Sain Dass Ji’s love for fellow beings was boundless. His
little acts of kindness and his labour of love was spontaneous, instinctive and natural like water, having the power to quench thirst. He was constantly engrossed in the Name Divine that was ever enshrined in his heart. His lucid thinking and bright intellect were other godly gifts, enlightening the minds of those lost in worldly darkness. He was not fond of polemics and yet he did not refuse to help any sincere seeker of truth. Fears of death were removed and minds were set at rest after a communion with the Bhai. It were moments like these which convinced people of his divine inspiration and they felt sure that the Bhai could easily persuade the people world-overto comprehend his godly ways . of living. But the Bhai was well contented to keep his talent and genius concealed in obscunty. The more he tried to hide his talents the more luminiscent they became. By this time he had become a well-known not only for his love and devotion, meditation and dedicated scholarship he was counted among the blessed few. He was known not only for his love and devotion, meditation and dedicated scholarship he was counted among the blessed few. He was known not only for his love and devotion to Guru Ji, but also as one whom Guru Ji loved. His whole endeavour was to be worthy of God’s and Guru Ji's love, and this is the cardinal principle of Sikhism. The Bhai was profoundly successful in his efforts to attain this level of higher consciousness. A true Sikh is never in doubt about the existence of God; he is eternally sure that He exists and is all love. If he does not love us, it is because we may not be worthy of His love. Atrue Sikh find fault in himself and makes every effort to be worthy of God's love. Excessive dependence
on the self’s effort at personal transformation can lead to temporal pride, therefore, a true Sikh earnestly prays for God's grace and love to give him the knowledge of what pleases Him and to grant him the strength to act upon it; show him the ways and means tobe worthy of His love. His devotion is similar to that of a loving wife, seeking an exalted and perfect union with her husband. The loving communion with God that a true | Sikhs seeks is best expressed through the metaphor of a happy wedlock, a marriage of true minds. That was how the Bhai loved God, every moment trying to be worthy of His love. God fascinated and attracted him and thus he found his inner self Spiritually awakened.
The Bhai's arrival in Daroli had a tremendous impact on the congregation, the attendance at the religious services had increased manifold; the shrine attendance at the religious services had increased manifold; the shrine invariably was overflowing at the early morning service. The religious fervour seemed to have affected almost everyone in the village. Many were inspired to pray, to sing devotional hymns, to meditate and above all to do so social service thus ennobling and uplifting their selves.
As the spirit of service enters the human mind, laziness disappears, sickness and disease are dispelled and latent energy is bestirred and roused. Health and spirit of enterprise come in their wake. Ahealthy person even onaspiritualjourney will find it the way. This does not mean that when a devotee falls ill he is deprived of God's love. But it does mean that in order to devote oneself completely to God a devotee must be perfectly healthy and physically fit. As Guru Ji says:
50 long as thou art diseased not, nor aged,
So long as death hath overpowered not thy body,
So long as thy speech falters not,
So long dwell thou only on thy God, O mind.
If thou contemplest no God now, then when wilt thou? For, when thy end neareth,
thou canst contemplate Him not.
Physical fitness and health are imperative for meditation and contemplation too, as it is a source of positive thinking. Therefore, the Sikh Guru Sahibs emphasized physical culture. Sound sleep, early rising, moderation in eating, social service and hard physical labour will make the body sound and healthy and purify the mind as well.
