49. Meeting Bahlol, the Pir From Baghdad

The pir (saint) of Baghdad, Bahlol Dana on meeting face to face with the enthusiastic stranger, inquired who he was and to what sect he belonged. The Guru greeted him with his customary ‘Sat Kartar’ and replied, “I have appeared in this age to indicate the way unto men. I reject all sects, and only know one God, whom I recognise in the earth, the heavens, and in all directions.” Upon this the Guru began to repeat the Japji. As the pir listened to his doctrines he said, “This is a very impious fakir. He is working miracles here, and informing us, contrary to the authority of our Holy Quran, that there are hundreds of nether and upper regions, and that at last men grow weary of searching for them.” Guru Ji spoke:

"There are nether worlds and more nether worlds below them and hundreds of thousands of skies above them. The Vedas (religious texts) pronounce that people are tired of searching Gods limits and boundaries. The saints, puranas, religious texts of Christians and Jews conclude that God is limitless. If there is any account of God, then alone mortal can write the same. His account does not finish but the mortal succumbs to death, Nanak says that only the Almighty knows his limits."

Pir Bahlol is impressed.