Many days passed and Sri Amardas ji continued his daily routine of doing Simran in solitude. A thought came to his mind: “it is better to do the seva of the Guru in order to make the Guru happy.” The Guru is unaffected by pain or pleasure. The Guru is without desire. But still the servant should serve the Guru with love and devotion, observing it as a duty. In the previous yugas, people would do Tapp to free their mind. It was an intense penance. They would sit in the middle of fires lit around them; they would stay naked and sit in the cold rain; some would do Tapasya on one leg with the arms facing upwards for long periods of time. Some would hang upside-down from trees. They did these hard Tapps to impress Bhagavan. The supreme tapp in Kaliyuga is to serve the Satsangat: distributing water; gathering firewood; fanning the Sangat in hot weather; doing the Simran of Akaal Purakh. This is how Akaal Purakh, Guru, is impressed. Washing the feet of the Guru; cooking food in Langar; these types of sevas in the house of the Guru; coming to the Satsang and doing their seva; this is the highest type of Tapasya. Sri Amardas ji thought about all this. He decided to perform the difficult seva of transporting water. It was difficult because pulling water from the well was a difficult and straining task. He decided to bring water for drinking and for the bathing of Guru ji and other Sikhs. The Sikhs that would serve in the Langar, Baba Bhudda ji, Bhai Dhinga ji etc., Sri Amardas ji asked them to give him the seva of carrying water. The Sikhs agreed and gave him pots to bring water. Sri Amardas ji would bring water from the well. He would go back and forth to bring water to the Langar. He would fill the pots in the kitchen where the Langar was made. Sri Amardas ji would speak with humility and call everyone “Bhai Sahib” or “Baba ji”. He wouldn’t let his mind wander and did his seva with full devotion.
Guru Angad Dev ji would wake up at 2 am and take a bath. Sri Amardas ji would wake up before Guru ji and bring water for his bathing. He would fill pots and perform the seva with great love and devotion. He would not be impatient. He would use his full force and perform the seva with accuracy. He would first give Guru ji a bath and then wash his clothes. Then he would go into solitude and sit down. He wouldn’t speak to anyone and only think of the Guru’s form in his mind. He would destroy his own wishes and just think of the Guru. He didn’t go back home and stayed with Guru ji. He didn’t think about home. People form his village and family would make fun of him and say: “look what he is doing in his old age. He goes to the home of his daughter-in-law’s father and does seva there.”
After a year passed by of Sri Amardas ji doing seva, the clothes that Sri Amardas ji wore, began to rip and scuff away. He would do the Guru’s seva all the time. He had no other wish in his mind, except for seva. He only ate from the Langar and did not wish to eat or drink anything else. He had great tolerance for hunger. He didn’t care for food, so clothes were an absolute low priority. Sri Amardas ji was above this. After a year, Satguru ji gave Sri Amardas ji a 1.5 yards cloth. Sri Amardas ji tied that cloth to his head and fastened it with a rope so it wouldn’t fall off. He didn’t take it off ever. He saw it as the gift of the Guru and treated it with respect. He kept up his seva of transporting water. He would run fast and fetch the water when it was needed. He was 72 years old. His body was getting weak but he was eager to do seva. He threw away his laziness and would pick up his pots to fetch water from the well, day and night. He didn’t think about his family or his home. He saw the Guru as his only family. He served the Guru with his body and thought of the Guru with his mind. People from his village came and asked him: “come back home. Come and see how your family and relatives are doing. Come meet your family. They miss you. Why are you here? What do you get from here? You are enduring pain at this age, here.” Sri Amardas ji responded: “I have no one and I have never belonged to anyone. Not in any time period was anyone mine. Just as pieces of grass meet and separate and float away in the current of the river, that is how everyone meets the family and separates. Just as people crossing the river on the same boat and then separate, once reaching the other shore. No one cares about anyone after that. As a visitor comes to spend the night and then is on his way in the morning, that is how we are with our friends and family. The Guru is now my world. He is my father, mother and relative. The Guru is with me in this life and will be with me after death. He will be with me where no one else can go with you, when you die. The Guru is the support of my life force. His feet are all I desire.” The people would then go home thinking: “this person is now useless.” Little did they know that Sri Amardas ji was going to be the most useful being in the world. The light of Guru Nanak Dev ji was about to enter his heart.
He would serve the Guru, day and night, discarding his ego. The Seva was changing his soul on a daily basis. His soul was becoming pure. His seva was becoming an inspiration for others, in itself. He would do the seva with great enthusiasm. He wouldn’t care what people would say about him or what they thought about him. He gave his mind and body to the Guru’s feet and that is all he thought about. He had full devotion in the Guru’s feet. Many yogis who had performed great Tapasya, Sri Amardas ji had passed all those yogis and saints of the past. Sri Amardas ji could not see the world anymore. He could only see the Guru’s feet.
The second year passed and Sri Amardas ji got another 1.5-yard cloth from the Guru. Sri Amardas ji took the gift from the Guru and tied that on his head as well. He tied a rope on top of the cloth so it wouldn’t fall. He didn’t care about what other people thought. When his Siropa would go loose, he would tighten it again. He never took it off. It would go wet while carrying the water pots but his love of the seva would increase. He would increase his rounds. People would make fun of him, carrying the water but Sri Amardas ji was unaffected. The world did not exist for him anymore. He stayed quiet and remained coloured in the love of Prema Bhagti. He was awake inside but asleep towards the world. His clothes were ripped and his body was old. He was red with the love of the Guru.
