guru Nānak Sāhib declares! When that vessel of water [one’s spirit] is overturned, it becomes One, inseparable and whole once more [with the Creator]॥੪॥੩॥
- Rāg Sāraṅg, Mehallā 5, Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 1203
In the end, the essence of this reflection reveals that death is but a transition—a journey that does not cease with the body's demise but unfolds into a new beginning. According to Gurmat, death is akin to changing one’s attire. Anything that possesses physical form is destined to eventually meet its end, for it is bound by the cycle of mortality. In Rāg Āsā Ang 476, Bhagat Kabīr Jī 's Śabd proclaims a timeless truth: whether one is a Yogi, an ascetic, a hermit, a renunciate, a pilgrim traversing countless sacred sites, a forest dweller, a recluse, an observer of complete meditational silence, or one adorned with matted locks—all are subject to the unyielding inevitability of Death. Whether one is a scholar of various scriptures, a master of the Vedas, an expert in astrology, a specialist of grammar, a practitioner of sacred mantras, or even a renowned folk-healer—death spares no one. Be it a mighty king, enjoying all worldly luxuries, seated on a royal throne under a grand canopy and ruling over an empire, indulging in the consumption of betel leaves, camphor, and fragrant sandalwood for the purpose of physical relations with beautiful women—ultimately, even he must succumb to the inescapable certainty of death. Kabīr Jī declares that after examining the Vedas, Purāṇas, and Smṛitis (religious scriptures of other traditions), none offer a way to escape death. However, there is but one remedy! Those who contemplatively meditate on the Nām [the Divine mantric name; Vāhigurū] of Parmeśvar [The Supreme Master], only they are liberated from the cycle of birth and death! Thus, through the Rahāo line, seekers are imparted this sublime teaching:
A.
Therefore, immerse yourself in the contemplative meditation of the Nām [the Divine mantric name] of Rām. Those whose tongues lovingly resonate with the Rass [flavor] of the sweet essence of the Nām of Rām, what can Yama [the Angel of Death] do to them? They are beyond the grasp of Yama॥੧॥ Rahāo [Pause for reflection on this central concept].
- Rāg Āsā, Bhagat Kabīr, Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 476
B.
Through the Bachans [divine revelation] of the Gurū, the cycle of Birth and Death has been broken, and the door to suffering has finally closed. So asserts Gurū Nānak Sāhib, “I have sought the sanctuary of the Divine and repeatedly prostate before Him in sacred supplication"॥੨॥੯॥੨੮॥
- Rāg Toḍī, Mehallā 5, Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 797
The Ideal Death
The days and the sun are transient, the night and the moon are fleeting, and even the countless visible stars will eventually perish. O Nānak! Declare this eternal truth—only the One Divine is everlasting! ॥੮॥੧੭॥- Srī Rāg, Mehellā 1, Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 64
The common masses deem that while the various creatures of the world perish, Prakṛtī [material reality] is ever-existent. Gurū Bābā Jī beautifully dispels this illusion through sagacious examples. The days, the sun, the nights, the moon, and the countless stars are all fleeting, with no eternal home to call their own. Regarding the accepted four categories of creation—Andaj (life born from eggs; Oviparous organisms), Jeraj (life born from wombs; Viviparous organisms), Setaj (life born out of perspiration; microbial growth), and Utbhuj (life born from the earth; Geogenous organisms)—Gurbāṇī too disseminates wisdom on their impermanence:
All who are born from eggs, from the wombs, from the earth, or through perspiration [microbial growth] are transient and impermanent.
- Rāg Sāraṅg, Mehellā 5, Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 1204
The elements—air, water, and fire and all others—are all transient in nature. If there is anything truly eternal, it is the Existence of Akāl Purakh [The Eternal Spirit]. What is death? ‘ਮਰਣਿਬਸਰਣਗੋਿਬਦਹ’—To forsake Parmeśvar [The Supreme Master] is to embrace true death. And what is life? ‘ਜੀਵਣਹਿਰ ਨਾਮ ਧਾਵਣਹ’ — Nām Simran [contemplative mantric meditation on the Nām] is the true life (Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 1360). Death is an inescapable reality of human society, intricately interwoven into the very fabric of the world. Whether one is a child, youth, adult, or elder, none can escape its relentless grasp. Though death lacks a visible form, its mere mention pierces the heart and stirs a profound unease within the soul.
Death holds no essence of its own; it is nothing more than a fabrication of the human mind. As one treads the Gurū’s path of true Knowledge, their vision transcends Māyā [cosmic dualistic illusion], and they begin to witness the miracles of their Lord. They begin to understand that life and death is merely a dramatic play fashioned by their Husband(s) [their Creator]:
Entering and departing [from this world; the cycle of Birth and Death] is a spectacle designed by the Creator.
- Rāg Gāudī, Guru Granth Sāhib, Ang 294
Death is but an invitation, a divine summoning from Parmātmā [The Supreme Spirit]: Those whose lifespan is decreed to end by the command of the Divine Court [of the Master], O brothers! must inevitably face death. (Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 417). Yet, how strange it is that an invitation from a worldly king, ruler, or wealthy merchant fills one with pride and vanity, while the call of the True Sovereign is met with grief and mourning! Know such a predicament by the name of ignorance: Then, in its ignorance, the mind reacts with unabated anger (Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 268).