The Bhai at the very outset urged upon the fellow devotees to perform selfless service; service which is free from the taint of selfish personal glory and egoistic exhibitionism, Otherwise service is worthless and fails to uplift the spirit and the mind. He stressed that service done to Guru Ji, in the name of the _ Guru Ji, on behalf of Guru Ji, for the welfare of the congregation, according to the principles set in Gurbani and above all to God is ultimately a overall spiritual transformation of the villagers, _ sowing seeds of love and devotion for Gurbani and the Almighty. The wave of transformation swept the neighbouring villages as well and soon it became a massive tide. People from far and wide flocked to the village to seek his guidance and blessings. The village shrine was too small to cope with the increased religious activities and the swelling number of devotees. The Bhai decided to build a house where all the visitors could stay with him; the village shrine could then be used exclusively for congregational purposes. There was room enoughinthevillage shrine for big gatherings but when all the attached rooms were occupied by the visiting devotees everything became too crowded. The reconstruction and expansion of his own _ dilapidated ancestral house seemed an easy way to overcome this problem. |
The reader may be wondering as to what the Bhai's source of livelihood was, since he had left his affluent father-in-law’s house where he did not worry about any expenses. One could easily suspect that the cash offerings of the devotees were probably being used and misappropriated for increasing his own material assets; building a big house of his own. No dear reader, it was not like that at all. The Bhai owned ample agricultural land and had considerable income from the same which had grown into a sizeable amount during his absence from the village. It was this money which he was planning to
spend on the construction of the new house. The current income from his land holdings was more than enough for his house-hold expenses. Cash offerings of the devotees at the shrine and the services provided therein. Since the income from his land was sufficient for his personal needs he did not deem it proper even to keep the smallroom in the shrine for his own use. Therefore, he set about getting the house completed at the earliest. The work progressed very fast. The zealous involvement in the building activity created anew urge in him to make the house very beautiful and impressive. When the construction was started the aim was to build a modest and a ~ humble house but when it was completed it tumed out to be an imposing mansion. One wonders whether it was not the usual trap in which almost every house builder is invariably caught. One starts with a modest plan, the mason’s suggestions and the seductive modifications and additions carried out during the course of the construction change it into a grandiose and an expensive proposition. Was it a delusive experience in which all sense of direction and destination was lost? No, the Bhai was not a victim to such a delusion. He was quite sensible and prudent. He would neither spend beyond his means nor would he be carried away by the hollow words of the admirers or tempting suggestions of the masons.
Another doubt which disturbed some people was why a godly person like the Bhai should spend so lavishly and build so grandly. Was he under an illusion that he was going to live forever despite his knowledge that nothing is permanent in the world? Well, the Bhai was very much aware of what Farid Ji, a great Sufi poet and Muslim Divine, had said:-~
Be not attached, O Farid Ji,
to thy possessions and mansions;
The power of death 1s vast:
Yea, keep before thy eye whither thou goest at last!
Awise and enlightened soul like the Bhai would not easily forget the futility of the efforts of a foolish woman so much lost in her personal adornment and decoration of every thing around her that she could hardly find any time for the ultimate
union and consummation of love. He was equally aware of Parid’s warning when he said:-
O Farid Ji, they who built houses and mansions also left the world: Yea, they made but false deals, as only a little grave was their end
The Bhai often exhorted his fellow Sikhs to eschew grandeur luxury these words:
O Farid Ji, of they mansions and palaces, be not fond; For they are but a heap of dust, and keep not thy company (in the Yond)
Kabir Ji, too echoed similar sentiments:
Nhy art thou wasting thyself by loving buildings, Since what thou require is no more than two yards of land.
The words of Farid Ji which the Bhai quoted so often for the benefit of his Sikh brethren were:
O Farid Ji, the palaces denuded of their dwellers are empty © and forlorn. These remain unoccupied because their possessors had descended to the graves.
How come am an of the Bhat's saintly wisdom and spiritual detachment could be so absorbed in the pleasure of earthly exertion and in building something that will neither last here nor accompany him hereafter? It was a surprise that such a man of spiritual knowledge could be deluded thus. Outwardly the Bhai was the same old Sain Dass Ji, detached and absorbed in the inner ‘Self’, indifferent to the world around. He would remain unconcermed and unaffected even if pitchers full of ghee were spilled. What surprised the people’ was that the same Bhai was meticulously supervising the construction and minutely examining the flowers and the leaves which one craved on the doors. It seemed as if building a magnificent house had become the sole aim of his life.
His ostensible preoccupation with construction work and the actions did not reveal any thing but the tearful eyes were
quite eloquent. Raising of the edifice brought a cheerful glow on his face which was without a trace of inflated ego. Instead there were tears in his eyes and sighs on his lips. Some times one could hear, as if his tongue was articulating, “O my dear Lord, my Master, Thou knowest all this grandeur and glory is Thine, lam but Thy humble servant, How could!Iso worthless otherwise, deserve so much glory!”
