Sri Guru ji’s feet are like the complete Diva. My heart is the home, this Diva lights my heart. I write this Katha with research in a great way. The gem of the Bedis lights my heart by giving me the strength to do the right research.
Sri Bala Sandhur Vaach..
Oh Guru Angad Dev ji, listen to the Katha of Bhai Mansukh Shah ji. Listen oh Greatly Praised One. Bhai Mansukh ji had arrived in Sangladeep. There was a really big city there, where really rich people lived in great numbers. The city had beautiful markets. Bhai Mansukh ji took his merchandise to sell it there. Raja Shivnaab lived there, who lived by the Dharma and did great Karmas; he did Upasana of The Saligrama and kept the Ekadashi fasts, twice a month. The people of the whole city kept the fasts as well. Nobody ate food on the Ekadashi days. They bathed at sunrise and marked their bodies with Tilaks. The Raja lived in this way and so did his subjects. Bhai Mansukh ji came to this city. He brought his merchandise and set up a Dhera in a nice place. Bhai Mansukh ji lived by the Sikhi traditions of Guru Nanak Dev ji. As Guru ji commanded, that’s how the Sikh lived everyday. He bathed in the last watch of the night (2 am) and did Keertan with a focused mind. He had written down the Shabads of Guru ji. He read and recited them with love and devotion. When the sun would rise, he would make Panchamrit Prashaad and perform the Ardaas. He would distribute the Prashaad to the people who were near him. He would then eat it himself. In this way, he did this everyday. He then did his business with great profit. In the evening, he recited Gurbani. He would recite it with love, which gave him joy. He meditated on the form of Guru Nanak Dev ji. He did this two times a day, which destroyed the pain. The people of the city saw this and laughed. The fools slandered him. They didn’t know the righteous path. They said: “he calls himself a Hindu but is without the Dharma. He does not do Pooja or keep the fasts. He doesn’t do the traditions of Pooja or Seva of the Saligrama. He does not mark his forehead with a Tilak.” The whole city saw him as a Baaniya (merchant) who had fallen from the Dharma.
The people of the city went to the Raja and said: “a person has come from across the ocean who calls himself a Hindu but doesn’t do the traditions. He does some new traditions.” The Raja heard this and was surprised. He called for Bhai Mansukh ji by sending a person.
Bhai Mansukh ji got the message. He took a coconut and a Rajitpun with him. He met the Raja and placed the coconut and Rajitpun in front of the Raja as a sign of respect. He bowed to the Raja and sat down. He said: “Dhan Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji.” The Raja said to him: “you call yourself a Hindu but you don’t follow the Dharma. You don’t do the bathing after sunrise, Pooja of the Thakurs or keep any fasts. You don’t have any abstinence of foods or keep any traditions. You don’t apply the Tilaks. Your traditions are different. Who taught you these unrighteous ways?” Bhai Mansukh ji said: “listen Raja, don’t doubt this. This world is like a tree. Mukti is at the top, like a ripe fruit. There are two ways to get to the fruit: the way of the bird and the way of the ant. The saints and the Granths say the same thing: the fruit can be attained by the way of a bird or an ant. Both travel in ways of love. Whoever the Satguru meets, that person flies quickly to the fruit like a bird. The ones who don’t meet the complete Satguru, the fruit is really far for them as they walk the speed of an ant. It is hard to walk that path for them. You keep the fasts of Ekadashi and abstain on the 15th day; desire, anger, food and drink; you only abstain from them only on 1 day. The saints always abstain from these, everyday. They keep their mind humble and consume less. They eat less and sleep less. They talk less. Desire and anger cannot overpower such a person. You only do this every 15 days; the fast of Ekadashi. The fast of Ekadashi is always in the hearts of the saints. The fast you talk about, that’s how it is. Now listen about the bathing: understand this, there are great rewards in bathing in the last watch of the night (2 am). It is like the reward of donating gold of 1 Bhaar. The one who bathes at around 4 am, it is the same as donating 3,200 Tolas of silver. The one who bathes at half an hour before sunrise, is like donating 1.25 Maunds of milk. The one who bathes at sunrise, that is like donating 1 Maund of water. The one who bathes after sunrise, they are not rewarded for anything. The only reward is that your body is clean and pure. To bathe during the last watch of night is the ancient traditions. The Vedas and Shastras say this, not me. If you doubt what I say, you want everyone to bathe after sunrise; then listen to me with a good wisdom: this is the tradition of Karam Kaand. Bathing after sunrise, they only do the Karmas. Understand this, this is only actions. To bathe in the last watch of the night and doing the Simran of the Naam with love, there is great glory in waking up at this time of the night. The Vedas and Shastras say this too. In regards to doing the Pooja of stones, listen to me with focus: the stones don’t eat or drink anything. They don’t speak or give wisdom. What rewards are there in doing their Seva? The Satguru is the complete Compassionate Being. I do his Seva and receive rewards. He has taken an Avatar in a human body to save the world. He came in Kaliyuga. His words are illuminating like the sun. His words destroy the darkness. He gives the path to the bird, to get the fruit of Mukti. He took me close to the fruit with joy. The other Karmas are with ego. The Japp, Tapp and fasts; these Dharmas are like walking the walk of an insect. I can show you that path too. For many births, a person does many good karmas. The filth of the Antiskaran (Mun, Bhuddi, Chit, Ahankaar) is slowly washed away. By meeting the Guru, wisdom is received. The bonds of the world are then destroyed. In this way, do this to get to the Mukti fruit.”
