There was a Pandit named Bayni who was a scholar. He was an expert in Nayaa Shaaster and other Granths. He had them memorized. He travelled the world and was proud of his knowledge. He would go to places where other scholars would gather and debate about different topics. He would put up posters in the city he was travelling through that would say: “if someone defeats me in a debate, they may take all of my books. If I defeat someone, I will take all of their Granths.” People would come to see his debates with enthusiasm. Bayni Prashaad would defeat the other person within a few minutes and take all of their books. He had a camel that he would travel on and would pack his books on it. Rich people heard about his knowledge and gave him a lot of money. News spread about his knowledge. He was known throughout Hindustan. He would take the books and travel from one city to another. One camel would stay with him at all times, others he would send home with the new books. He soon came to Punjab. His students would follow him to learn from him. He had about 200 people with him. He would teach a lot of knowledge. He would say: “I want to win the whole world in debate. Who can match me and defeat me? There is no other scholar like me.” He was full of ego. Casually, he reached Punjab. He saw Sikhs wake up in the morning and bathing. He saw them reading Gurbani and then inquired of who those people were. He found out that their Guru was in Goindwal. He travelled to Goindwal to see Guru ji.
Bayni heard about Guru Amardas ji’s praises. He saw Guru ji’s praises everywhere. He wanted to see what the path of Sikhi was. He didn’t expect to be blown away. Guru Amardas ji was walking towards the Baoli one day. Guru ji sat down near Baoli Sahib. A Divaan started there. Sikhs listened to Guru ji. Bayni came to Guru ji’s Divaan. Guru ji had Bayni sit down close to him with great respect. Guru ji met Bayni with great love and happiness. He asked him how he was and spoke with love. The Sangat came to meet Guru ji when Bayni came. The Sangat placed money in front of Guru ji, which Bayni observed. The Sikhs’ wishes were being fulfilled. They bowed to Guru ji because they were saved in this world and in the next. Bayni saw everything and had ego in his mind. He said: “Tapp, fasting, pilgrimage, donation are ways to achieve mukti. They are the best actions to purify the mind. People achieve the highest states of mind in this way. You don’t have your Sikhs do any of these things. How will your Sikhs achieve the highest state? If you want the best for them, then give them the wisdom to go to the Teeraths or do Tapasya. Clean their mind in this way. Give them the knowledge of the Shaasters, Simritees and Puranas. They will achieve mukti then.” Guru ji heard the Pandit. The Pandit was speaking with ego. Guru ji said: “Tapp and all the things you mentioned are traditions of the Yugas of the past. That was the Dharma of the first three Yugas. In Kaliyuga, there is no time or ability to do all that. Without food, a person dies. How can one live in the jungle and do Tapasya? The people of the other Yugas had the ability to control their hunger. Their life expectancy was more than now. There is no money to do yagna now. There is no strength, comparative to those yugas. If I was to indulge these Sikhs into Karma, nothing will be done. Their whole day is spent trying to earn for food. The body and eyes are not pure in Kaliyuga. The traditions of food preparation with purity cannot be done either. They only care about how their hunger can be satiated. They can’t do all those things. They can only do Simran in this yuga that will give them mukti. The Tapp and yagna were too hard. Even after so much tapp and yagna, they only got the reward of heaven and the punishment of Hell for their bad karma. When their rewards would finish, they would be thrown out of heaven. It still didn’t give them mukti. Simran gives them mukti. It is above Tapasya, donations, yagnas and fasting. The karmas did not give a person the stillness of mukti. These karmas were done with ego. Therefore, they only got pleasure and pain. After doing so much effort, the reward was so small. Heaven and Hell are not forever. Nobody can live there forever. It is now Kaliyuga. Whoever is the ruler, owns the law. Guru Nanak Dev ji made the law of Simran in Kaliyuga. There is nothing compared to the Seva of the Guru and the Sangat. The Simran of Satnam is the highest. It gives you bhugti and mukti. Simran and Seva are the