Let us now peep into the mind of the divinely blessed Bhai sain Dass, who was in an unusual state of ecstasy. The Bhai was not building this house for his own personal use. It was to be a temple in honour of the Almighty. It was being built to glorify and worship Him. As far as he was concerned he thought of himself as no more thana migratory bird, a temporary lodger, who does not build permanent palaces but only temporary nests. Just as Guru Ji had built at Amritsar, in honour of the immortal and the timeless spirit divine, transcending all temporal and spatial limitations, a temple to glorify Him, similarly the Bhai was building a house which could be worthy of Guru Ji's visit and could be sanctified by the touch of his holy feet.
One day, when the construction work was in progress it so happened that the Bhaireflected inwardly whether a sinner like him deserved to live in the house he was building. He felt that such a magnificient and stately building should be for the beloved Guru Ji and God, and he, Sain Dass Ji should only be a humble servant therein. His greatest pleasure should be to receive the grace of God in being worthy of dedicating the house to Him. Ravished by the love-divine in aspint of complete surrender and humility, he became completely oblivious of the fact that the house was meant for him and his wife Ramo. What had actually happened was that the house was in fact being built for the master of both the temporal and spiritual domains, the weilder of the great sword, Hargobind, the Sixth Guru Ji. A transfiguration had taken place. The lowly house had become the abode of God; Bhai Sain Dass Ji was a mere servant and a caretaker. Similar were the sentiments in Bibi Ramo Ji’s mind. She also thought that just as the masons, carpenters and labourers were toiling for their master, they, both husband
and wife, were also working to build the house for their divine master, Guru Ji.
The construction was over, and both thought the house to be very impressive, beautiful and charming. They were doubtful if such a house could be theirs. The voice from within to prevent this misgiving soon replied, that it was worthy of the guru and it was for Guru Ji.
The house was now complete in all respects, but the beloved master had not yet come. Therefore, the Bhai locked the house and he himself started living in the small mud huthe had built in a comer of the courtyard. Everyday when he was free from the routine daily prayer, hymn singing and discoursing on the holy texts, he would ardently engage himself in making arrangements for the furnishings required for Guru Ji's use and decoration of the house. For a long time, his intentions remained undisclosed. The house remained locked and unoccupied, and the Bhai continued to live in the mud hut. But gradually the devotees began to have an inkling of his noble intent. Like the sympathetic response of an opium addict to another addict, the kindered souls were able to sympathetically perceive and respond to the inner vibrations of the Bhai’s love and devotion to Guru Ji. They now understood why and for whom the house had been built with such great zeal and love. There was nothing odd about this, since the devotees of the Lord quite often behave in this manner. Such carefree devotees could exclaim:~
seek I neither kingship nor liberation My heart yearns for love at Thy lotus feet.
Therefore, for them to wait and to be ready to serve their beloved Master becomes dearer than the pursuit of empty knowledge. The following lines reveal the state of mind of such a devotee:-
The highest knowledge is faith in and devotion to God Love of the lotus feet of the Lord is worth all sacrifices.
All prayers, meditations, abstinence and asceticism should aim at the highest bliss, the ultimate liberation. The
devotion to God is the highest love. All else is beneath this glory. Ifthe loving devotion pleases the Master then the devotee shall beg for only this: ,
Bless me with the gift of Thy adoration, All other worldly pleasures except thy love are worthless. All distinction between august royalty and demeaning destitution have been lost; Salvation and damnation have become meaningless And all these can be sacrifice for Thy Love.
But a true devotee never asks for a boon. He always hesitates and lacks the audacity to ask. The beloved devotee longs for the Love of Lord and desires nothing else. This attainment and such devotion saves the devotee from vain glories and keeps him free from pride. The devotee realises that he can offer nothing to the beloved Lord since he has nothing which he can call his own. Kabir Ji says:
Nothing in me is mine, whatever Is there is yours
The Bhaktas are self-effacing and they regard themselves as the humble servants of God. They usually pray like this:- _
Or my master, my preserver, you who are kind and compassionate to us | The meek and the humble. What can I offer Thee? Since you created everything, the earth beautiful and oceans deep,
I hesitate when I make an offering of water and flowers. You are the fountain head of all that is powerful.