Bhai Mansukh ji told the Raja the Katha of how to rid one’s ego. He recited the Bani of Guru ji. The Raja’s heart was pierced with the Bani, like an injured soldier pierced by a bullet. The small gun can’t cause a wound. Without penance, one’s words are nothing. Like a full car, wherever it goes, it breaks the road, leaving tracks. The empty car rides the road without marks. The Manmukh’s words are like an empty car. Bhai Mansukh ji was a Gurmukh who had earned his Dharma. His words effected the Raja’s thinking. The Raja agreed with Bhai Mansukh ji. Raja Shivnaab was amazed. He knew in his heart that Bhai Mansukh ji spoke the truth. He thought to himself: “he has met the true Guru. He received the Gyaan and destroyed his doubts.” He said to Bhai Mansukh ji: “you are Dhan, Shah ji. You are the mine of virtues. What is the name of the Guru, whose Bani you have recited? The one whom you stayed close to and received the Gyaan of the Jeev and Ishwar; who is such a person?” Bhai Mansukh ji heard this and said: “Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji is the destroyer of all the sins.” The love overflowed in both of their hearts. Bhai Mansukh ji’s throat swelled with emotion. His eyes shed tears as he said his Guru’s name. Raja Shivnaab shed tears as well, hearing the Satguru’s name. After collecting their patience, Bhai Mansukh Shah ji recited more Gurbani, the mine of virtues. Raja Shivnaab was filled with love and wanted to do the Darshan of Guru ji. He heard the beautiful words of Sri Guru ji. The Raja said: “I would like to do the Darshan of the Guru. Do this favour on this poor (by virtue of mind) person. Make an effort so I can meet Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, the complete Guru. I will go with you right now, oh merchant. I will leave my kingdom and go with you. I want to meet the Guru and destroy the doubts of my body’s existence. I want the wisdom and wish to receive the Mukti. The Guru’s words have pierced my heart. I am not calm without meeting him now. The merchandise that you brought to sell, I will buy it all from you. Let’s leave right away. Don’t waste time. Take me to where Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji is.” The fortunate Raja had the love illuminating in his heart. Bhai Mansukh Shah ji saw the love and said: “you don’t need to do all of this. Don’t leave your kingdom or your land. If you go with me, it will take many days to meet the Master of the Universe. If you think of him here with love, you will get the Darshan in a few days. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji is omniscient. He knows every heart. He is aware of every place in this universe. He will see your pure love and give you his Darshan without delay.” The Raja said: “how will I know of him? Tell me his caste and family name. What does he look like? How does he dress? Where does the Ocean of Virtues live?” Bhai Mansukh ji said: “it is hard to describe him. He is a Kshatriya of the Bedi clan. He is from Talwandi. He worked in Sultanpur. He quit the Modikhana now. He took on the form of Fakirs. He is like the actor who changes clothes all the time.”
The Raja noted down the description of Guru ji. Love arose in his heart. It was a beautiful love. He asked about the Gurbani and noted that down as well. The days Bhai Mansukh ji lived there, he visited the Raja Everyday and said the praises of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. The Raja became more anxious to see Guru ji. He suffered like a fish without water. Bhai Mansukh ji sold all of his merchandise and went to the wise Raja. He spoke to the Raja with his hands folded: “I wish to go back to my land.” The Raja showed him a lot of love, like the Jeev loves his body. He said: “you have done a great favour for me. My body will be a success if I see the Guru. I won’t be able to describe the day when I see the Compassionate One. You used to come to me everyday and say the praises of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. Without the Darshan, I am depressed. When will he come and complete my wish?” Bhai Mansukh ji gave hope to the Raja: “listen Raja: your mind is pure. Stay determined on your goal. The Compassionate One will come soon.” Bhai Mansukh ji and the Raja bowed to each other with love. Bhai Mansukh ji left by doing the Simran of the Breaker of Bonds.
The Raja did the Simran of Guru ji, day and night. He was fortunate. Getting up, sitting down, and walking around, he said the name of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. He said: “please give me your Darshan, oh Guru ji. I am like the peacock. When will you come to me like the rainclouds? My heart calls out to you like the Chatrik, thirsty for the Swanti drop. My eyes are desperate for your Darshan; like the Chakor awaits the moon. When will you show me your body? I heard of your glories that you are compassionate on the poor. I am poor from the mind. I wish for your Darshan.” In this way, the Raja wanted to see Guru ji, day and night. The desire grew like the branches of a tree. He let go of his sleep at night. During the day, he ran around without eating or drinking. He only lived by the support of love. His eyes kept shedding tears. He spent many days like this. His good Karma came to fruition.