praises of Bhagti. There is nothing greater than this in the world. There is no other way to get mukti other than this. Just as oil cannot be taken from sand, mukti cannot come from karmas. Fasting and other karmas are stale without Naam. How much more can I say? These other actions cause ego to grow and puts you deeper into the cycle of birth and death. The Simran kills the ego. Ego is the root of sin. The person who wants mukti should stay away from ego and arrogance. You are a scholar, Pandit ji. Knowledge is a light. You should illuminate this light in others as well. You yourself are falling in darkness though, and telling others how to achieve mukti. You are full of ego. You want to win the whole world. You want to win the three worlds. You haven’t won your own mind but made a lot of enemies for yourself. Did you receive any rewards for winning others? Thousands of my Sikhs have achieved mukti by doing the Simran of Satnam and killing their egos. Pandits get lost in their knowledge and drown in their ego.” The Pandit went into deep thought: “knowledge has led me to ego. Only those that defeat their ego achieve mukti. They do that by the Simran of Satnam, thereby killing their ego. Guru ji’s words are correct. I will achieve mukti in this way as well now. I have understood the true path by meeting Guru ji.” He became humble and asked Guru ji for wisdom: “I have gathered a lot of knowledge and became egotistical. I was busy gathering knowledge and could not do the Bhagti of Hari. I was busy doing the actions and debating with other scholars. My ego and pride were a myth. I didn’t know the significance of the Satsangat and Prabhoo. I have understood the glory of Akaal Purakh from your words. I know the path to Parmeshwar now. Your words are powerful. You are powerful. My heart is getting soft now. Please shower your love and bless me with wisdom. Please wash away my vices. How can I win my mind, desire, anger, ego and cleverness? How can my mind be purified? Bless me with wisdom, oh gracious one.” Satguru ji heard Bayni’s request and spoke with grace, those words which destroyed the vices and illuminated light inside of him:
Malaar Mahalla 3 Ghar 2
Ik Oankaar Satgur Prasaad.. (Akaal Purakh is the One form which resides evenly in all creation and can be attained by the grace of the True Guru)
Is this mind a householder or a renouncer? Does this mind die without caste, or is it indestructible? Is this mind always wandering or is it detached from the world? Where did this mind get attached from.?.1..
Pandit, ponder on this mind.. Why do you gain so much knowledge and carry such a weight in your mind?..1.. Rahao (pause)..
The illusion of attachment was put in place by the creator.. With this command, the creator made the world. By the Guru’s grace, understand this, brother.. Always stay under the Lord’s protection.2..
That person is a Pandit who removes the load of the three egos.. That person utters the One Name, day and night.. That person receives wisdom from the Satguru.. That person offers their head to the Satguru.. That person remains separate and detached.. That Pandit is accepted in the Lord’s court..3..
That person says “the One resides in all”.. That person sees the One and knows that there is only the One.. That person is forgiven by the Lord and united with the Lord Akaal Purakh.. That person is in peace here and there..4..
Says Nanak, what can one do and in what way?.. That person is free from bondage on whom Akaal Purakh graces.. That person sings Akaal Purakh’s praises, day and night.. That person does not hear the proclamations of the Vedas and Shaastras..5..1..10..
(SGGS 1261)
Guru ji stated the Gurbani and explained the meanings to the Pandit. The Pandit heard the holy words and his ego was destroyed. He thought to himself: “Guru ji is speaking the truth.” Love flourished in his heart for Guru ji. Guru ji looked at him again and connected the Pandit to his real self. He had been asleep from his real self for many births, but was now awake. He saw his real self, the Aatma. He went into a deep Samadhi as he was sitting there. He saw the Brahm Saroop that was residing in the whole universe. The still form. The utmost peace. He opened his eyes after a long time. Guru ji saw his state and said: “Pandit ji, you are great. You have lost your vices and pain.” Pandit Bayni Prasaad ji was now in bliss and sang the praises of Satguru ji: “Prabhoo has come to save the Bhagats and to give them bliss. Only you know how great you are.”
