SANT ATTAR SINGH JI MASTUANA VALE - Panth Rattan

SANT ATTAR SINGH JIMASTUANA VALEBirth and ChildhoodIn village, Chima of theerstwhile Jind State (now inSangrur district in thePunjab, India), there lived asimple and innocent farmer,named Baba Karam Singh,who married a pious lady,Bholi Ji. He earned hislivelihood by tilling the landand rendered service to thevisiting saints and sages.This holy couple used topray the Almightly for theblessing of a son. One day,when Baba Karam Singhwas going to till his land at4 a.m. as usual, he met anunknown saint near hisfield, who told him thattheir prayers for a son hadbeen accepted and a DivineSoul would appear in theirhouse. He gave him a smallphial of nectar with theadvice to return the sameafter it is touched by theholy soul. In due course oftime, Mata Bholi Ji gavebirth to a son on 28 March1866 AD (Chet Shudi Samat1923) and Baba KaramSingh recollected thepromise and returned theholy nectar to the saint,who disappeared from theplace. The boy was namedAttar Singh (Sant Ji).From his very childhoodhe showed signs of hisfuture greatness and lovefor quiet meditation. Heused to sit in a secludedcorner of the house andmeditated on the DivineName. Even at the age offive, he remained engrossedin meditation unidsturbedfor long periods. But hismother always managed topick him up after a greatsearch. At the age of seven,he was asked to attend thevillage school but herespectfully replied that hewould receive thateducation which leads tothe realization of truth.After some time, hisfather made the boy saintgraze the cattle. When hetook his buffaloes and cowsout of the village, he neverstruck them with a stick. Inthe fields, he wouldmeditate on God's Name,and make the boys to dothe same. Once he wassleeping under a tree, aSadhu came and saw"Padam Rekha" (the superline on the feet of greatsaints and emperors) in hisfeet. He bowed down hishead in deep devotion tothe boy saint and said, "thisboy shall become a verymagnetic personality. Rajasand Maharajas shall payhomage to him." The Sadhu

spoke out these words andwent his way.From boyhood, Sant Jiwas fond of feeding thepoor and sharing everythingwith his companions. Heobeyed his parents andattended to householdduties and work in thefields. But he was so foundof quiet meditation that forhours together he wouldmerge himself in the Onein-Alland the All-in-One.Father Karam Singh did notlike the way of life of theboy saint and many a timesreprimanded him.Joining the ArmyOne day Baba Attar Singhaddressed his mother withgreat love and humility,saying "Dear mother, theLord has ordained me for avery high rank of life,please allow me to join thearmy" and obtained hismother's consent. In 1885AD he joined the army tofulfill his mission. Sant Jidid not accept the marriageproposal and conveyed tohis parents that he was notordained by God formarriage. He took "Amrit"(Baptism) from the fivebeloved ones (Panj Piaras),headed by Sant Baba JodhSingh, a priest of army SikhTemple, whom he serveddevotedly during his stay inthe army. During thisperiod, he devoted his timein studying the sacredbooks and meditating onthe Divine Name. He wasvery active and up to datein this military duties andattained the first place inmarksmanship.At Hazoor SahibThe saint soldier AttarSingh received the news ofdeath of his father whichmoved him to immerse inthe Divine Reality at theearliest. He got reservationfrom the Army and to fulfilhis heart's desire, he madehis way on foot from DeraGhazi Khan (now inPakistan) straight forHazoor Sahib Nanded(Maharashtra), the sacredshrine of Guru Gobind SinghJi Maharaj, where he hadtaken himself away fromthe physical gaze of thisworld. In devotional moodand immersed in the DivineName, he went on marchingfor a hundred miles at astretch. On the bank of theriver Godaveri at HazoorSahib, he meditated dayand night for two years andwas so much engrossed inthe recitation of the DivineName that he spent weekstogether without any food.He never longed and wentanywhere for food but used

