There was a Sikh named Bhai Paira Mokha ji who lived with Guru Arjan Dev ji. He served Guru ji day and night. Sikhi was illuminating inside his heart. One day, a Pandit from Kanshi came, who came to stay with Guru ji. The Pandit was a scholar and wanted to do Katha in the court of Guru Arjan Dev ji. He wanted to receive payment after finishing his Katha. He wanted the gift of Gyaan, contentment and the truth. He wanted to do Katha but he was shy to place his request in front of Guru ji. Guru ji was omniscient and knew what the Pandit wanted. Guru ji kept the Pandit with him. After a few months of living with Guru ji, to fulfill his wish, Guru ji asked: “I wish to hear the Katha of the Vedas and the Upanishads from you.” The Pandit was very happy and began to do the Katha in Guru ji’s court. The Vedas and Upanishads talk about the form of the Brahm. He talked about the Aatma, Brahm and consciousness. He did Katha everyday as per Guru ji’s command.
One day, Bhai Salo ji came to see Guru ji. He came and bowed to Guru ji, grabbing his feet. Guru ji respected him very much and said: “Salo is very beloved to me. You are the faithful Bhagat of the Guru.” When the Pandit, that was doing Katha, heard that Bhai Salo was considered a faithful Bhagat, he thought to himself: “why am I not considered a faithful Bhagat? I do Katha according to the Vedas in Guru ji’s court. Why am I not considered a faithful Sikh? How can I ask Guru ji this question?” Guru ji knew what the Pandit was thinking. Guru ji wanted to clear his doubt in due time. The Pothis that Pandit ji had, all of the Katha was done. Guru ji said to the Pandit: “Pandit ji, go forward from here. You have done the previous Katha beautifully.” Pandit ji responded: “the Pothis that I have, I have done all the Kathas I could. I don’t have the next Pothis. They are at my home in Kanshi. If it is your command, I will have those Pothis delivered from my home.” Satguru ji said: “yes, don’t delay a good deed. Have them all brought here. The Katha of Upanishads should happen.” The Pandit said: “I will send my son to get them.” The Pandit calculated an auspicious time according to Jyotish, for his son to go and get the Pothis from his home. On the auspicious day, the Pandit did the pooja of Ganesh ji according to his traditions. He had Guru ji provide money for the travels and sent his son off to Kanshi. The son looked left and right to see for any signs. He listened for any bad omens as he travelled. He soon heard a bad omen and cancelled his journey. He came back to Satguru ji. Guru ji called the Pandit and his son. He said to them: “Pandit ji, you wanted to be called a faithful Bhagat. This shows that you are not a faithful Bhagat yet. Your son heard a donkey bray and saw it as a bad sign, while you had done the Pooja of many Devatas. You did not have faith on your Bhagti towards any of them. I will show you the proof of my Sikhs’ faithfulness.” Guru ji called Bhai Paira Mokha ji. Guru ji said to him: “there is an island called Sangladeep; there is a Pothi of Guru Nanak Dev ji there, called Praan Sangli. Go there to the king of Sangladeep and get the Pothi. It is far away from here. Sri Satguru Nanak Dev ji visited that place and gave them the wisdom of Gurmat. The King Shivnaab and the citizens of the country all became Sikhs. Satguru Nanak Dev ji blessed the island and gave them the wisdom of Satnam. Whatever he did there; the wisdom that he gave to the good king; you will know what happened there when you get there; it is all written in the Praan Sangli. Guru Nanak Dev ji gave the King his Pothi and had told him that his Sikh will come to get this Pothi from him one day. It is now that time to bring the Pothi from that place.” Guru ji told Bhai Paira ji on how to get there and what to do there. Guru ji wrote a Hukamnama regarding the Pothi for the King of Sangladeep. Guru ji said: “the Pothi is there of Guru Nanak Dev ji.” Guru ji told Bhai Paira ji the directions. Guru ji told Bhai Paira ji not to open the Pothi to see what’s written inside. He wanted him to bring the Pothi straight to him.”
