: )

[Laadli Fauj]

^ nice one!

[lowest of the low singhni]

These two Sakhian were sent to me today.

Bhai Gareebu

No one what Bhai Gareebu's real name was, but he was so poor that history has recorded his name as Bhai Gareebu. Once there was an announcement in his village that kaar sewa was going on at Sri Darbar Sahib, and so the sangat was encouraged to offer maya. Bhai Gareebu got excited and went home. He told his wife, but they were so poor that she had to infact broom the entire house to find money. At last she found just 1 kauddi. Bhai Gareebu was very happy that he had found atleast something. He took the kauddi and left for Sri Darbar Sahib with his family. When he did matha tek to Sahib Sri Guru Arjan Dev Jee Maharaj, he saw people had offered loads of maya, pearls, rubies, jewels and what not. "How can I place my kauddi amongst these?" He didn't offer anything and went at the back of the sangat and sat there with his eyes closed. One of the sewadaars asked Gurujee if they could go ahead and do the Ardas and end the divaan. Gurujee said that some more maya was left to be offered yet. The sewadaar asked again after a while and Gurujee gave the same response. Upon asking for the 3rd time, Gurujee said "My dear Sikh is feeling shy in offering, let me go and ask from him". Gurujee got up and walked through the sangat all the way to the back and called Bhai Gareebu. Bhai Gareebu couldn't believe his eyes. The Master of the universe standing right before him! Gurujee asked for the offering, and Bhai Gareebu said he was feeling shy seeing the multitude of wealth at Gurujee's feet. Gurujee said "In front of your love-filled kauddi, this wealth is nothing". Gurujee then went on to bless Bhai Gareebu with happiness both in this world and hereafter.

Bhai Palla (this is one of my favourites.)

Bhai Palla lived with his mother. Every morning, both mother and son would do Nitnem together, and then Bhai Palla would sing keertan for an hour, and then go to work. He said to his mother one day "Why doesn't Gurujee come visit us?" His mother said "Maybe our devotion is flawed". Bhai Palla then left for work. Later in the day, one of his friends told him that Gurujee was in their village. Bhai Palla's happiness knew no bounds, and he knew for a fact that Gurujee had come to see him and his mother. He rushed to the place where Gurujee was holding divaan. There were loads of sangataan doing darshan of the Patshah of Miri Piri. Bhai Palla didn't receive his wages that day, and all he had to offer was a small piece of gurr wrapped in a cloth. He started opening the knots, and Gurujee saw him from a distance. Gurujee said "Give it to me, let me open your knots for you". At this point of time while typing/reading this out, one needs to wonder the fact that someone infact had Gurujee open up his knots. These knots are not merely knots of the cloth, but the knots that we tie ourselves in, our minds and souls in, and then make life miserable. What a bliss it would be to see Gurujee open them up! Gurujee opened the knots, and had the gurr, and said "Yours is the most sweet offering I've had today". Bhai Palla folded his hands and begged Gurujee if he could bring his mother for darshan as well. Gurujee said "Palleya, I have myself come to visit her at your place". Bhai Palla said "Gurujee, please be seated on your horse, I shall hold the reins (lagaam) and walk alongside". Gurujee said "No Palla, we won't go like this". Bhai Palla said "Then how Gurujee?" Gurujee said "We will hold arm-in-arm and walk till your house like friends". Everyone was astonished to see Gurujee walking this way with a severely poor man wearing dirty and tattered clothes.

How many of you have moist eyes after reading this much of Bhai Palla's story? I do after typing it up. Bhai Palla's mother was getting worried as to what was taking him so long today. Bhai Palla came and said to his mother "Look who is here!" She was very old and shed tears of joy on seeing Gurujee at her place. They were so poor (in financial terms only) that all they had to offer Gurujee was a parshada with an onion. Gurujee said "I don't want to have this". Bhai Palla said "Maharaj, we are very poor. This is all we have, please have it". Gurujee said "No Palla, I want that what you give me daily". Bhai Palla said "But Maharaj, you've come here for the very first time!" Gurujee said "No Palla. I am here daily when you sing keertan. I want to have keertan!" Bhai Palla then did keertan. Gurujee was very pleased and showered His grace on both Bhai Palla and his mother.

[lowest of the low singhni]

Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal emperor would visit Sahib Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee Maharaj’s divan quite often. Whenever Gurujee would see him, He would smile and exclaim aloud “Dhann Guru Ram Das”. Bahadur Shah never figured out why, and so one day while sitting in the divan, he began to ponder upon this fact. Dasmesh Pitah Jee knew what was running in his mind, and asked him what he was thinking. Bahadur Shah replied “Sachey Patshah, You are the knower of all hearts and minds, You are antarjami. You know whats in my mind”.

Gurujee then began narrating a sakhi from the time when Sri Darbar Sahib was being constructed under the supervision of Sahib Sri Guru Ram Das Jee Maharaj. There used to be 2 kinds of workers, one were nishkaam sewaks who didn’t get paid, others were paid workers. Every evening after the day’s work was over, Sahib Sri Guru Ram Das Jee Maharaj would first come and meet the nishkaam sewaks, and shower His grace on each one of them. One day, a very old baba who used to do paid sewa stood in the queue of the nishkaam sewaks. Sahib Sri Guru Ram Das Jee Maharaj said to him “Baba, I think you are in the wrong line. You go to the paid workers queue, I will be coming there as well shortly”. The Baba said “No Maharaj, I’ve heard that your blessings are eternal. Today I want your blessings”. Sahib Sri Guru Ram Das Jee Maharaj was very pleased and blessed the Baba “Jaa Baba, tenu nihaal nihaal nihaal kita!”