to take it when somebodyoffered there. Guru GobindSingh Ji showered all theDivine Bounties upon theyoung saint.Seeing that theworld in its vain pride wasburning in the fire ofjealousy, greed andselfishness, Guru Nanakdetermined to pray forthem, and try somehow tofind a cure for their ills.With this resolve, he madea bed of pebbles, and formany days and nights hesat without any food ordrink except sand and bitterleaves of trees. In hismeditation he reached thehighest stage of sublimity(got in touch with the Onein-Alland the All-in-One)and his heart was infusedwith the Divine Spirit andfilled lowliness andhumility. In his vision, hesaw the whole world ablazein the fire of humanpassions. Moved with theDivien Mercy, he renouncedthe world and set out toshow them the right path ofpeace and goodwill. Withthis resolve, and Bala andMardana as his companions,he took leave of Bhaai Lalo,resolve, urging him to dailymeditate on theGurmantara Waheguru (allhail to thee O Remover ofdarkness of ignorance inthe human mind) and makeothers meditate on it.At the time ofpilgrimage to Hazoor Sahib,a sikh devotee gave somemoney wrapped in a clothto Sant Ji. Sant Ji burriedthis money in a pit near abush. This money created ahindrance in the completeconcentration of Sant Jimind on the Divine Nameduring tranced meditation,because the Hermitscompletelysubmitthemselves to the AlmightyLord instead of learningtowards worldly wealth.Therefore, he dug out thismoney and threw it in theGodaveri River. BesidesNagina Ghat, Sant Jimeditated at Banda Ghat,Gotam Ghat, Shikhar Ghatand paid homage to all holyplaces.Once in an intensemood of worldlydetachment and with fullDivine love, Sant Attarsingh Ji Maharaj threwhimself into a deep riverwater to offer his body as afood to crocodiles and fish.But the Divine power pickedup his body and put out onthe bank of the riverGodaveri with Divinesermons sounding his earsthat Thou art destined toservice for the spiritualuplift of mankind.

One day, Sant Ji wentfive miles away along theriver Godaveri andmeditated in deep water forseven days continuouslywithout food. On the sixthnight, Bhai Nanoo Singh,Head Priest of HazoorSahib, had a dream in whichGuru Gobind Singh Ji askedhim to take food for hisbeloved Saint. Bhai NanooSingh took food nextmorning and went up to 4miles but returneddisappointed. Again duringnight, he receivedinstructions in the dreamthat he should still go aheadwith food. The nextmorning, he went there andoffered food but Sant Jirefused to partake of it. Onthe narration of the Divineinstructions by Bhai NanooSingh, Sant Ji ate the food,on the condition that aslong as he stayed there, theformer would not relatedthe story to any one.At Hardawar Rishi KeshFrom Hazoor Sahib (inMaharashtra) he walked toHardawar and Rishi Kesh(in Uttar Pradesh) throughthe thick forests where thelions were attractedtowards his spirituality andcrossed his way by wavingtails just like cats. In thethick forests of Rishi Kesh,he sat in a trancedmeditation (Samadhi) neara fountain where allferoceous wild animals, likelions and tigers, used tocome for water duringnight. These animalssmelled the body of thesaint like pets but noneattacked him. He remainedimmersed in a deepmeditation for a year atRishi Kesh. At this time,Sant Ji had only oneunderwear (Kachhehra) andsmall woollen turban. He(Sant Ji) never allowed asingle moment to go wastewithout the Divine Name.Early in the morning at 2'Oclock he used to take dip inthe Ganga (river) andreturned to his placeimmediately and remainedengrossed in the DivineName up to noon. The wetunderwear (Kachhehra)dried up itself with the bodyheat. At the time ofdistribution of food Sant Jiextended his hand quietlybefore the distributor anddid not utter any word. SantJi ate some loaves (chapati)if some body gave to himotherwise he used to takewater of the Gangaperceiving the Will of Godand again sat in meditation.This way, nights alsopassed in meditation on theDivine Name and wheneverhe felt asleep, he would