And a source of energy and all physical strength.
What can I offer thee?
My feet are weak, hands lack strength and my body is frail.
since it is born out of dust and dust it is,
How can it serve thee?
You are generous, ceaseless bestower of riches.
What can I give thee and what do I have to offer Thee?
I have nothing that I can call mine,
O How can I give any thing to a bountiful donor? To give thee out of what is thy gift will be a great folly. What can a beggar offer Thee?
Thou are a munificent benefactor.
O my master, my creator, my preserver,
Thou are so immense and great
And Iam too frail and insignificant to offer Thee. Iam afraid of saying even this.
This ‘self’ is also Thy gift.
How can I give away thy gift?
It will be a shame worse than ignominy.
such devotees intoxicated with the love divine sing thus:-
Thou, the God of detachedness, art the Master of us all;
_ There are myriads like me to look upto Thee. Thou are the Ocean of jewels but I know not Thy essence: Yea, know notI what Thou art, Omyimmensely Wise God; Be Thou Merciful to me, And bless me with that wisdom wherewith I dwell ever on Thee. O man, be not proud: yea, be the dust for others to tread upon; Only then thou art redeemed. For, over the heads of all is the Master of Nanak and There are myriads of others like me looking up to Him.
Bhai Santokh Singh Ji also writes about this love and - devotion of the Bhaktas:-
Variety of goods were procured and arrayed in
the sitting room |
With great love and devotion.
A fortune lavished in buying beautiful and elegant beds. With faith and dedication the pantry was stocked and provisioned
With the choicest grains and cereals.
Just as the store of things grew larger and larger
So did their love for Guru Ji become keener.
Day by day the restlessness in their mind became acuter.
Without Guru Ji they felt their wealth worthless.
They were eagerly waiting when their Guru Ji will come,
When will their desires be fulfilled?
They often talked, about Guru Ji,
His noble deeds and his glory,
With excitement in their hearts.
How long were the days to pass in this manner?
Guru Ji has not come, and the fire of love
Remains unquelled in our hearts?
Why has not the Lord come?
The all knowing Guru Ji,
The master of the fourteen worlds,
Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, whose visage is radiant like the Moon,
When will you give us the Chakors
The much longed for bliss?
When will you show us the resplendence of the sun?
And when will the lotus blossom in our hearts?
Like the Chatnik, the love lorn couple
Was restless and in agony.
When will they taste the legendary drop of rain -Slaking their eternal thirst?
Without it we are enfeebled
Like a dry tree waiting for the life giving rain.
When will the union with Guru Ji take place,
Like a drop of water merging with the ocean?
Their hearts will be filled with joy
Only when they have a glimpse of thy lotus feet.
As yet Guru Ji has not come,
And we the unlucky ones, are bereft of his love.
Exactly similar was the state of mind of this couple. In the beginning they were carried away by the zeal for service and the excitement of construction for Guru Ji. Now they were over powered by the desire that the Great Guru Ji should come and live in the house. Day by day this longing for Guru Ji's visit intensified. Unlike the earthly temptations and attraction the intensity of the love divine increases manifold as the time
and distance increases between he lover and the beloved; unlike the case of mundane attractions, where the distance and the passage of time slacken the desire. Henceforth the religious discourses of the Bhai though solemn became very pensive. These were sad and tinged with the grief of separation from the beloved Guru Ji. The whole congregation was deeply affected by this sombre solemnity. Bhai Desa Ji who was a constant witness to all this was so touched by the Bhai's devotion and love for Guru Ji, that his heart melted and was similarly affected by it.
When the agony and misery of the Bhai became unbearable some members of the congregation asked the Bhai if he so desired they could go to Guru Ji to entreat him to come. The Bhai replied humbly with folded hands, “Friends, Guru Ji knows everything, nothing is hidden from him. My heart is ever eager to meet him. This passion can not be curbed, because _ Love remains ever uncontrollable. If the will of Guru Ji is to make me suffer the pangs of separation, then it is my duty to resign myself to his will. When Guru Ji deems my love worthy of him, he will surely come.” The Bhai's reply silenced almost everyone. His wife Ramo’s mental state was in no way different from that of her husband.
