The previous kathas were about Prithi Chand and his slandering, corrupt ways. Now the Katha will come back to Satguru Arjan Dev ji, which will be about Bhagti and Love. Listen to the beautiful Katha of the Satguru, oh listeners.
Sri Satguru Arjan Dev ji had a lot of celebrations for his son. It was as though he had a new birth. All of the pain and troubles were gone. Guru ji donated a lot to the poor and wished for well wishes for his son. Sri Hargobind ji’s face looked like a full moon. Guru ji would look at his face and be filled with joy. His eyes were like the petals of a lotus flower. His teeth were beautiful. The Sangat would see him and be filled with joy. Both Hindus and Muslims would love him. Mata Ganga ji would never let her son out of her sight. She kept a strict watch on him and would feed him herself. She didn’t trust anyone else and protected him like the eyelids protect the eye. At night she would stay close to her son. The servants would keep watch as well. Mata Ganga ji was always scared and would raise her son with care. Sri Hargobind ji’s body was big and strong. When he was 6, he looked like he was 12. He was very handsome. He played games as children did. He would run around the house and played with the other kids. If we would grab another kid, they couldn’t escape. He would wrestle kids double his age and tackle them down. Both of his arms were powerful. He liked to play a lot, all day long. His hands and feet were fair and red. His feet made the ground pure. He would run to his father while he would hold court. The Sangat would be happy when he came. They would all fold their hands when he came to his father. The wise Sikhs would say: “this Guru will be strong and powerful. He will be gracious.” Some said: “he will be a warrior who will pull the tyrants’ roots. There will be no other warrior like him. He is so tall and wide. We have never seen such a big child before at such a young age. His arms go past his knees. His chest is wide.” Everyone would see him and be in awe. In this way Sri Hargobind ji would spend his days with his mother and father. His body would get bigger by the day. His forehead was wide.
Guru Arjan Dev ji would wake up at 2:30 am and do his morning routines. He would then sit down in Samadhi and connect with his Aatam Saroop. He would be one with his real self, the Brahm Saroop. His mind would be still from all thoughts. He would connect with the form that is the same in the ant and the elephant.
One day, as Guru ji did his morning routine, Guru ji took a bath at the well. He would never go straight to the Sarovar without taking a bath at the well. There were wells on all four sides of the Sarovar. Guru ji then headed towards the Sarovar after bathing. The other Brahmgyaani Sikhs, drenched in Satnam, went with him. They would always be connected with Akaal Purakh. They wished to connect with Akaal Purakh all of the time. They all bathed in the Amritsar Sarovar, the Sarovar of Guru Ramdas ji, and washed the sins of many lives away. Guru ji and the Sikhs got dressed and did Parkarma of the Sarovar. Guru ji headed towards the Harmandhir Sahib. He looked towards the Harmandhir and bowed towards it, seeing it as the manifestation of Guru Ramdas ji. He thought of Guru Ramdas ji and bowed down. The love went through his body like electricity and made the hair on his body stand up. His eyes filled with tears and his throat swelled up. This was Prema Bhagti. Guru ji showed his Sikhs how to observe it while being the same form as Akaal Purakh and Guru Ramdas ji. The love made him forget his body. After some time, he collected his awareness and proceeded to do the Parkarma of the Harmandhir Sahib. He circumvented the Harmandhir Sahib 4 times. He then sat down inside to listen to Keertan. He listened to 5 Shabads and then came outside. He bowed from the Darshani Deodi as he left the bridge. He stood their and bowed to Harmandhir Sahib. He then proceeded to do the Parkarma of the Sarovar again. He went around (he would make 4 rounds), walking slowly and singing Shabads. The Sangat would come to see Guru ji as well. Where the 2 Nishans are today, Guru ji bowed at that place. He headed North and bowed from one corner. He bowed again at the west side.
There was a Brahmin sitting at the edge of the Sarovar. He had an idol of Bhagwan Salagrama and was worshiping it. He rang bells and bowed to it in many different ways. He had grinded sandalwood paste and was putting a mark on the Salagrama idol. He had a big bell. He had a yellow cloth on the idol. He was sitting in a meditative pose but his mind was not still. He was thinking of his household chores. He desired money and wealth. He wanted people to bow to him and offer money. This is why he was sitting there, to collect money. He was pretending to be in samadhi, like a flamingo does. Guru ji saw him but passed right by him. The Pandit was angry that Guru ji did not bow to him or bow to the idol of Salagrama: “he didn’t bow to me nor the Thakur. He just passed by. The Sikhs passed by as well without respecting me. I am a Brahmin. They didn’t look towards the Thakur either.” The Pandit was angry now and wanted to speak to Guru ji. Guru ji was omniscient and knew that the Pandit was angry. The Master did his Parkarma and crossed the Darshani Deodi again and bowed. He went towards the Pandit a second time, along with the Sikh Sangat. He saw the Pandit, who had 12 marks of the tilaks. He had a pouch tied to his hand in which there was a Mala, which he used. There was a mat under him. He had a conch and sandalwood in a small box. Guru ji spoke to the Pandit: “Pandit ji, where is your attention focused? What is in your mind? Why are you angry?” The egotistical Brahmin spoke: “I am serving the Thakur. I am a Brahmin. You are a Kshatriya. You walked by me without bowing to me. You didn’t bow to the Salagrama either. You didn’t bow to us humbly. You sit on the Gurta Ghaddi. You should know better. You are a Guru but are egotistical.” Guru ji responded to the Pandit: “Pandit ji, you are without good karma. Your inside does not match your actions. You are showing off but you do not have the Gyaan of real or illusion. You are doing false rituals and getting your mind stuck in them. The Seva of the Thakur, you do not know what is real. You are seeing the false Seva as real. If your mind was into the Seva, if your mind was into the Thakur, I would have bowed to you. You are doing empty rituals that’s why a walked by you.” The Pandit started to think: “this Guru is omniscient. He knows me. He understands how I am. That’s why he didn’t bow to me. He will give me salvation. I will become his Sikh and get Mukti. I should speak to him and test him though. I will become his Sikh then.” He spoke to Guru ji: “Guru ji, you saw the fault in me but why did you not bow to the Thakur? What fault did you see in the Thakur?” Satguru ji heard the Pandit and uttered a Shabad:
Sri Mukhvaak
Ramkali Mahalla 5..
