Ik Onkar
The Divine is One
01
His Life
The Life of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib was born in 1469 at Rai Bhoi di Talwandi, now Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. From an early age, His life reflected a deep spiritual inclination and a questioning of religious and social conventions.
He later served at Sultanpur Lodhi, where he worked in the service of the local administration. It was during this period that the spiritual experience associated with his disappearance at the River Bein became a defining moment in the traditional accounts of his life.
Following this period, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib began the extensive travels known as the Udasis, through which he engaged with diverse communities and spiritual traditions and shared his teachings.
After his Udasis, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib established Kartarpur Sahib in 1522 and spent the later years of his life there. Kartarpur Sahib became a community centred upon spiritual practice, honest work, sharing and service. Daily kirtan and Langar became integral to the community’s life.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib appointed Bhai Lehna Ji, later Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji, as his successor in 1539.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib spent the final chapter of his earthly journey and passed into Sach Khand in 1539 at Kartarpur Sahib.
His life established the foundation of a spiritual tradition whose message continues to resonate across generations.
02
His Teachings
A Life Rooted in Truth, Devotion and Equality
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s teachings present a spiritual path centred upon recognition of the One Divine Reality and a life lived in accordance with truth.
His message rejected distinctions based on caste, status and outward religious identity as measures of spiritual worth, while emphasizing devotion, honest living, sharing and service.
Naam Japna
Remembrance of the Divine
Kirat Karni
Honest & Righteous Living
Vand Chhakna
Sharing with Others
Sewa
Selfless Service
Sach
Truthful Living
Equality
Dignity & Equality of Humanity
Hukam
The Divine Order
Haumai
Overcoming Ego
Daya
Compassion
Santokh
Contentment
Nimrata
Humility
03
The Udasis
The Great Journeys of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib
The Udasis were the extensive journeys traditionally associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib.
According to Sikh tradition, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib travelled across wide regions of the subcontinent and beyond, engaging with people from different religious, social and cultural backgrounds.
The journeys are traditionally described as four major Udasis, generally associated with the four directions.
They are remembered not simply as geographical journeys, but as journeys of spiritual dialogue, teaching and engagement with the world around him.
The First Udasi
The Eastward Journey
The First Udasi is traditionally associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s journey toward the eastern regions.
Traditional Janam-Sakhi accounts associate this journey with places including Haridwar, Delhi, Mathura, Prayag, Varanasi, Gaya, Bengal, Assam and Puri, among other locations.
These accounts preserve stories of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s encounters with different religious practices and communities and his teachings concerning devotion, ritual, truth and spiritual understanding.
The Second Udasi
The Southern Journey
The Second Udasi is traditionally associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s travels toward the southern regions of the subcontinent.
Traditional accounts associate the journey with locations including central India, the Deccan, southern India and Sri Lanka.
The narratives describe encounters with different religious traditions and spiritual practitioners and preserve teachings associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s understanding of devotion and truthful living.
The Third Udasi
The Northern & Himalayan Journey
The Third Udasi is traditionally associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s journeys into the northern and Himalayan regions.
Traditional accounts associate these travels with Kashmir, the Himalayan region, Mount Sumeru and Tibet, as well as encounters with ascetic and yogic traditions.
The composition Siddh Gosht is particularly important in connection with Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s dialogue with the Siddhas and addresses profound questions concerning spiritual realization, the nature of the Divine and the path of spiritual life.
The Fourth Udasi
The Westward Journey
The Fourth Udasi is traditionally associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s travels toward the western regions.
Sikh tradition associates these journeys with Punjab, Sindh, Afghanistan, Persia/Iran, Baghdad and the Arabian Peninsula, including Makkah Al Mukarramah and Madinah Al Munawwarah Pak.
Accounts of these journeys contain important narratives concerning Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s encounters with Muslim scholars, Sufis and other spiritual figures.
The Udasis — A Journey Beyond Borders
The Udasis represent one of the most enduring narratives of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s life.
Across different regions and communities, his message remained centred upon the One Divine Reality, truthful living, equality, humility, remembrance and service.
The journeys brought Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib into dialogue with people following different religious and spiritual paths.
His teachings did not remain confined to one geographical or social community. The legacy of the Udasis continues through the places, traditions, narratives and communities associated with these journeys.
A Note on Historical Tradition
The detailed routes of the Udasis are primarily preserved through Janam-Sakhi literature and later Sikh historical traditions. These sources differ in some details concerning chronology, routes, companions and individual encounters.
Des Punjab TV presents the Udasis in accordance with established Sikh tradition while distinguishing traditional accounts from matters for which historical sources do not provide a uniform record.
This approach allows the journeys to be explored with both reverence for Sikh tradition and respect for historical scholarship.
04
His Message
A Message for Humanity
At the heart of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sahib’s teachings is the recognition of One Divine Reality and the dignity of every human being.
His message calls people toward a life of:
Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s message connects spiritual realization with everyday life. The spiritual path is presented as a way of transforming how one lives, works, relates to others and serves the wider community.