One day it so happened that when the Bhai was asleep he saw avast awe inspiring sea of nectar in his dream. An extremely beautiful form emerged from the water and addressed him thus, “Bhai Sain Dass Ji you have blessed these waters with your love, come and live here like a fish. This water will give you life and sustenance. It will not drown and kill you.” Showing his trust and faith in the voice the Bhaientered the sea, he was surprised to find that he could swim and dive and be buoyant like a fish.
He was neither drowned or killed, nor did he feel uncomfortable or choked. Rather he felt happy and free and was quite at ease. After sometime the apparition reappeared and said, “Sain Dass Ji, this water which is so dear to you is the sole basis of existence and a source of sustenance to you. Therefore, you can be transformed into water to merge with it.” The Bhaireplied, “As you wish, lam at your mercy, but neither
take me out of the water nor convert me into water, instead let me live in it and love it. Youare the water immeasurable andla fish.” The form blessed the Bhai and disappeared. Suddenly the Bhai had a vision of Guru Ji who Sat smiling in all his resplendence. The dream over, he opened his eyes and saw his wife Ramo sitting beside him reciting the following hymn:-
Meet me, O my Loved God! (Pause) Yea, Thou fillest all, all over: Thou art my only Creator -Lord. Thou Thyself markest out Thy path (but) ‘Tis known only through the saints. And known thus, Thou, my Creator-Lord, Art seen in every heart. He, who repairs to Thy feet, attaineth gladness; For, even an lota of our devotion is rewarded by Thee: Yea, he, who singeth Thy praise, O treasure of virtue, All-too-spontaneously, is imbued With the great essence of Thy Love. Nanak seeks but Thy refuge, for, Thou art the only Creator-Lord, the Perfect Being. He, who's pierced through with God’s loving adoration, He goeth not to another; As the fish separated from water dieth, so doth Thy Devotee without Thee. | How is one to be without Thee, 0 God? How can the Chatnik live without the Svanti-drop from on high. The Chakvi longeth that the night passeth and she see-eth the splendour of her beloved sun. 90 doth my mind long for Thy vision, and Fortunate for me is the day when! hum Thy praise. Prayeth Nanak: “O God, my vital breath, How can I be without Thee?” As the body, without breath, is of no avail, So doth the saint get no peace if he see-eth not the vision (of God)
Being without the Lord is to suffer the pangs of hell;
So, my mind is pierced through by His lotus-feet: Aesthetic, and yet detached, is our God,
To whom one is attuned through the Name:
Yea, no one can ever deny my god.
Yea, meeting with God, and abiding in
The society of the Saints, bringeth peace
That one can contain oneself not with its joy.
Be Thou merciful to me, O Master of Nanak,
That I merge in the love of Thy lotus-feet.
searching and searching , one meeteth with one’s God: Yea, He is compassionate to the seeker.
Iam menit-less, low-bom and supportless,
But God mindeth not my shortcomings:
Yea, mindeth not He my shortfalls,
And blesseth me with perfect bliss:
All proclaim that His innate nature is to do pure good, And I hear too that He is the love of His devotees
So T hold on to His skirt and see Him filling all hearts.
50 I attune unto Him, the Ocean of Bliss, All-too-spontaneously, overcoming the pain
Of girdling the cycle of births and deaths.
He hath made Nanak His slave, holding him by the hand; And he hath woven, like a garland, the Lord in his heart.
He listened to the hymn with great reverence and devotion.
The recitation over, Ramo very humbly addressed her husband, “Dear, if you deem it proper, write a letter to Guru Ji just as Guru Ji Arun wrote to the fourth Guru Ji; a letter expressing a deep desire to meet him.” The Bhai replied, “Blessed dear, how can we compare ourselves with Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Guru Ji's son? He wrote as a prince to his kingly father. Hence his request was promptly granted. We are but ordinary and lowly Sikhs of Guru Ji, the humble servants, who are yet not even worthy of Guru Ji's love. Writing to Guru Ji will impropér and disrespectful.” Ramo replied, “But the Guru Sahibs have always granted a very exalted and eminent status to their Sikhs and they are very dear to them.” The Bhai said, “This shows the
Guru Ji's benevolence and large heartedness, it is his grace.”