take rest while in Samadhi.Once Sant Ji said to MataBhag Bhari, "I will sit underthe shade of Polehian(shady tree) and she maybring the meals there."Some feeling of clevernesaroused in mother's mindand she said to Sant Ji,"Please do not worry, Ishall reach you theremyself'. Next day, Matatried her level best to locateSant Ji but could not findanywhere. Later, she veryhumbly performed ardas(prayer) and saidrespectfully, "O Lord! Wesmall persons cannot matchwith sages like you, kindlyappear and bestow'darshan". On thecompletion of the 'ardas',Sant Ji came in sight at thatplace immediately. Sant Jilaughed and remarked thathe was sitting only here.Mata (mother) submittedthat we worldly personscannot search for suchpriceless souls like Sant Jithrough our worldlyendeavours.At Rishi Kesh, heexpressed his desire to SantRam Singh Ji of Thamali forconstant meditation atcalm, quiet and secludedplace. Sant Ram Singh hadsome hermitages in Sialkotand Rawalpindi region (nowin Pakistan) and persuadedhim to select any of thesesites for his holy pursuit.Both the Saints walked toSialkot through SirmurState (in HimachalPradesh). After touchingthe dust of holy shrines ofthe Tenth Guru (PaontaSahib and Anandpur Sahib)and meditating at a holyplace, Baru, they followedthe route of Rishi Kesh,Dehradun, Paonta Sahib,Baru,Kumharhatti,Anandpur Sahib, Una,Gurdaspur and Sialkot.From Sialkot, hereached Amritsar andmeditated constantly forthree days on the third floorof 'Baba Atal'. On the fourthday, the moment a thoughtfor food came to his mind, aperson offered this to him.On this, Sant Ji bowed hishead to Guru Ji withreverence, who fulfils theneeds of all. From there, hereached his village, Chimaand sat in the fields outsidethe village where hismother met him. Sheaffectionately conveyed herconsent for his Divinepursuit and asked him tocarry on the meditation atthat place so that she couldsee him daily. Sant Jiagreed but got a promisethat she would not ask himfor marriage. He startedmeditation and reciting

Japji Sahib daily to hismother at that site wherenow stands a grandGurdwara, Nanaksar Chima.The mother could reciteJapji Sahib by heart. Oneday, his mother longinglyput forth the proposal forhis marriage. Sant jibrushed aside this proposalwith a hearty laughter andexpressed that he wasleaving this place as shehad not kept her promise.Discharge from the ArmySant ji left Chima afterthree months. During thisperiod Army administrationwas in search of Sant ji ashe was not yet fullydischarged from theservice. Sant ji desired tocomplete the formalities ofgetting himself dischargedfrom the Army. But someArmy personnel suggestedto Sant ji to carry on hismeditation mission as withthe passage of time, due tohis long absence from duty,his name wouldautomatically be struck offfrom service register. Santji, however, insisted uponcompleting the formalitiesof the Army and submittedto the Colonel of hisRegiment at Abbotabad(now in Pakistan). TheColonel tried to persuadehim to remain in the Armyby giving assurances thathe would be promoted tothe higher ranks. Sant jitold him that he had joinedthe service of the DivineLord and was no morewilling to serve any masterother than Him. The Colonelput him in Army jail andused to check himthroughout the night butalways found Sant ji in atrancedmeditation(Samadhi), which continuedfor three days withouttaking even a drop of water.The Colonel was very muchmoved by this anddischarged him from theArmy with honour. TheColonel also gave away thefirst prize of Rifle ShootingCompetition which Sant jihad won. Sant Ji distributedthis prize money of onehundred rupees among thepoor. All the soldiers tookhim in a procession andboarded him in a tonga forthe village, Shahan ki Dheri,on way to Gurdwara PanjaSahib (now in Pakistan).Holy Vision of Ten GurusWhile travelling intonga, Sant ji was in a deepmood of thankfulness toGuru Nanak Dev ji withtears rolling on his Divineradiating cheeks. At thismoment he had the holyvision of all the Ten Gurusaround him and blessed him

for carrying out the giganticholy taks asigned to him. AtShahan ki Dheri, BhaiGurmukh Singh, persuadedSant ji to stay with him.Here Sant ji recited GuruGranth Sahib continuouslyfor nine months. After thisSant ji reached Panja Sahiband had a dip in the holytank. After paying homageto Panja Sahib, Sant Jistayed at the bank ofKishan Ganga River nearthe town of Domel for sevenmonths, and day and nightimmersed himself inmeditation on God's Name(Waheguru). From here hedecided to meet Sant BhaiRam Singh at Thamali, whowas anxiously awaiting forhis arrival as earlierpromised. On way toThamali, Sant Ji resolved tomeditate on a quiet hillocknear Koh-mari with afountain at its top. Hebrought an earthen pot, saltand match box with him,with the idea that wheneverhe felt hungry, he wouldboil some mountainvegetation, and partake ofit. For three days, he lost allsense of himself, andremained at one with theOne-in-all and the All-in-One. On the fourth day, anold lady, who came to fetchwater from the water springand saw Sant Ji sittingthere in meditation forthree days, served him withtwo thick maize loaves,with sag (a vegetable) onthem. When the good ladyleft the place, Sant Jithought that wherever onegoes God sends food forhim, and also meeting ofthe various individuals arearranged as per the God'sWill.Uninterrupted Meditation atKanohaSant Ji reachedRawalpindi (now inPakistan) and meditated inTapo Van for some time andafter this met Sant RamSingh Ji in 1894 AD (1950Bikrami) at Thamali forcompleting his mission ofmeditation continuously ata secluded place. On therecommendation of SantRam Singh Ji, a thickforested place (Kanohe-Di-Jhangi) was selected whichbelonged to Bhai WazirSingh. On the request of MaiBhag Bhari, wife of BhaiWazir Singh, through SantRam Singh Ji, Sant Ji didholy recitation of GuruGranthSahibuninterruptedly (AkhandPath) in almost a singlesitting. During all theseyears of spiritual pursuit,Sant Ji used to speak the

