NANAK MATA

After Hardwar, Guru Nanak and Mardana took the route towards Gorakh Mata, where the devotees of Guru Gorakhnath lived.

Guru Nanak and Mardana reached there during the winter months. Mardana asked the yogis, sitting around a fire, if they could give him some fire to keep warm.

Initially, the yogis of the Gorakh Mata behaved scornfully towards Guru Nanak.

S when Mardana asked them for fire, the yogis taunted him by saying "Why don't you ask your Guru for fire?"

Seeing Mardana's discomfort, Guru Nanak ignited a pile of firewood merely by looking at it. Mardana could now enjoy the fire and keep warm.

All of a sudden, the weather changed and it began to rain. As a result, the fire that was lit by the yogis got extinguished.

However, the fire that was lit by Guru Nanak remained unaffected and continued to burn as before.

Seeing this, the yogis realized their mistake and bowed before him.

The next day, the yogis of the Gorakh Mata came to Guru Nanak for a religious discussion.

Guru Nanak told them, "Brothers, this life of seclusion and renunciation, where one cannot offer one's services to our fellow human beings, is worthless."

He told that one should live an honest and truthful life of a God-oriented man of the world.

He also told them that true religion was not a matter of a specific garb or visiting pilgrimages. One can find the way to true religion only when one looks on all men as equal and remains pure and honest.

The impact of Guru Nanak's teachings on them can be seem from the fact that 'Gorakh mata' became 'Nanak Mata'.