Guru Arjan Dev ji would always think about his father, Guru Ramdas ji’s words: “make the Sri Amritsar Sarovar. Collect money to build it.” One day, Guru Arjan Dev ji was sitting in his court and spoke to everyone: “every Sikh should be gracious. They should serve everyone else. There is no other better deed than this. If a Sikh does favors for others, they are always in bliss. There are many types of good deeds that good people do: the best is to dig a well, which gives peace to many. There is one thing better than that, which is to make a Sarovar. People, animals and birds benefit from it as they don’t have to pull the water from the well. The Teerath is the best deed which has a Sarovar with steps around it. People can come and bathe in the Sarovar, give donations, do Langar; that is the best deed. One gets the best rewards for this. The best Teerath is where the Guru has set his feet. The Guru of all Gurus is Guru Nanak Dev ji. His words are like a lion, which kills the deer of ignorance. My father had sat on that throne. Listen to the words of my father: “this Teerath is a very ancient place. Many saints and Avatars have done Tapasya here. Guru Nanak Dev ji has set foot here. Guru Angad Dev ji and Guru Amardas ji have both passed through here. There will be a time when Akaal Purakh will live here all the time. All the Devatas will live here and bow to the court of Hari Akaal Purakh. Satsangat will occur here. This place is very special and there will be no place equal to it.” This is where I wish to make the Teerath, the King of all Teeraths. Money is required to do its Seva. Rajas have that kind of money to make a Sarovar. Listen, Sikhs of the Guru: there is a Hindu King in the mountains. There is no other king with us. Is there a Sikh amongst you, who has full faith in the Guru, that can go the Rajas in the Pahari areas and collect money? The Guru will assist him. Everyone will bow to that Sikh. The Sikh has to have faith.” The Sikhs folded their hands and said: “Guru ji, the Paharis are unfamiliar with Sikhi. How will they give money for the Guru’s tasks if they don’t know about the Guru’s glory? They haven’t seen the power of the Guru. Why would they give money? How would they bow and worship the Guru, till they don’t know? Those people are idol and stone worshippers. They listen to the Pandits and only give money to them.” Guru ji then spoke to the Sikhs: “whoever makes an effort to do the Seva for the Sarovar, Guru Ramdas ji will help them. That person will be given greatness in both worlds. Wherever such a task arises, Guru ji will help.” Guru ji spoke to the court. In the court was a person named Bhai Kalyana ji. He folded his hands and spoke: “Prabhoo ji, if it is your command, I am your servant and I am ready to go. Please assist me in every way. You are going to do the task. I am a mere excuse. I will do the work by your faith and come back.”
Saying this, Bhai Kalyana ji was ready to go preach Sikhi to the Pahari Rajas. He got Guru ji’s permission. He bowed to Guru ji and headed north, towards the mountains. He thought of Guru ji and entered the area of Mandi first, near the Beas River. He saw the city and camped. He rested the night and thought about many things. He wondered how he would do everything: “how will the Raja believe in the Guru? How will he give money? The Sarovar can only be made beautiful if we have money. This is a great task for humanity. I came here but the Guru will have to make this successful.” He stayed there for 2 days but could not meet the Raja. The day of Janmashtami (Birthday of Sri Krishan ji) came and the whole city was keeping a fast. Nobody ate food. It was the command of the Raja to fast on this day: “it is the fast of the Thakur. Everyone come and see the Salagrama. Take the Amrit of the feet of the Salagrama to break your fast. Do Simran of Krishan Krishan.” The people of the city did not eat. They stayed awake all night to do Keertan. There was a great celebration during the time of the Birthday.
It was morning and the people lined up at the Mandir. They all took the Amrit and broke their fast. Bhai Kalyana ji didn’t follow the traditions. He didn’t fast nor did he go to the Mandir. He didn’t take the Charanamrit. He bathed at Amritvela and recited the Bani of the Guru. He ate once a day and so he ate his food. He had faith in the Guru and did the Simran of Guru ji. The people around him saw him and asked him: “did you not keep a fast? You didn’t go to the Mandir to take the Charanamrit.” Bhai Kalyana replied to them with love: “my Thakur is awake and exists everywhere. Whoever talks to him, that person is in bliss. You worship stones, which are not alive. It does not eat nor does it talk. It does not know happiness or sorrow. You keep a fast once a year but your vices are never harnessed. Your desires never take a fast. The Sikhs of my Guru eat less and sleep less. They keep desire and anger in check. They do Simran of Akaal Purakh all the time.” The people heard him and laughed at him. They doubted his words: “this fool does not know anything. He slanders the Salagrama and calls it a stone. He thinks he is the Bhagavan and equal to the Salagrama. He does not know its glory.” The people spread the news about him. Some trouble-makers snitched on him and told the Raja: “a foreign person is here. He is Hindu but does not follow the traditions. He doubts the Salagrama and says “it’s a stone.” He does not keep a fast. He recites “Guru Guru” all day. He did not follow your command. He spoke to everyone without fear. He thinks he has Mukti on his palm.” The Raja heard this and was angry. He said: “bring him to me. What type of backwards wisdom does he have? Who is his Guru? He does not believe in the Thakur.” One person called Bhai Kalyana ji and took him to the Raja.
Bhai Kalyana ji walked fearlessly towards the Raja’s court and sat down. The court was in session. The Raja looked towards Bhai Kalyana ji with anger and said: “oh man, where are you from? Which Guru gave you this wisdom? Which Dharam do you believe in?” Bhai Kalyana replied by telling him everything: “Sri Nanak ji is the Guru of the world. His throne is occupied by Guru Arjan Dev ji, the complete. We are his Sikhs. He gives us what we ask for. He gives wisdom to both worlds. We read his Bani and take wisdom from it. We do not believe in stones or worship them. Stones do not see, hear or eat anything. They do not speak either. How can they be happy and grant you gifts? They can’t do anything for themselves. What can they do for you? We believe in the force that gives life to the world. The one that makes everything alive; the one that gives everyone, everything. You think that the stone is Akaal Purakh. Just as the king of the world coming to a fool’s home; the fool respects him by placing grass for him and calls him a “Miya” (sir). Think about what you are doing. You made Akaal Purakh into a small stone. A lifeless stone. Akaal Purakh is Ram, that resides in all life and exists in every dimension. Akaal Purakh is in lifeless matter and is in every state of time and dimension. There is no one greater than Akal Purakh. There is none equal to Akaal Purakh. You see Akaal Purakh in a small stone. Why would Akaal Purakh be happy with you? Our Guru is the awakened one, and is with us all of the time. Worship the Guru who gives you wisdom of Akaal Purakh.”