For the Huqamī [those who adhere to His Huqam: The Divine Order] and the Shahīds [martyrs of the faith], physical death is akin to sweet raisins, but for those whose minds are constantly engrossed in Māyā [cosmic dualistic illusion], death is a prophetic forecast, ever fearfully haunting the heart.
Man, unable to endure even a moment’s patience to grasp worldly possessions, resorts to cunning and deceit to secure His place as first amongst them all. Yet, He turns a blind eye to the very true death that grants one eternal life. This is why Gurū Pādshāh Jī writes:
Within this world, they detest and forever conceal themselves from expiration, exclaiming, “may Yama [the angel of Death] not snatch and take us away.”
- Rāg Āsā, Gurū Rām Dās Sāhib Mahārāj, Ang 447
True death is ‘ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਜੀਵਤੁ ਮਰੈ’—dying whilst still alive through the benevolence of the Gurū (Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 554-5; 647; 651; 662; 1172; 1276). It is marked by the annihilation of worldly desires, temporal cravings, and lusts constructed and driven by the Ego, entering Anand [the state of spiritual bliss], whilst surrendering and dedicating oneself entirely to Vāhigurū Jī. This is the essence of ‘ਜੀਵਿਤਆ ਇਉ ਮਰੀਐ’—in this manner, do you truly die whilst still alive (Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 877). Study the historical parables of the Sikhs of Dasmeś Pitā Jī [The Tenth Father; Gurū Gobind Singh], you will be elated at comprehending this truth! Death is a necessary subject in the education of Man. Until one gains understanding of ‘ਮਰਣੁ ਜੀਵਣੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਨਾਲ’—dying and living with the Master (Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 1108), oneremains ensnared in the web of death. Gurbāṇī unveils the most profound and unparalleled truth about death: Kāl [the time of mortality] can penetrate any place, at any moment, yet where the Śabd [the divine revelation] of the Gurū abides, it finds no entry. It is a Gurvāk [sacred utterance of the Gurū] that:
In the heart, where the Śabd [the divine revelation] of the Gurū resides, the One Himself dwells, and there, the fear of death cannot reach.
- Srī Rāg, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Mehellā 1, Ang 55
The Śabd, the form of Amṛt [ambrosial nectar], is truly acquired after death. This is why the father, Gurū Amar Dās Jī imparted the following Updeś [spiritual instructions]:
O brothers! By connecting with the Śabd [the divine revelation] of the Gurū, you will become untouched by all transgressions and attain eternal spiritual life. Then! The fear of physical death will never approach you again! Whosoever attains the ambrosial nectar of the Nām [His Divine mantric name] through the Śabd of the Gurū, recognises the nectar as an eternal sweetness within their soul.
- Rāg Sōraṭh, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Mehellā 3, Ang 603
Within the Sikh tradition, the central primacy of the Śabd is paramount, but in Sikh societies and commemorations, in somber gatherings within the Sikh community, a plethora of innovation, self-created practices are observed. A detailed discussion of these practices is presented in the second part of this book, ‘Sad Parmārath.’
AŚabd, as uttered by Gurū Nānak Dev Jī, “The giver of life, the sustainer of existence, and the harbinger of death is none but Khudā, and the heartfelt supplications of the Faqīr is the boundless mercy of Allāh" illuminates the essence of an ideal death. In this spirit, Bhagat Kabīr Jī also proclaims such beautiful assertions:
OKabīr! The entire world speaks of Death, yet none grasp the essence of what it means to truly die. Only those who embrace true death [as illuminated by the Gurū]—annihilating the ‘Self,’ severing all worldly attachments—transcend mortality, dying in such a way that they never face death again.
- Salōk Bhagat Kabīr Jīo Ke, Gurū Granth Sāhib, Ang 1365
The avaricious lack understanding of the ideal life. Their condition is aptly described as "Rid antar māiā māiā"—their hearts engulfed by temporal attachments and desires. This is further illustrated in Salōk Vārāṅ te Vadhīk Mehallā 1: "ਨਾਿਲ ਿਕਰਾੜਾ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਕੂੜੈ ਕੂੜੀ ਪਾਇ॥ਮਰਣੁ ਨਜਾਪੈ ਮੂਿਲਆ ਆਵੈ ਿਕਤੈ ਥਾਇ—If one forms a friendship with someone consumed by the ceaseless pursuit of temporal possessions, the very foundation of that bond, rooted in their attachment to material wealth, becomes inherently untrustworthy. O Mūlā! (A person ensnared in the attachment to material wealth constantly strives to escape death, yet fails to realize) that death can strike at any place, at any moment (Gurū Granth Sāhib Ang 1410). This verse refers to Mūlā Khatrī of Sialkot. When Gurū Nānak Dev Jī called upon him at his home, Mūlā’s wife, out of deceit, hid him in a hay-filled storeroom and lied, saying, “Mūlā is not at home.” By the will of the Creator, a snake bit Mūlā while he was hiding, leading to his death in that very place.
Mūlā had spent considerable time in the company of Gurū Nānak Dev Jī. However, under his wife’s influence, Mūlā chose to avoid accompanying the Gurū and made her lie on his behalf. Thus, those who lack the wisdom to embrace an ideal life often meet such ends, consumed by their own deceit, desires and worldly attachments.