A Sikh came and brought 5 Paisas. Guru ji saw the money and picked them up. He gave that money to Bhai Paira ji for the cost of the travels. Bhai Paira ji sent off. He bowed to Guru ji and left right away without looking for any omens or calculating auspicious timings. After he left, Guru ji said to the Pandit: “did you see my Sikh? He has to travel a long way. He did not consider day or timing. I only gave him 5 Paisas which is practically nothing. He has faith in his mind. He knows that the Guru is sending him and that the Guru will take care of everything. He had faith on his Ardaas. These kinds of Sikhs are considered faithful Bhagats. They do not have faith on anything else but the Guru. You have faith in many Devatas which broke by the bray of a donkey.”
Bhai Gurdas ji observed the whole situation. Guru ji told Bhai Gurdas ji to write about it. He obeyed and wrote 2 Kabits in regards to this. He wrote about the faithful Sikhs.
Bhai Gurdas ji Vaar. Kabit..
A Vaishnav Pandit who called himself a faithful Bhagat, read the Bhagwat Geeta and called himself faithful to the Geeta.
When he would go to the Teerath, he would worship the Devatas and calculate an auspicious time to go.
When he started his journey, he heard a donkey bray. Seeing this as a bad omen, the Pandit returned home.
It was as though the wife called herself Patibrat but was filled with doubt.
The Patibrat who does not have faith on the one, she will never reach the highest position.447.
Meeting the Sikh Sangat has such a radiance that removes doubts like a true Patibrat woman.
The Sikh does not ask for auspicious days from Jyotish experts. They do not ask about planet and constellation positions.
They do not look for good times or do Seva of Devis or Devatas.
The Sikh stays connected to the Guru’s word, the Nirankaar.
The Sikh saint is the child; the Guru is the parent who takes care of the Sikh. The Sikh receives Mukti by contemplating on the Braham.448.
When Satguru ji had Bhai Gurdas ji write the Kabits, the Pandit understood everything. He said: “you are correct.” The Pandit became calm and eventually become a faithful Bhagat. Doubt did not enter his mind again. He bowed his head and did his Katha.
Bhai Paira Mokha ji was travelling to Sri Lanka. He arrived at the place of Raja Shivnaab. The grandson of Raja Shivnaab was Raja Mya Medini. He was a man of Dharma who did Bhagti. The Panth was flourishing from his home. The Raja served his citizens well. He had a lot of faith on Guru Nanak Dev ji. He was a faithful Sikh who was the grandson of Raja Shivnaab. When his servants found out that Bhai Paira ji was there, they told the King. Bhai Paira ji said: “I came from the Guru with a Hukamnama. Tell the King that I have a Hukamnama for him.” The servants told Mya Medini. The King found out and got up himself. He had been waiting for someone to come from Punjab. He met Bhai Paira ji with respect and took him inside. He prepared a nice seat for him. All of the King’s people came to bow to Bhai Paira ji. Bhai Paira Mokha ji gave the Hukamnama to Raja Mya Medini. The Raja took the Hukamnama and put it to his hand with great joy. He told his people: “do a great celebration. Guru ji’s command has come. He has blessed us by sending us his Sikh. Tell everyone to come and meet the Sikh. Sound the Dhundhabs and the Vaajays. The Shehnais should sound. Hang garlands of flowers everywhere. Hang them on the doors and windows. Tell everyone to come and bring their gifts.” Karah Prashaad was made and fragrant essences were sprayed everywhere. Flowers were showered with fragrances everywhere. Thousands of men and women came to meet Bhai Paira Mokha ji. An open court was in session. The Raja brought in Bhai Paira Mokha ji. The Raja introduced the Sikh and wanted the Hukamnama to be read out loud. Conches were blown and incenses were lit. Sandalwood essences were sprayed. The Raja said out loud: “come and see Bhai Paira ji. He is a Sikh sent by Guru Arjan Dev ji. Give him the Pothi of Praan Sangli.” They were all happy to hear the Hukamnama. Everyone brought many gifts for Bhai Paira Mokha ji. They felt like they had met Guru ji by listening to the Hukamnama. When Bhai Paira ji observed their traditions, he was amazed to see how far away Sikhi flourished from Punjab. He thought to himself: “Guru Nanak Dev ji is great! He saved the whole universe.”
