Bhai Bala recites the life story of Guru Nanak to Guru Angad

The Janam Sakhi literature was assembled from various sources approximately fifty to eighty years after Guru Nanak's death. The Bhai Bala version is the most popular compilation of Guru Nanak's life stories. It is said to be based on Bala's eyewitness accounts, as he was one of the guru's two constant companions. Bala is believed to have recited the original stories to Nanak's successor, Guru Angad (1504-1552), as the spiritual leader of the Sikhs. While some scholars question its reliability, the Bala Janam Sakhi is widely known even today through devotional songs,storytelling, and manuscripts.

In this painting, Bhai Bala (at left) faces Guru Angad, who sits on a low chair. A woman observes the scene from a doorway while nearby a man pays his respects to the guru.