After the third year, Guru Angad Dev ji gave Sri Amardas ji a third piece of cloth. Guru ji never spoke to Sri Amardas ji. Sometimes Sri Amardas ji would sit close to the Guru and sometimes far. His hands and feet turned a different colour from doing the seva of carrying water. His hands were blistered from carrying the cold water but he was always ready to do seva. He would wake up before 2 am and bring water for the Guru’s bath. He would wash the Guru’s feet with care. He would wash the Guru’s clothes. He would bring water for the Langar and bring firewood. He would light the firewood and do the Simran of Akaal Purakh the whole time. He would eat Langar when it was ready. He would wash the dishes of the Guru; and fan him during the hot weather. He would lay out his bedsheets before Guru ji went to sleep. The wound on the toe of Guru Angad Dev ji was scabbing, which would hurt Guru Sahib. Sri Amardas ji would keep Guru ji’s toe in his mouth. The warm air in his mouth would lessen the pain. Sri Amardas ji would remain in Guru ji’s room for a long time, sitting in this way. When blood would come into his mouth, he would spit it out. He wanted Guru ji to sleep in peace and not be in pain. Four years had passed and he received the fourth cloth from Guru ji, which he tied on his head.
He received the Siropa in the fifth and sixth year as well. In the seventh year, while serving the Guru’s feet, he put the Guru’s toe in his mouth, to suck the blood out of the wound. As the toe came into contact with his mouth, a radiance blossomed in Sri Amardas ji’s heart, just like the morning rays of the sun. The powers of miracles came inside of him and he now had the knowledge of his true self. As the wound of Guru ji’s toe would bleed, Sri Amardas ji would suck the blood and spit it out. Sri Amardas ji then thought to himself: “what is the point of having miraculous powers if I do not fix the wound on my Guru’s toe? I will fix this wound so the Guru is no longer in pain.” Sri Amardas ji fixed the wound with his powers. Sri Amardas ji saw the cured toe and was extremely happy. When Guru Angad Dev ji woke up, he noticed that his toe was cured and there was no pain in his body. He got up and thought: “what has happened? The wound on my toe is gone after sleeping for 3 hours. It was Sri Amardas ji that did this. He now his powers.” Guru ji then spoke to Sri Amardas ji: “oh Purkha, what have you done? You couldn’t handle the little power that you received? The master of the three worlds, Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji bowed in front of my body, this wound should have rightfully been there for the rest of my life. Why did you make this disease go away? From now on, never use your powers, no matter what the circumstances. Saints are able to tolerate the most intolerable situations. They carry a lot of stamina and patience. They are ready to give their heads and don’t think twice about it, but never show their powers. The power increases by exercising restrain; but lessens by showing miracles. Take this wisdom and engrave it in to your heart. Always do the Simran of Akaal Purakh.” Sri Amar ji stood up and folded his hands and said: “please forgive me Guru ji! I listened to my mind and didn’t take your permission. I will only do what you advise from now on. You are great and forgiving. You are vast like the ocean, intelligent and wise. You are patient like the earth, what does an impure person like me know?” Guru ji forgave Sri Amardas ji and said: “don’t do this again.” Guru ji looked at his toe and made the wound come back. It started to bleed as it did before. Such was the way of the Guru. The Devatas and other celestial beings all bowed and folded their hands in front of Guru ji.
11 years had passed and Guru ji received the 11th piece of cloth. Sri Amardas ji continued his seva for the Guru with love and devotion. He had no desire in his heart and only thought of the Guru’s feet.
The Siropas formed a large crown on his head. It would get wet as he carried water and began to harbour tiny insects. His clothes were old and torn. His feet were blistered. He had no desire to eat any delicious food. His hands were wrinkled and blistered like his feet from carrying the water. He had no concern of his own clothes or the pain his body was in. He only thought of the seva. He would sit and listen to Kirtan and his seva was more than any other Sikh. The Sikhs would say: “his height is small and he is gone old. His hair has gone white and his skin has lost its vigour. He still performs more seva than anyone else. He sucks the blood from the Guru’s toe and does not sleep properly. He wakes up before Guru ji and fetches water for his bath. Whether It’s hot or cold; winter or summer; he performs seva without any complains. His Tapasya is great and has done extremely hard work. His life is a success. Guru ji does not even look at him. He has kept the ways of the Udaaseen. He sits close to Guru ji but Guru ji does not speak to him. The Guru’s ways are unique.”
Other people would look at him and make fun of him. They would say: “looks like he was thrown out of his home. He doesn’t have any money. He saw the Guru as the sanctuary for the unsupported, homeless ones and is staying here. He came here to eat small morsels of food. Everyone has abandoned him and that is why he stays depressed. He is homeless, without status and wanders around here and there. He listens to everyone, hoping he doesn’t get kicked out from here.” This is what the fools would say. They would say bad things about him. They didn’t know that he was going to be the Master of the Universe one day. He was going to be the “dheen dhuniya da Paatshaah” (the supreme king of the universe) one day. There will be no other as gracious as him. Sri Amardas ji would hear everything but was unaffected by their words. He would be eager and ready to do Seva, all the time. He would sing the glories of the Guru.