least. After the 'AkhandPath' Sant Ji resorted threetimes to prolongedmeditation and immersionin the Divine reality, i.e. theOne-in-All an the All-in-One; first for 40 dayswithout taking any food,then for 6 months and lateron for one year, which wasinitiated on 13 April (Firstof Baisakhi - the red letterday in the Sikh History,when Guru Gobind Singh Jigave birth to Khalsa). BhaiWazir Singh and Mai BhagBhari devotedly served himduring this period.Holy Gathering of SangatThe fame of his firsttwoTapasiahs(Meditations) had alreadyspread among the people,but this third long tap forone year went into all thecorners of the Ilaqa. Peoplebegan to flock from allplaces, and the Phulahigrove at Kanoha became acentre of Hari Kirtan at allhours of the day. Besidesthis there were frequestJags (free feasting for therich and the poor) given bymany a devotee, who camefrom distant parts of thecountry.) When onedeparted, another came andtook his place.In a very short timethe fame of Sant Ji spreadall over Rawalpindi district,and the number of thepersons coming for hisdrashan went on increasingdaily.Soon regular morningand evening Dewans(congregational meetings)were established at theplace. All the village peopleflocked there and sangsacred Hymns with Sant Jias their guide. For a shortperiod it went on withoutany musical instruments,but within a few daysregular musicians wereattracted to the place, and apermanent Hari KirtanJatha was formed.In this 'Jhangi' manysnakes used to visit Sant Jiand had his holy 'Darshan'frequently. A cobra snakeused to act as a guard anddue to his fear nobodydisturbed the uninterruptedmeditation of Sant Ji in thisthick forested place.On an occasion whenSant Ji came to take hismeals at Bhag Bhari's househer son Beant Singh was ill.The Mai (mother) wassitting in front of thefireplace with the child inher lap. Just as Sant Ji puthis holy feet inside theroom, the young childexpired. Mai Bhag Bhari

covered it with her sheetand did not show theslightest sign of his death.Makhni, the sister of BhaiWazir Singh was cookingthe loaves. She spread thedari for Sant Ji and BhaiWazir Singh, and asked Maito serve the food. The Maireplied, "You do it, the childis very ill." After taking hisfood Sant Ji asked Mai Ji,"How is the child". The Maireplied "Maharaj Jee, Youknow everything." Onseeing this Sant Ji spokeout, "This is really trueSeva." Sant Ji advised MaiBhag Bhari not to be happyor sad on the worldlyaffairs. There was no son inyour fortune! Only onaccount of your selflessservice to the Sadh Sangat,some sacred soul took birthand also left this world asper the sweet will of theGod.Just in front of BhaiWazir Singh's house, therewas a Kacha well. Many atime Sant Ji told them tomake it Pucca. Mai BhagBhari and her husbandreplied, "Sir, the water ofthis well is bitter." One daySant Ji took some water inhis hand and dropped it into the well, saying, nowhave the well made Pucca,its water is sweet. Thefortunate couple obeyedand at once brought somelabourers and had the wellproperly dug up. After fouror five days, pure freshsweet water gushed up inplenty. Then masons wereemployed and the well wasmade pucca.Later on, Mai BhagBhari and Bhai Nand Singhcame to Amritsar for theholy sight "Darshan" ofSant Ji and they told thatHari Singh (their son) hadexpired. Sant Ji remarked,"You might have committedsomething wrong. You werecautioned that you shouldalways consider Bhai HariSingh in the same way asmyself." Bhai Hari Singhwas a pious soul and he didnot like to under go anybondage. So, he came withhis sweet will and left withhis own pleasure asordained. Mai Ji admittedher mistake and told Sant Jithat they wanted to marryhim. Thereafter, theysubmitted to the Will of theGod.One day, Sir BabaKhem Singh Ji Bedi visited'Jhangi' but Sant ji wasasleep. He saw a 'PadamRekha' (Super Line) on thesoles of feet of Sant Ji andexplained that one day thisyoung saint would be eithera great king or a prophet(Avtar). Many people