Bhai Paira Mokha ji spent many days there and spent time reciting Bani and preaching Sikhi. He then told the Raja that he wanted to leave. The Raja brought gifts along with the Praan Sangli Pothi. He also sent a letter of gratitude for Guru Arjan Dev ji. He wrote: “my head bows to your feet. All of the Kings that sat on this throne, they were all seen as a Guru, after Guru Nanak Dev ji came. The Raja has always been a preacher of Sikhi. A Sikh of Guru Nanak Dev ji.” Bhai Paira ji left for Punjab. On the way he thought to himself: “the glory of Guru ji is great. Guru Nanak Dev ji’s glory is wide spread.” He met Sikhs in almost every city he travelled through. They would respect him everywhere he went. After travelling a long route, he came to the shores of the Ganga. There was a Sadhoo there who saw Bhai Paira ji carrying a Pothi on his head. He was amazed to see that the Pothi was hovering above his head. He did not see any support under the Pothi. Only the Sadhoo saw this, no one else. He saw the miracle and wondered. He followed Bhai Paira ji. He stayed with Bhai Paira ji at night time. He said to him: “who are you and where are you from? What Pothi is this? I am a Sadhoo. I wish to see this Pothi.” Bhai Paira ji said to him: “this Pothi is from Sangladeep. I am going to Amritsar, back to Guru Arjan Dev ji. Come with me to see this Pothi. I am commanded not to open the Pothi. I request you to come with me to Amritsar.” The Sadhoo heard this and thought to himself: “I need to see this Pothi. It’s powerful. I will go to Amritsar.” They both slept during the night.
In the morning, they bathed in the Ganga and began their travels. The both of them had conversations of Akaal Purakh as they travelled. As they travelled, Bhai Paira ji had a bit of ego come into him. Because he travelled a long way, he was a little proud of himself. When he came to his home in Amritsar, he opened up the Pothi and began to read it overnight. The art of Yoga was in that Pothi. There was a deep knowledge in that Pothi. He read about many techniques of Yoga which are not found anywhere else. Whoever would practice it, they would become powerful. The Maya of Parmeshwar looted Bhai Paira ji. He wanted to steal some of the pages of the Pothi. The ones that he liked, he hid them in his home.
In the morning, Bhai Paira ji bowed to Guru ji and presented the Pothi and the letter of Raja Mya Medini. Guru ji knew what Bhai Paira ji had done. When Guru ji opened the Pothi, he understood all of the powers. He read the whole Pothi and then realised that Sikhs would read this and go towards the powers of Yoga. People who would be corrupt would read this and run after Riddhis and Siddhis. They would try to possess ghosts and powers. They will be without Gyaan and become fake Gurus. This Pothi should not be kept. Guru ji spoke to Bhai Paira ji with anger: “you’ve taken some pages out. Bring them back and add them in again.” Bhai Paira ji quickly brought the pages back and asked for forgiveness. Guru ji took the Pothi and drowned it into the river. People were amazed to see this. The Sadhoo that came with Bhai Paira ji was amazed to see what Guru ji did. He folded his hands and said to Guru ji: “Maharaj, please listen to my request: I travelled a long way to see the Pothi. I wanted to copy it. I wanted to know what was in there. You drowned it into the river.” The Sadhoo lost his patience. He put his head on to Guru ji’s feet. Guru ji looked at the Sadhoo and had love for him. Guru ji said to the Sadhoo: “if you wish to read the Pothi, jump into the river and get it.” The Sadhoo dove into the river and took out the Pothi, right away. Guru ji was happy with the Sadhoo and gave it to him. For a while, he served Guru ji. He had faith in Guru ji. Bhai Paira ji asked for forgiveness. Guru ji forgave him. He told Guru ji of all the things that happened along his travels. Another Sikh noted the Katha of Bhai Paira ji’s travels down. That Katha was included into the Saroop of Bhai Bano ji. It was a map to Sangladeep. Bhai Bano ji added it into the copy of Guru Granth Sahib ji that he had scribed known as the “Khaari Bir.” The whole Panth knew about this. Bhai Paira ji stayed with Guru Hargobind Sahib ji for a long time. He stayed in his command and was blessed.