Pandit Bayni Prasaad ji stayed with Satguru ji for many days. He renounced his desires and had love in his heart. He took all of his books from his camel and threw them into the Beas River. He was in bliss. The burning from the vices was gone. He stayed with Guru ji for a long time and worshipped the Guru. He tried to do Seva in the Langar but the Sikhs would not let him do Seva as he was a scholar. Pandit Bayni Prasaad ji told Guru ji that the Sikhs won’t let him do Seva. Guru ji told him: “the Sikhs are smart. You should do katha of Gurbani.” Pandit Bayni Prasaad ji did katha of Gurbani. He received a Manji from Guru ji. He began to reside in Chooriaya. His 9th generation was Pandit Hardyal ji, the translator of Saarukatavali and Viraag Shatak. This was during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh ji.
There were two Sikhs who lived in Goindwal named Firia and Kataara. They did a lot of Seva in the Guru’s house. One day, Guru ji saw them and was very happy with their Seva. Guru ji wanted to give them a blessing. He called them to him and said: “where do you live? In your country what is the religion there? What do people do to make their life a success, spiritually? The people who are into actions, go and stop them. Tell them to do Simran of Satnam. Preach Sikhi.” The two Sikhs spoke with their hands folded: “Satguru ji, what strength do we have? In our regions, there live Jogis, who pierce their ears. They do Jantras and Mantras and show their powers. The people recite “Gorakh, Gorakh” and worship the Jogis. There is no Mandir of Devi or Devs and they do not know Parmeshwar. They do not know Japp, Tapp, and they do not go to Teeraths. There is no Prema Bhagti. They are caught up in worldly tasks like making money and social norms. They don’t listen to us. They cannot be put on the right path without the Guru’s grace. They are stuck in magic and spells.” Satguru ji heard them and gave his command: “go to that place and give them the wisdom of Satnam. Show them the path of Gurmukhs.” Firia and Kataara said: “those people have powers of Jantras and Mantras. They push away people who they don’t like. They kill them. How can we go there without powers? How can we make them do Simran of Satnam?” Guru ji was happy and then said: “whatever you will say, will become true. You will have great powers. Jantras and Mantras will not affect you. The powers will live in your feet. Wherever the Jogis have made their places, take over the places and kick them out. Destroy their places. The Jogis won’t be able to face you and will run away. Make Dharmsalas in the villages and do Keertan there. Live in peace. Make them do Simran, donation and washing of the mind and body. Make the places pure. The people that come to see you, connect them to the Simran of Satnam. They will come and worship your feet.” Guru ji gave the two Sikhs Riddhis and Siddhis. They were given blessings. They bowed and left towards their villages. They went to the biggest places of the Jogis first. The Jogis tried to scare the Sikhs but were unsuccessful using the power of Jantras and Mantras. The effect was reversed and the Jogis ran away. The Jogis were in pain and ran away. The Jogis called their most senior Mahant and tried to overpower the Sikhs. He was unsuccessful too and ran away. They ran away like sparrows flying away after seeing the hawk; like a deer runs away seeing the lion.
The Jogis’ places were destroyed. The people saw and inquired to see who the Sikhs were. They had discussions and said: “it seems these people are stronger than the Jogis. The Jogis were our Peers but they ran away seeing these Sikhs. They are more powerful. Let’s go and ask them who they are and who sent them. They destroyed Guru Gorakh’s temple and are not afraid of the Jogis.” Everyone came to see the Sikhs. The Sikhs were doing Keertan and Simran. The people heard the Keertan and their heads bowed. They bowed to Firia and Kataara. They had love in their hearts. They came everyday and listened to Gurbani being sung. Their minds became still and peaceful. They were given the true name, Satnam. They did Bhagti and became Gurmukhs. They became fortunate. Whatever they asked for from the Sikhs, they received. A beautiful Dharamsala was constructed and Satsangat happened everyday. Other places of the Jogis were destroyed and Keertan happened there. They were given the wisdom of Naam (name), Dhaan (donation) and Ishnaan (cleansing of mind and body). They stopped the Jantras and Mantras. They were all Sikhs now. Their ignorance was destroyed and wishes fulfilled. People worshiped Bhai Firia and Kataara. They showed the people the greatness of Gurbani. The whole region turned to Sikhi. People brought gifts for them and took them to their houses for Langar. They would go back to Goindwal, some times, and came back after worshiping Guru Amardas ji.