Travelling through Bihar and Bengal, the Guru Nanak Dev Jee crossed into Assam and reached Gohati, Mardana felt unusually hungry. With the Guru’s permission he went to visit the city.
Now in that city, in a magnificent palace, lived Nur Shah, a notorious enchantress. She ensnared the souls of men with her Circean charms, When Mardana passed by the palace, he was enticed into her presence by her fair attendants Nur Shah stared into Mardana’s eyes and he directly lost the will to resist and began to follow her meekly like a lamb. When there was no sign of Mardana coming back, the Guru knew that he had fallen a victim to the fair charmer. He rose from his seat, resolved to rescue both the charmer and the charmed.
When Nur Shah saw the mild but magnificent form of the Guru, she shuddered at first, but soon, Summoning up her courage, she began to cast her spells on him, but to no effect. She knew that her game was up. She staggered and fell at the Guru’s feet. The Guru said, “My good lady, it is no good playing tricks on men of God. Pray return my man!” Nur Shah quietly went in and brought Mardana before the Guru. One glance from the Guru was enough to shatter the spell and Mardana was once again his former self.
He profusely thanked the Guru for redeeming him back to sanity and sense. The Guru, then, sang a soulful song on the beauty of virtue and the villainy of vice. Nur Shah felt patient and swore henceforth to renounce evil.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 29, 1993
