Bhai Lalo and Malik Bhago

When Guru Nanak Dev Ji arrived in Saidpur, he bypassed the mansions of the wealthy and knocked on the door of Bhai Lalo, a poor but honest carpenter. Bhai Lalo was overjoyed and served Guru Ji a simple meal of coarse bread and wild spinach.

In the same town lived Malik Bhago, a rich and corrupt government official. He hosted a grand feast for holy men to earn religious merit. When he learned that Guru Nanak was in town but had chosen a low-caste carpenter over his feast, his ego was bruised.

Malik Bhago summoned Guru Nanak and demanded to know why his rich food was rejected in favor of Bhai Lalo's dry bread. Guru Ji calmly asked for a piece of bread from Malik Bhago's feast and a piece of coarse bread from Bhai Lalo's home.

Taking Bhai Lalo's bread in his right hand and Malik Bhago's bread in his left, Guru Ji squeezed them both. From Bhai Lalo's dry bread, drops of milk flowed out. From Malik Bhago's rich bread, drops of blood trickled down.

Guru Nanak explained, "Lalo's bread was earned through honest, hard labor (Kirat Karni), and thus it is pure like milk. Your wealth, Bhago, was extorted from the poor and the weak, so your food is tainted with their blood."

Malik Bhago fell at the Guru's feet, realizing that true spiritual merit cannot be bought with ill-gotten wealth. He distributed his wealth to the poor and began a life of honest labor.