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There was at that time
a young boy whose name was Prem. His
mother died in childbirth. His father
and other relations died in some epidemic
when he was quite young. Being alone
in the world, he soon contracted leprosy.
The disease ravaged his body, and soon
his fingers and toes fell off one after
the other. He was reduced to crawling
about to move himself from one place
to another.
He had heard of the Guru and resolved
to go and meet him, hoping that somehow
he could be cured. Leprosy was a dreaded
disease and nobody would allow him to
approach. Still, he listened to the
singing (kirtan) and preaching from
outside the Guru's place. On hearing
of his plight, Guru Amar Das went out
to see him. The Guru himself looked
after him, bathing him and wrapping
him in clean clothes. He was given to
eat from the Guru's kitchen, and allowed
to join the congregation for prayers
and hymn singing.
It is said that his health improved
and that slowly he was cured; whether
this cure was of mind and spirit, or
of his physical body, is left for the
reader to speculate. The Guru gave Prem
a new name, Murrari, which means destroyer
of the demons. Guru Amar Das then asked
his Sikhs if anyone would give his daughter
in marriage to this young man. A man
named Singha offered his beautiful daughter,
Matho, to be his bride. Naturally, the
mother of Matho was quite upset.
She told the Guru that she objected
to this marriage, for her daughter was
virtuous and intelligent. This man had
no family and no wealth. Matho's mother
argued that she did not even know who
the father or mother had been. Guru
Amar Das told her that he was his son.
He was both father and mother to him,
and that he had great plans for him
and her daughter. The couple would be
known as Matho Murrari. The wedding
took place. Both husband and wife served
the Guru and took extensive training
from him. When Guru Amar Das organised
his parishs, he appointed Matho to head
one of them. Murari was to assist her
in every way possible.
Copyright © Alice Basarke "The
Champion of women. "
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