Guru Nanak in the provision house, from a manuscript of the Janam Sakhi (Life Stories)

When Guru Nanak was a young man, his father sent him from the village to a nearby town where the guru's brother-in-law was in service with the local ruler. Guru Nanak (seen here with a halo) was appointed manager of the provision house, a position of considerable responsibility as it involved overseeing supplies and accounts. Guru Nanak spent nearly fourteen years there. Stories referring to this period in his life appear in the various traditions, especially those relating the jealous complaints against the guru in which his honesty was doubted. Another group of stories pertain to the guru's encounters with the town's chief Muslim cleric (perhaps the standing figure on the left in this painting), who was eventually so impressed by the guru's powers that he became a devotee.