You read the scriptures with the translations.. Ram does not dwell in your heart..
You preach to others to have faith.. You don’t practice what you preach..1..
Oh Pandit, contemplate on the Vedas, Pandit.. Eradicate anger from your mind, Pandit..1.. Rahao..
You place the Salagrama before you.. Your mind wanders in the ten directions..
You apply the tilak to it and fall to its feet.. You try to appease the people and act blindly..2..
You perform the Six Karmas and sit wearing your dhoti.. You read your Pothi in the homes of the wealthy..
You use your Mala and ask for money.. Nobody has ever been saved in this way, friend..3..
The Pandit earns the Shabad of the Guru.. The Three qualities of Maya leave him..
The four Vedas are completely contained within the name of Hari.. Nanak seeks that person’s sanctuary..4..6..17..
(SGGS 887)
“You do katha using translations but you don’t have love for Ram. You show people fake and false rituals to take money from them. By doing this, you can’t achieve Mukti and cross this difficult world. You have made Akaal Purakh into a rock. You don’t see Akaal Purakh in every life form and space. Akaal Purakh is the support of millions of universes. Everyone asks from that master. Shaishnaag, Sharda, Brahma and other powers sing the praises of Akaal Purakh. Vishnu, Shiva and other Devis cannot understand Akaal Purakh. They constantly sing Akaal Purakh’s praises. In any time period, no one could see the end of Akaal Purakh. There is no end nor beginning of Akaal Purakh. Shaishnaag has one thousand mouths with two tongues in each mouth. He has been saying a new name of Akaal Purakh since he was created, everyday. No name is repeated. He is not able to completely describe Akaal Purakh. Parmatma is true, forever existing. Nobody knows the beginning or end of the Akaal Purakh who feeds all of the life forms of the universe. Elephants and ants eat what Akaal Purakh gives them. The 33 Crore Devatas sing Akaal Purakh’s praises. Moon, Sun, Shivji, Inder, Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Brahma and other Gyanis all worship Akaal Purakh. Akaal Purakh is complete and supreme in all 3 worlds. There is no space where Akaal Purakh is not. Akaal Purakh is such a big king that created the universe in an instant. You have tried to sum Akaal Purakh into a small rock. Akaal Purakh is not a small power. Akaal Purakh does not give or take anything. See Akal Purakh as the supreme. You are proud of your Brahmin caste. I didn’t respect you because I saw you as a person of empty rituals. You got angry because of this. You made Akaal Purakh into a small stone, the Prabhoo who is supreme, how can Prabhoo be happy with this? Akaal Purakh is the master of the universe but you are calling him a mere landowner. Tell me, how would you make Akaal Purakh happy like this? My Thakur is above all. Listen Pandit what the form of Akaal Purakh is:
Asa Mahala 5..
In the eight watches of the day, the Salagrama bathes in water.. He takes the offerings continually and is the Gyani..
He doesn’t ignore the pain of anyone.. I bow to his feet continuously..1..
I serve the supreme Salagrama. I worship and bow to that form..1..Rahao..
His bell sounds in the four corners of the world.. His seat is in Vaikunt..
His Chaur waves over all.. His incense is forever fragnant..2..
He is treasured in every heart.. He is without end and lives in the Sangat of Saints..
His Keertan is his Aarti.. His praises are beautiful and limitless..3..
Whoever is destined to meet Akaal Purakh, only he/she meets him.. He can be obtained from the feet of the Saints..
I have achieved this Salagrama of the Lord.. Says Nanak, the Guru gave me this gift..4..39..90..
(SGGS 393)
My Thakur is the supreme who takes care of all. Thakur is higher than the highest. Nobody can be equal to Thakur. The Thakur lives in my heart. I have forgotten the difference between inside my heart and outside. The Thakur is the master of the poor and weak. The Thakur stays with his servants. He appears in his own form and does what his servants wish him to. When his servants are in pain, he saves them. His name is “Bhagat Vachal.” He protects the poor and weak. He blesses the lowest of lows. Prabhoo, Madhusudan, Gobind, the treasure of compassion, Hari, Madhav, the giver of Mukti, the destroyer of pain, the master of Maya, the master of the universe, the master of Seetha, the master of Rumma is always on the side of his servants. Ishwar is the form of bliss. He is Aagir, Anupam, the Guru. He can eradicate the ego of the king of kings. Parbraham destroys many sinners. Kartar gives life to many life forms.” In this way Sri Guru Arjan Dev ji described the form of Akaal Purakh and the Brahmin listened.