While coming back from Baghdad, Guru Nanak Dev jee told Bhai Mardana that he had only few more days to live. Bhai Mardana jee asked Guru Sahib to keep his honour in the next world. When the day for the demise of Bhai Mardana jee arrived, Bhai Mardana jee told Guru Nanak Sahib smilingly that he had onlyu few more moments left now.

Guru Sahib asked him how he knew that. Bhai Mardana jee who was very relaxed, replied saying that with his (Guru Nanak Sahib’s) kirpa, he could see that “uss dee naabhi vich, swaasaan dee gandh khul gayee hai” (the knot of swaas in the navel, had opened up). He further said that he now had only 9 more swaas left.

Exactly after 9 swaas, Bhai Mardana jee left for Sachkhand.

When I read this, I found it very wonderful. There is too much that we have to learn yet. I had no idea that there is a knot of swaas in our naabhi (navel) that has to open up when we die.

If we read the baani of Baba Farid jee, he writes:

JIND NIMAANI KADHEEYE, HADDAAN KOO KADKAAYE||
(The rooh or soul of ordinary people comes out with so much difficulty that it shakes the whole bone structure)

All our life is getting waste in trying to find the secrets of material world and accummulating the vain material things. No university, no college, no school is working on training us for the next world. Are we not totally unprepared for the next world?

Are we prepared to die today and be held accountable for your deeds right away?

Do we have the currency that will work there in the next world?

Do we know the language of the next world?

Do we have any connections there?

If the answer to these questions is “NO”, then we are in big trouble.

By: Bhai Kulbir Singh