Nanak was, from most accounts, fairly well schooled in several dialects, including Persian and Punjabi. He was also comfortable with Hindu and Islamic theology (owing largely to the Moslem political dominance of India), and appeared to be well acquainted with such mystical Sufi poets as Jelaluddin Rumi. Whether Sufis who had been initiated in Rumi’s lineage came to India and made contact with Nanak (and Kabir) has yet to be determined. But I strongly suspect such was the case.
From the time Nanak was a child, he appeared to be a natural mystic. At the age of seven, he astonished his teacher by composing an acrostic poem in which each line began sequentially with one of the 35 letters of the Persian alphabet. What was even more remarkable than his literacy, however, was the strong devotional bent of the verses. Further, the point of the whole poem was about how it is ultimately futile to use outer language to attempt to describe the indescribable. Even then, Nanak’s mind was turned toward God. To give you an idea of this seven year-old’s mind set, I’ve included four of the lines below:
“'ALIF': Remember God and banish neglect of Him from thy heart. Accursed the life of him in this world who breathes without uttering the Name.
'BE': Renounce heresy and walk according to the Shariat. Be humble before everyone, and call no one bad.
'GAF': Man’s mind is wanton; if you restrain it, you shall put your feet firmly on the way to haqiqat.
'WAW': They become saints who associate with the true. The more they remember God, the more they love Him."
At the same time, due to his innately contemplative nature, Nanak – while literate and well read – was not exactly a Rhode’s scholar. He was somewhat of a daydreamer, preferring to explore the inner regions, and discover the root sources behind outer theories and philosophies. He intuitively sensed that true knowledge and wisdom would not be found through the mere reading of books, or engaging in the sophistry of intellectual debates. It is said that, when he was asked about his acrostic, he replied that he sought the meaning behind the letters.
This is in keeping with the Sant Mat perspective that there are two types of language: “Varnatmik” (that which can be written or spoken with the physical tongue) and “Dhunatmik” (that which cannot be written or spoken – the Nameless Name, the Voice of Silence).
Yours in the LightSong of Eternal Love,
Michael
http://spiritualfreedomsatsang.org