After speaking these words the Bhai related his dream. Ramo was immensely pleased and amusingly said, “Guru Ji has shown a great favour by helping you like this. If you had agreed to be transformed into water, then it would have been ' acatastrophe. It is good you prefered to remain a fish. You are | well aware that Guru Ji has especially blessed you with an opportunity to prove that an enlightened soul can sacrifice even the ultimate liberation for the love of God. Great is Guru Ji.” The Bhai then informed her how towards the end of his dream he had a glimpse of the radiant and smiling face of Guru Ji. Ramo said, “My dear, this shows Guru Ji knows everything. He will surely come and grace us with his visit. We are insignificant and lowly like the earth. Guru Ji is bountiful like a monsoon cloud bringing refreshing water plenty and quenching the thirst of all the seared earth evenly and equally.”
Bhai Sain Dass Ji and Ramo were uneasy and restless in this unique state of devotion and love. Guru Ji, drawn by their immense faith and love felt equally disturbed and uneasy. He told his wife Damodani, “Dear wife, your sister and brotherin-law have built a beautiful house. They are keeping it locked and are very eagerly and restlessly waiting for us to go there > and live in it. What is your opinion regarding this?” Guru Ji's wife replied, “My dear kind Lord, both my sister and brotherin-law are your devotees. Kindly fulfil their desire. Moreover they are our very near relations and dear kinsmen. But their hearts are full of great love and devotion, and they are so absorbed in being your devotees that there is no trace of the pride and vanity of being our close relatives.” The Guruaccepted her suggestion and asked her to make preparations for the journey. At that very time there was an invisible and irresistible pull from another direction. Therefore, Guru Ji deemeditfitto consult his mother in this regard.
Thereafter, Guru Ji went to his mother and told her all about the intense desire and anxiety of Bhai Sain Dass Ji about Guru Ji's visit to Daroli. He also informed her that at Nanak Matta, the Gurdwara in memory of Guru Nanak Dev Ji had been usurped. The devout Sikh looking after the shrine had been
ousted by the adherants of the Sidh sect and the shrine was being desecrated. That saintly Sikh devotee was equally in anguish and was constantly praying and imploring for his intercession to restore the sanctity of the shrine. From both the places equally powerful and irrestible forces were pulling him. He had come to seek her advice where to go first. The wise and enlightened mother said, “Your are Guru Ji, you know everything. You should go to that place first which requires your foremost and immediate attention, where the damageis least if you do not choose to go. The problem of Nanak Matta cannot be solved without your presence. But it is far away, your long absence will become unbearable for me as well as for your devotees. Since a devout Sikh is in distress, to succour him is your foremost duty. Bhai Sain Dass Ji is a perfect and devoted Sikh. His longing also needs to be assuaged. To honour him and his devotion to you is a spiritual obligation.”
Guru Ji felt convinced and replied, “Mother, let us do ~ like this. You along with other members of the family, go to Daroli to provide comfort and solace to Bhai Sain Dass Ji and Bibi Ramo Ji with your love and encouragement. We will directly proceed to Nanak Matta, after setting every thing night we will join you at Daroli. In this way both the matters will be taken care of.” Guru Ji's mother was pleased to hear this. The guru straightaway went to the congregation and there explained the import of his mission to prominent Sikhs like Bhai Buddha Ji and Bhai Gurdas Ji. Thereupon, twenty five brave and stalwart Sikhs were chosen to escort the Holy Mother and other ‘members of the family to Daroli. Bhai Buddha Ji and Bhai Gurdas Ji, along with most of the devotees and some brave soldiers of Guru Ji's armed force, were retained at Amritsar to look after Darbar Sahib and the Akal Takhat. It was also decided that part of the armed force was to accompany Guru Ji to Nanak Matta and the rest was to be stationed at Kartarpur.
The following morning the reverend mother left for Daroli with the whole family and Guru Ji began preparations for his journey to Nanak Matta.
Aodudd