Sahib Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee Maharaj narrated this sakhi and went silent. Bahadur Shah asked Gurujee “Maharaj, what does this sakhi have to do with me?” Gurujee replied “Bahadur Shah, that old Baba was none other than you. You did nishkaam sewa for one day, and today you rule all of India. Who knows how many more janams you will be blessed with kingship”.

[Laadli Fauj]

awesome sakhis bhenjee

COME ONNN

POST MORE!!

a story of abhiyas, or practice

this is jus a mini sakhi, sorry

Maharaj Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji was known to be able to shoot an arrow, according to some, up to 20 kilometers

one day, someone asked him how maharaj was able to this. It had to be a miracle right?

"No, it's practice"

with practice, actions considered normal become honed to the point of perfection/near-perfection, be it ur naam/bani abhiyaas, shaster vidya, or ur studies

[lowest of the low singhni]

When Satguru Siri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj was young he reached the age where little boys run about and play as much as possible. He and the other little boys used to get together in an alleyway and play there. Mama Kirpaal Das or any other dependable person of the household would always watch over the children. About a quarter of a mile away flowed the river Ganges. From time to time Mama Ji would go with the children to bathe in the river and afterwards they would go boating on the river. When bathing, Mama Kirpaal Ji would place Satguru Ji on a nearby pier or landing area of the river and bathe his nephew at the same time. When they went sailing on the river, he would place Satguru Ji in his lap.

One day, Satguru Siri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj was sitting in his Mama Kirpaal Ji’s lap like this. While they were in the little boat, the waters of the river began to get rougher and rise. Guru Sahib’s Mama Ji and the other people on the banks of the river began to get very confused and anxious about the rising level of water. All-knowing Satguru Ji sat on the edge of the little boat and hung one leg over the side. He dipped his foot into the water. The touch of Satguru Ji’s beautiful charan was enough to immediately calm the river and allow it to return to its original state. Seeing this occur, all those who were nearby were amazed. They recognised Satguru Ji as the embodiment of Akaal Purakh himself and bowed to him.

(Taken from Siri Dasam Guru Chamatkaar. Please correct the above if it isn't accurate - thanks.)

[Laadli Fauj]

bump

[Laadli Fauj]

Bhai Suthraa Ji

One day Miri Piri De Malk Maharaj Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was walking with some sevadars, and heard a cying baby. Maharaj asked a sevadar to find where the crying was coming from. The sevadar came back, saying it was a baby crying, so maharaj told the sikh to bring the baby.

When they brought the baby, the sikhs said "maharaj, this baby is kuthraa (ugly)" for he was disformed. Maharaj took the baby in his lap, and said,

"No, he's not kuthraa, but Suthraa (handsome/beautiful)", and instantaneously, the child became quite a beautiful baby.

Bhai Suthraa served the gurus from Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji up to Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, and was renowned for his wise humor.

During divaan one day, kathaa was going on. Bhai Suthraa was also seated there, and began cussing at the sangat in a loud voices, so some Sikhs went to complain to guruji.

"Maharaj, Bhai Suthraa is being disruptive and cursing vulgarly"

"What did he say?"

So the Sikhs listed all the ways in which Suthraa was being disruptive, listing all the names he called them.

"hmm. Go call bhai Suthraa then,"

So Bhai Suthraa was brought in Maharaj's hajoori.

"Suthriaa! These Sikhs of mine have complaining about you"

"Maharaj, they are not your Sikhs, but mine"

"ROFL! What?!"

"They are my Sikhs, maharaj. Anywhoo, ask them what i said to them"

"...oohh kiieee... So. Sikho, what exactly did Bhai Suthraa say to you?"

And the Sikhs once again listed all the insults they received from Bhai Suthraa.

"Now ask them, at the time that I was cursing them, what vichar was going on?"

"You heard him Sikho. What was being discussed during the divaan?"

The Sikhs had no clue

"Guru ji, we dont really recall..."

"Therefore maharaj, with all due respect, these people are my Sikhs, for during divaan they only remembered what i told them, and not what you were teaching"

[Laadli Fauj]

This story of Suthraa is during the reign of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji maharaj

One year, during the preparations for Hola Mahalla, maharaj requested that all the sangat come wearing kesri dastaaraa(n).

And so they did. Or most of them anyway. While the entire sangat was dressed in beautiful banha and kesri dastaars, Bhai Suthraa decided come with his face blackened. Maharaj, knowning the character of Bhai Suthraa, laughed and asked,

"Suthraa, why have u blackened your face while the rest of sangat has come wearing beautiful banha?"

Suthraa motioned to the nearby hills outside the city.

"The pahaarhi raje have buri najar, and i dont wish that their buri najaar comes upon maharaj's khalsa. I'd rather that any bad luck come upon me rather than the panth"

"Suthriaa! All this stuff about buri najar and bad luck is nonsense, behm, dont worry about it. HOWEVER, as long as Sikhs such as yourself, who asks that they may be tortured and hurt for the overall chardi kala of the panth, our panth will remain immortal and strong"

[lowest of the low singhni]

Nice. A lesson to us all...