MUKANDĀ, BHĀĪ, was a devoted Sikh of the time of Gurū Arjan. Once he, accompanied by Bhāī Mūlā Berī and Bhāī Tīrath and Bhāī Nihālū, a goldsmith, waited upon Gurū Arjan. They asked a question : "O True King, how is it that while exposition of the Śabda, or sacred hymns, by some Sikhs mellows the heart and is readily absorbed by the mind, sermons delivered by others have no effect at all?" The Gurū, according to Bhāī Manī Siṅgh, Sikhāṅ dī Bhagat Mālā, said : "Only he who has himself assimilated the śabda can quench the seekers' thirst. Keep, therefore, company only with those who are not only wise but also act upon the Gurū's word. Good company puts right what is bad. Remember the chandan tree (Santalum album), which not only imparts fragrance to nearby trees but even cools down the poison of serpents that coil around it." See, also, Bhāī Gurdās, Vārāṅ, XI. 25.