There was a Rajput by the name of Bhai Manjh ji who was a Chaudhary. He was a bhagat from his previous births and therefore he had the personality of a bhagat in this life. His history is a special one in Sikh history. He was from a rich home with wealth and animals. His whole family worshipped the Sakhi Sarvar Peer, as a lot of people did at the time. He heard the glory of Satguru ji and heard the translations of Gurbani. The Bhagti from his previous births took fruition. He wanted to visit Guru Arjan Dev ji. He wanted to fulfill the purpose of his birth and go to Guru ji. His longing increased by the day to see Guru ji. He would see Sikhs and get motivated as he started sitting in their company. He decided: “I wish to became a Sikh.” The love grew in his heart for the Guru. Bhai Manjh came to Amritsar. He left his home and family to come to Guru ji. He left the attachment of his children and wealth. His karma was good. He was determined to become a Sikh and rose above the attachments of the world.
He came to Guru Arjan Dev ji’s feet and bowed. He saw the beautiful form of Guru ji and put the dirt from the feet of Guru ji to his head. He said to Guru ji: “I have come to your shelter. Please keep me here. Please give me Gursikhi. The pain of birth and death is too heavy. Please rid me of the three illnesses. I am weak, please save me.” Guru Arjan Dev ji heard him and said: “You call the Turk your Peer. You are the devotee of Sarvar Peer. Gursikhi is difficult to find. It is like walking on the edge of a Khanda. It is thinner than a strand of hair. You won’t be able to handle it. You have to let go of your self. You have to give your head and not complain or make a sound. When someone becomes a Sikh, they will be slandered by people. Their wealth will not stay. Your people will make fun of you and won’t let you sit with them. If you can tolerate all this, then you can become my Sikh. Otherwise just go back to your Peer. You will be sad if you become a Sikh.” When the Chaudhary heard this, he folded his hands and said: “since I have heard your Gurbani, I have received wisdom. My mind has been devoted to your Gurbani. I am feeling sorry for my life that I waisted my time. The Peer has no power. We follow him just because everyone else does. People bow to fake Peers and lose their life and Dharma. We are of the Hindu Dharma but bow to fake Gurus. There is no bigger mistake than this. This will take us to Hell. The Sarvar Peer’s people eat beef everyday. They don’t worship Devatas or Devis nor do they know about hygiene. The people with ungracious personalities are all together. They all eat together so they become like each other but call themselves higher. They do not follow the Dharma. I followed this path too but now I regret it.” Bhai Manjh pleaded to Guru ji in a humble way. He had tears of love in his eyes. He spoke again: “Prabhoo ji, I come to your sanctuary. Please consider me and give me Sikhi.” Guru ji spoke to Bhai Manjh: “tear down the Sarvar temple in your home, then come to the sanctuary of the Guru. Your sins will be washed away. You will then get Sikhi. Do the Seva of the Satguru and you will get the path to peace.” Bhai Manjh heard Guru ji and went back home.
When Bhai Manjh got home, he destroyed the shrine to Sarvar in his home. He then prepared to go to Guru ji again. He only had the desire to become a Sikh. He came back and told Guru ji what he had done. Guru ji then gave him wisdom: “do the Simran of Satnam and all your pains will be gone. See the Guru with you all the time. Serve the Sikhs and your mind will be pure. You will get Aatam Gyaan like this, slowly. All of your problems will be gone and you will be in bliss in the end. You will be one with me.” Bhai Manjh began to do Simran of Satnam. In a few days, we went back home. Whatever Guru ji had said about the damage in his life, began to happen. His wealth went away and his animals began to die. His horses, bulls and wealth were destroyed. His family made fun of him for being a Sikh. They blamed his downfall for breaking the shrine of the Sarvar Peer in his home. The people of his village said the same thing: “you broke the shrine. Since you became a Sikh, you lost everything.” Everyone tried to convince Bhai Manjh. They said: “the Peer’s anger is destroying you. Let go of Sikhi. Fold your hands and come back. You shall be forgiven.” Bhai Manjh listened to all this and said: “I am a Sikh now of the Satguru. The wealth and material objects that you are talking about are of no use to me. I will achieve Mukti and be in bliss. The Guru does everything. Peers and Meers can’t do anything for me.” The elders of the village heard this, they thought: “Manjh is a fool and unwise.” The people of the village took Bhai Manjh’s home and threw him out. His own relatives kicked him out of their area. They took his wealth and items. Bhai Manjh’s wife was a good person. Bhai Manjh went to a far away village. He cut grass and sold it for a living. He was drenched in the Guru’s love and recited Gurbani. He kept one portion of his earnings for the Guru and 3 parts for his family. He sold his grass in the market.
A year passed and Guru ji sent a person to give Bhai Manjh a message. Guru ji said to the messenger: “go and find Bhai Manjh. He is very poor. He sells grass to earn a living. Go to him and give him my command: tell him to pay 21 Rajitpuns first, then he will get the command. Let him get the money first.” The Sikh went to find Bhai Manjh. He found him cutting grass. They greeted each other with “Pairi Puvna.” The Sikh said: “Guru ji has sent a command for you.” Bhai Manjh was over-joyed to hear this. He bowed many times to the Sikh. He said: “I am grateful and fortunate that you have come and that Guru ji has thought of me. Please let me read the command. My eyes will be blessed. I will follow the command then.” The Sikh said: “you will get the command upon paying 21 Rajitpuns for it. You will get the command only then. This is the command of Guru ji.” Bhai Manjh was happy to be given a command to pay money. He said: “I would give my head for Guru ji. 21 Rajitpuns are nothing. Guru ji will provide for me. I will get to read Guru ji’s command.” Bhai Manjh took the Sikh to his home. He said to his wife: “Guru ji has blessed us with a command but we need to pay 21 Rajitpuns for it. Tell me, what shall we do? If I had money, I would have seen the command.” His wife said to him: “why are you worried? Our daughter is young and is of age for marriage. If we marry her to the Chaudhary of the village, he will give us money. We will only take as much money as we need to give for the command. We will keep our Sikhi and give everything away. Our daughter is fortunate because she will bring us Guru ji’s command.” The wife went to the Chaudhary’s home and sealed the relationship. She took money as much as she needed to give the Sikh. She gave her husband the money and made his worry go away. Bhai Manjh took the money and put it at the feet of the Sikh. He then took the command and put it on his forehead. He was really happy to see the command. It was as though he met Guru ji. He then went to sell his grass and brought food for the Sikh. At night he served the Sikh and talked about Guru ji.
In the morning, they got up. They were drenched in the Guru’s love. He gave the Sikh leave and said: “please bow to Guru ji for me.” He then went to cut grass and did Simran of Satguru ji. He sold grass for a living and took his mind away from desires.