Matho Murrari

There was at that time a young boy whose name was Prem. His mother died in
childbirth. His father and other relations died in some epidemic when he was quite
young. Being alone in the world, he soon contracted leprosy. The disease ravaged his
body, and soon his fingers and toes fell off one after the other. He was reduced to
crawling about to move himself from one place to another.
He had heard of the Guru and resolved to go and meet him, hoping that somehow he
could be cured. Leprosy was a dreaded disease and nobody would allow him to
approach. Still, he listened to the singing (kirtan) and preaching from outside the
Guru's place. On hearing of his plight, Guru Amar Das went out to see him. The Guru
himself looked after him, bathing him and wrapping him in clean clothes. He was
given to eat from the Guru's kitchen, and allowed to join the congregation for prayers
and hymn singing.
It is said that his health improved and that slowly he was cured; whether this cure was
of mind and spirit, or of his physical body, is left for the reader to speculate. The Guru
gave Prem a new name, Murrari, which means destroyer of the demons. Guru Amar
Das then asked his Sikhs if anyone would give his daughter in marriage to this young
man. A man named Singha offered his beautiful daughter, Matho, to be his bride.
Naturally, the mother oo Matho was quite upset.
She told the Guru that she objected to this marriage, for her daughter was virtuous and
intelligent. This man had no family and no wealth. Matho's mother argued that she did
not even know who the father or mother had been. Guru Amar Das told her that he
was his son. He was both father and mother to him, and that he had great plans for
him and her daughter. The couple would be known as Matho Murrari. Thc wedding
took place. Both husband and wife served the Guru and took extensive training from
him. When Guru Amar Das organised his parishs, he appointed Matho to head one of
them. Murari was to assist her in every way possible.
Article taken from these book.
"Champion of Women" by Alice Basarke.