Guru Arjan Dev Serving Lepers at Tarn Taran

Dadi: "Guddu, if someone had a disease that made everyone afraid to come near them, would you help them?"

Guddu: "I... I don't know, Dadi. I might be scared."

Dadi: "That's honest, beta. Most people would be scared. But let me tell you about Guru Arjan Dev, who chose to serve those everyone else had abandoned."

Guddu: "What disease was it?"

Dadi: "Leprosy. In those days, there was no cure. The disease would slowly damage a person's body. People were so afraid of catching it that they would throw lepers out of their homes, out of their villages."

Guddu: "Even their families would abandon them?"

Dadi: "Even their families. Lepers had to live alone, away from everyone. They couldn't touch anything, couldn't enter temples, couldn't be part of normal life. Everyone looked at them with fear and disgust."

Guddu: "That's so sad."

Dadi: "Guru Arjan Dev saw this suffering and his heart broke. He was the fifth Sikh Guru, a great spiritual leader. But he didn't just pray for the lepers - he built them a home."

Guddu: "A home for lepers?"

Dadi: "At Tarn Taran, near Goindwal, the Guru established India's first dedicated home for people with leprosy. But he didn't just build the building and walk away."

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "He served them personally. He brought them medicine. He gave them clothes. He touched them when no one else would. He blessed them, treated them as his own children."

Guddu: "He touched them? Wasn't he scared of getting the disease?"

Dadi: "He saw something others couldn't see, beta. He saw human beings suffering, not a scary disease. He said, "In the house of the Guru, protection is given to the sick, poor, needy, and helpless.""

Guddu: "Did other Sikhs help too?"

Dadi: "When they saw their Guru serving lepers with his own hands, they were inspired. All the Sikhs started helping too. That's how leadership works - you lead by example."

Guddu: "Was anyone healed?"

Dadi: "There's a beautiful story. One morning, the Guru was standing by the sacred pool he had built - the sarovar of Tarn Taran. Some men walked by, carrying an old man on a bed. The old man was screaming in pain."

Guddu: "What was wrong with him?"

Dadi: "He was the headman of a nearby village, and he had been suffering from leprosy for years. The Guru invited him to stay. The old man bathed in the sarovar, listened to the morning and evening prayers, and within days... he was healed."

Guddu: "Healed? The water healed him?"

Dadi: "The sarovar became known as Dukh Nivaran - "the eradicator of suffering." Many people believe its waters had special healing properties. Pilgrims came from far away, hoping to be cured."

Guddu: "Did the Guru do magic?"

Dadi: "Whether it was magic or medicine or faith, I cannot say. What I know is that Guru Arjan Dev's kindness gave hope to people who had none. He built dispensaries. He set up care. He showed the world that no human being is untouchable."

Guddu: "Dadi, this story makes me think about how we treat sick people today."

Dadi: "That's a good thought, beta. Even now, there are people who are afraid of the sick, the different, the poor. Guru Arjan Dev reminds us that serving those who suffer is the highest form of prayer."

Guddu: "I want to be brave like him. Even when I'm scared."

Dadi: "*hugs him* Bravery isn't about not being scared. It's about helping anyway. Start small, beta. Visit a sick friend. Be kind to someone lonely at school. Every small act of kindness follows in the Guru's footsteps."

Guddu: "I will, Dadi. I promise."

Dadi: "And remember - the Guru didn't just tell people to help the suffering. He got his own hands dirty. That's what makes a true leader. Now, sweet dreams, my compassionate one."