Guru Nanak meeting with his brother-in-law Jai Ram, from a manuscript of the Janam Sakhi (Life Stories)

Stories of the life of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak, compiled in the Janam Sakhi text, are recited and read by devotees even today. These episodes are important as biographical sources and for the moral lessons that can be learned from the guru’s experiences and actions.

Nanak, intellectually curious from a young age, was known for spending his time conversing with holy men and giving away his money to the hungry. Nanak’s father worried his son was uninterested in pursuing a career and supporting his family. On his brother-in-law’s invitation, Nanak left home to secure a “regular” job with the region’s governor at the state granary, as seen in this painting. Away from his family and earning a salary, Nanak devoted all his spare time to spiritual inquiry.

The inscription tells us that Nanak is here meeting with Jai Ram, his brother-in-law, but the painting’s details, especially Nanak’s unusually rich attire, suggest that the figure on the right may instead be the governor. Nanak’s authority (miri piri, "worldly and spiritual") is visible, even if his pose is deferential.