Sultanpur Lodhi to Kurukshetra: 210km

The town of Kurukshetra, famed as the battlefield of the Mahabharata described in the Bhagavad Gita, would draw thousands whenever a solar eclipse approached. During these times, bathing in the sacred pool was believed to wash away sins, and eating meat was strictly forbidden.

Exiled from their kingdom, Prince Jagat Rai of Hansi and his mother journeyed to Kurukshetra seeking guidance and support in reclaiming their throne. There, moved by Guru Nanak’s divine hymns, the prince offered a deer that he had hunted as a gift in exchange for wisdom. Guru Nanak suggested that the animal be cooked to feed the holy men gathered in the city; a proposal the prince accepted, unaware of the outrage it would provoke.

Seeing the smoke rising from the cooking pot, the furious holy men armed themselves with sticks and spears. Led by Pandit Nanu Mal, they accused Guru Nanak and the prince of a grave sin. Guru Nanak remained calm and challenged them; if they had courage, they should fight; but if they were wise, they should reason.

He exposed their hypocrisy, reminding them that many Vedic rituals often involved animal sacrifice. In Raag Malaar (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1289), he taught that it is meaningless to argue over eating meat or vegetarianism, since both involve life. True spirituality is not about judging food but about hunting one’s inner vices and recognising that all beings share the same divine light.

Footnote:

NASA records indicate a solar eclipse in April and October 1502