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Long, long ago, there lived Guru Nanak Dev Ji who traveled the world spreading messages of truth, kindness, and equality. "The Secret of True Cleanliness" brings one of his most powerful encounters to life for young readers.

This beautifully illustrated children's book tells the story of Guru Nanak's lesson to Vaishnu Sadh, a man who pretended to be holy while harboring prejudice and hate in his heart. Set during the festival of Vaisakhi in the holy city of Haridwar, this story reveals an important truth: real purity comes from having a kind and honest heart, not from performing rituals or judging others.

What Makes This Story Special

• Based on Historical Events: This story comes from Guru Nanak's actual travels during the festival of Vaisakhi in Haridwar, demonstrating his revolutionary message of equality
• Age-Appropriate Social Justice: Complex concepts about discrimination, equality, and inner character presented in simple, engaging language for children ages 5-10
• Discussion Questions Included: Perfect for family conversations and classroom discussions about treating everyone fairly, inner versus outer purity, and moral character
• Free and Open: Licensed under Creative Commons, making it freely available for families, schools, and libraries worldwide

The Complete Story

The Secret of True Cleanliness

A Story from the Travels of Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak's Travels

Long, long ago, there lived Guru Nanak. He was always smiling and kind. He wanted people to know how to live truthfully and be good human beings.

So, with his friend Bhai Mardana, he began traveling to many places. Everywhere he went, people loved his words and became his students, called Sikhs.

The Holy City of Haridwar

On his first journey, Guru Nanak came to the famous city of Haridwar. People called it the "Gate of God."

He and Bhai Mardana camped by the river Ganges for the night. It was the festival of Vaisakhi, and many people had come to celebrate.

The Fake Holy Man

Near their camp, a man called Vaishnu Sadh was staying. He pretended to be very holy and wise. From far and wide, people came to meet him. They thought he was a true teacher.

But Guru Nanak could see that this man was only pretending. He decided to camp close by to show everyone the truth.

The Morning Ritual

The next morning, Vaishnu Sadh took a bath in the river. Then he got ready to cook his breakfast. He wanted to show everyone how pure and holy he was.

First, he cleaned his cooking area with cow dung. Then he washed his wood sticks in water. He drew special lines around his cooking place to keep it "pure." Finally, he started a fire with the wood.

Guru Nanak watched quietly. He could see that the man was only worried about outside cleanliness. But what about the inside of his heart?

The Test

Guru Nanak sent his friend Bhai Mardana to ask for some fire. "Please go and get some fire from the sadhu," said Guru Nanak.

When Bhai Mardana walked toward the cooking area, something terrible happened. Vaishnu Sadh saw him coming and became very angry. He started shouting loudly.

"You have made my cooking place dirty!" he yelled. "Your shadow fell on my pure area!" He picked up a burning stick and chased after Bhai Mardana.

Bhai Mardana ran back to Guru Nanak, and the angry sadhu followed.

The Angry Words

"Why are you so angry?" asked Guru Nanak calmly. "I only asked for some fire."

The sadhu was still very mad.

"This man is from a lower caste!" he shouted. "He is untouchable! His shadow made everything dirty. Now my whole life is ruined!"

Guru Nanak asked, "How can this happen? Bhai Mardana is also a human being, just like you."

"No!" said the sadhu. "He is not human. He is untouchable!"

Guru Nanak's Teaching

Guru Nanak shook his head sadly. "You are wrong," he said gently.

"God cannot be fooled by what we see on the outside. God lives in every human heart."

"If your heart is filled with hate, anger, and cruelty, then God will not want to live there. See God in all people. Do not hate someone because of their caste. Hate only bad actions, not people."

The Crowd Gathers

By now, many people had heard the shouting. They came running to see what was happening. The sadhu kept yelling about how his pure life was ruined.

But Guru Nanak had something important to say. He sang a beautiful hymn in a clear, strong voice:

"If your heart has lies, meanness, bad talk about others, and angry tricks, then what good are the special lines you draw around your cooking place?

These four bad things are sitting right there with you! Instead, make truth your way of life. Make good actions, your special lines. Make saying God's name, your way of getting clean.

Those who stay away from doing wrong things are loved by God."

The Real Lesson

After Guru Nanak finished singing, everyone gathered around to listen. His words were like magic. They made people think about what was really important.

"Stay away from lies, cruelty, saying bad things about others, and anger," taught Guru Nanak.

"Instead, live a truthful life. Do good deeds. See God in all people."

A New Beginning

Vaishnu Sadh listened carefully to every word. For the first time, he looked inside his own heart. He saw that it was filled with hate and anger. How could he call himself pure when his heart was so dirty? He felt very sorry for his actions. He realized that Guru Nanak was right. What mattered was not the outside, but the inside.

Vaishnu Sadh stepped forward and asked Guru Nanak to guide him. He promised never to treat people badly because of their caste again. From that day, he became a true student of Guru Nanak, dedicating himself to living with honesty, kindness and helping others.

By serving his community and treating everyone equally, he finally found true happiness.

Discussion Questions for Families and Educators

• Why do you think the sadhu was so angry about Bhai Mardana's shadow?
• What do you think Guru Nanak meant when he said "God lives in every human heart"?
• Have you ever judged someone by how they looked instead of how they acted?
• What are some good deeds we can do to keep our hearts clean and pure?
• How can we treat everyone fairly, no matter what they look like or where they come from?

About the Historical Context

This story comes from Guru Nanak's travels during the festival of Vaisakhi in Haridwar. For more than 20 years, Guru Nanak went on four long journeys to spread his message of truth and kindness.

Guru Nanak's message was simple but powerful: All people are equal in God's eyes. We should judge people by their actions, not by their caste, color, or social status. True purity comes from having a kind and honest heart, not from following outside rituals.

The hymn that Guru Nanak sang that day is still remembered and sung by Sikhs all over the world. It reminds us that what really matters is how we treat others and the goodness in our hearts.

Free Download and Sharing

This book is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license, which means:

• Free to download, print, and share for personal and educational use
• Perfect for libraries and schools - no permission needed
• Available worldwide - share with families and communities everywhere
• Printable format - great for bedtime stories or classroom reading

📚 Download Your Free Copy Here

"The Secret of True Cleanliness" is written by Gursharn Singh and features beautiful illustrations that bring this timeless story to life. The book includes discussion questions perfect for sparking meaningful conversations about equality, dignity, and the importance of inner character in our daily lives.