From Ganjpur Bazaar, Lahore, 2 Sikhs Bhai Mohan ji, Bhai Aalam Chand ji; from Tulaspur, Bhai Jodha ji and Bhai Jalo ji; these 4 were the Masands of the Guru. They did Seva of Guru Arjan Dev ji. They collected money from their areas and brought it to Guru ji. They did not take any money from the collection. They saw the money as a sin to take for themselves. They saw this money as: a fly falling into the corn. One would throw up eating such food. Whoever took money from the Guru’s collection, their wealth would go away. It destroys the body. These 4 Masands did not hide any of the money collected as Dasvand. One day, the four of them mounted a chariot and came to Guru ji’s home. As they travelled, they saw a cobra who inflated its hood. It came in front of the chariot and stood up in attention. The Sikhs swerved their chariot but the cobra turned around again. Bhai Mohan ji noticed that the cobra did not go away. He got off the chariot and put a pot in front of the cobra. He said to the cobra: “if you wish to see the Guru, then climb into the pot.” The cobra climbed in to the pot right away. Bhai Mohan covered the pot and placed it into the chariot. The Sikhs camped along the way. The next day, they came to Guru Arjan Dev ji. They folded their hands and bowed. Guru ji said: “how many have you come?” The Sikhs said: “there are 4 of us today, oh saviour of the weak.” Guru ji said: “there are 5 Sikhs here. Bring food for 5. The snake in the pot is a Masand from his last birth. He had ego in his heart. He did not bow before other Sikhs. He now has a hood because he hid money from the Guru. He became a snake in this life. He had poison in his heart. Bring him to me.” The Masands heard Guru ji and presented the pot to Guru ji. They placed the pot in the Divaan and lifted the cover. The cobra came out at once. Everyone saw the snake. Guru ji said: “sprinkle this snake’s body with the Amrit from the Sarovar.” When the Sikhs sprinkled Amrit onto the body of the snake, it died right away. His soul came out and illuminated in the sky in front of everyone. He visited Amritsar and the poison was gone from his soul. Whoever bathes in the Amritsar Sarovar with faith, why wouldn’t they be saved?
Bhai Dehsi ji and Bhai Jodh ji were Brahmin Sikhs who came to the sanctuary of Guru Arjan Dev ji. They knew that peace can only be achieved from Guru ji. They bowed to Guru ji and said: “the Pandits who call themselves high, they do not let us sit with them to eat. The proud Pandits say to us: you are the Gurus of the world because you are Brahmins. Why are you the Sikhs of a Kshatriya? Ganga and Kanshi are the places of Vishnu and Mahadev. You have left these places and don’t worship them. You see Amritsar as the real Teerath and worship it. We have seen this. You have renounced the Vedas and connect to the Bani of the Guru, which is in the vernacular language. You don’t celebrate Janam Ashtami or Shivratri, nor do you fast on Ekadashi. You don’t recite the Gayatri, or do the actions of the 3 Sandyas; give water to the sun; or pind patal. You do Karah Prashaad after someone dies and eat that. You are therefore, impure. You are no longer Pandits. You can’t sit with us and eat with us.” Guru ji, we come to your sanctuary. Take us out of this world. This pride of the castes is a chain. We like to eat your Prashaad. It gives us peace and joy. We have received the Satnam and we will not be trapped by the Jumms. The Pandits who are proud and insult us, what should we say to them?” Guru Arjan Dev ji heard them and said; “the Amritsar Teerath is the greatest. All of the Teeraths live here. This is the city of Ikankaar. This place is higher than the dimensions of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The other Teeraths come here to be purified. First of all, the water of this Teerath is great. Secondly the Naam is always sounding here. Brahmgyaani Saints live here.
Sri Mukhvaak. Malaar Mahalla 4..
Ganga, Jamuna, Godavari and Sarasvati; they make an effort to find the dust from the feet of the Sadhoo..
They say: people full of sins come and bathe in us to get rid of their sins. We become pure again by the dust from the feet of the Sadhoo..1..
(SGGS 1263)
The sinners that bathe in the rivers, they leave their sins there. Because of the sins, the rivers become agitated and seek the feet of the Sadhoos. The Amritsar Sarovar is always pure because of Katha and Keertan. The Teeraths come here to become pure again.” The Sikhs asked: “water is pure and washes everything away. How does the dust of the feet purify things?” Satguru ji gave them an example: “the soap is made of dirt as well which cleans the dirt off of the clothes. The dirt from the feet of sadhoos is pure. It washes sins away. When the Shabad of the Guru is heard via katha or Keertan, it will create faith in your heart resulting in Prema Bhagti. The Teeraths of rivers are many, but Amritsar is not only a water Teerath, it has the Name of Akaal Purakh sounding, all the time. The Harmandhir is the ship, the Name inside sounds inside it all the time. The Ganga came from the dreadlocks of Shiva which meets the ocean eventually. The Gurbani came from the mouth of the Guru. Whoever recites it and ponders on it, they reach Brahm. Both of the Teeraths; water and the Name, are here. Whoever comes here is blessed. Vishnu is the form of Akaal Purakh who gave birth to the Vedas from his breaths. 12 Mahavaaks were made and Brahma explained it all in the Vedas. Vyaas wrote other Shrutis to define them further. Akaal Purakh then came as Guru Nanak Dev ji to save the people of Kaliyuga. He composed the Gurbani as the Veda of Kaliyuga. Everyone can understand the Gurbani. Even the ones who are not so wise can understand Gurbani. Millions are being blessed because of this. The Sikhs eat food as much as they need. They do not over indulge. This is the fast of Ekadashi for them. Ekadashi comes after 15 days but the Sikhs live in contentment everyday and do not over indulge.
Sri Namdev Vaak..
Namdev says: the servant has faith in the Name of Ram..
The fast of Ekadashi has been left alone, what point is there to go to a Teerath..1..
(SGGS 718)
The ones who have pride to be Brahmins, they are proud of their bodies. The Gursikh is the Aatam Gyani. Pride turns a person into a Chandaal (one who works with leather) because they only love their body (made of flesh and fat).
The Brahmin is the one who: has identified the Brahm and sees Akaal Purakh residing in all.
So says Kabeer: the one that ponders on the Brahm, that is who I call a Brahmin..38..
(SGGS 324)
Loving the bones, skin, fat and blood is what the Chandaal does. You are true Brahmins because you have understood the Brahm. You are drenched in the colour of your real form, your Aatma. The action Karma for the ancestors will make you go to the dimension of your ancestors. You should recite the Satnam which is the treasure of joy. You will go to the feet of Vahiguru. The Sikh does not seek the dimension of the ancestors. Your Aatma is the indestructible form. Just as a Chakravarty King rules the world, he is not happy with just one village. A poor person is happy with one village. The people who are happy with the dimension of the ancestors are poor. The ones going to Hell would love to go to the dimension of the Ancestors. The Sikhs of the Guru do not wish for heaven. They want to be one with the Brahm.” The Brahmins heard the words of Sri Guru Arjan Dev ji and were happy. They achieved Brahmgyaan as they renounced the prides of their castes. The chain of the castes makes one in pain. Without the love and blessing of the Guru, one cannot cut these chains, as they are caught in the maze of their relatives.