occasionally had vision ofDivine soldiers providingguard to Sant Ji. Onenquiry, Sant Ji remarkedthat these things should notbe divulged to any one andnobody should interfere inDivine affairs.In a year, there was norain in this region and allthe villagers requested Santji to handle a plough in thefield with a prayer for rain.Sant Ji stated, it is a naturalphenomenon and we shouldabide by that. But on thepersistent request of theSangat (the holycongregation). Sant ji did soand "Lo, the clouds gatherand there is a heavydownpour".Sant Ji Meditated onthe Divine Nameuninterruptedly for manydays on the sand of 'Luni' ofKanshi river bed during themonth of June anddrenched the sand with hissweat as if the soil wasmade sacred with the tinydrops of the Divine Name.Baba Khem Singh JiBedi was having greataffection and regards forSant Ji and once he sentvery valuable woolenshawls and other materialfor Sant Ji on the occasionof marriage of his daughter.Sant Ji returned thesearticles with the remarksthat he was ascetic (Faqiror hermit) and not in needof these valuables. Baba Jiremarked with affectionthat though the young sainthad refused to accept thesevaluables now, one day"Rajas" and "Maharajas"would make offerings ofsuch valuables to him andtouch his holy feet.Once Sant Ji wassinging holy hymn (Kirtan)on the bank of Lal Rivernear Rawalpindi, foursnakes came in front of him,listened "Gurbani" andsilently disappeared aftertwo hours when the Kirtanwas over. Once Sant Ji waswalking, a cobra snakeappeared and took fiverounds of his holy body anddisappeared after gettingspiritual bliss. Thakur NihalSingh Ji of Haripur on hislast breath desired to meetSant Ji, who appeared thereand had dis-courses ofspiritualism with him.Sant Ji metcongregation of 50 muslimsaints (Faqirs), who weresmoking pipes but left thesame spontaneouslyexclaiming that the DivineLight in the form of humanbeing had come there tobless them. Sant Ji started

spiritual discourse andrecited holy hymns(Shabad) of Guru NanakDev Ji in Persian whichbrought all the muslimhermits in spiritual bliss.The Divine wave of the Allin-Oneand the One-in-Allran through all their hearts.Once Sant Ji was somuch intuned with the Allpervadingthat the whole ofthe thick forest startedvibrating with the DivineName(Waheguru).Perceiving this, a muslimsaint of this forest searchedSant Ji and offered roastedgram. Sant Ji also met BabaKahan Singh in Peshawarand blessed him withspiritual discourse. Many atimes when Sant Ji washearing holy hymns (Kirtan)the poisonous scorpionsused to crawl on the bodyof Sant Ji but he did notallow anybody to removethem.At the time of touringthe Sindh area, Sant Ji andhis party did not take mealsfor two days whiletravelling in the train. Atthe night halt at aGurdwara, Sant Ji took verylight food, but the devoteesate to their capacity andremained asleep till 5'Oclock in the morning. Sant Jiaccording to his schedulegot up at 1 a.m., took bathand engaged in daily prayerand meditation. At 5'O clockSant Ji awoke all otherdevotees and remarked that"The asceticism (Faqiri) isvery far off. We cannotbecome real hermit till wedo not detach ourselvesfrom our bodily desiresthrough meditation on theDivine Name and recitationof holy hymns. With minorproblems, we start feelinghunted and under theinfluence of bodilyrequirements we forget theSatguru's directions. Theusefulness of wearinghermetic dress is that oneshould keep in his mind thehonour or modesty of thesacred dress and alwaysremember the Satguru'sAdvice."Meeting Sant Sham Singh JiSant Baba Attar SinghJi and Sant Baba ShamSingh Ji, both Brahmagyaniesmet each other at PanjaSahib and later on atAmritsar and had spiritualdiscourses. Baba ShamSingh Ji made an offering offive paise and a coconut toSant Attar Singh Ji with therequest to shower theDivine Name throughout theworld for the Eternal peace.Sant Ji used to prostrate infront of Guru Granth Sahib

in the Golden TempleAmritsar for hours togetherand on an enquiry herevealed that he waspassing on to Satguru theofferings of the people, whoused to bow and touch hisfeet consciously orunconsciously.Testing a Saint is a SinMany people used tocome to Sant Ji with an ideaof testing him but he usedto reveal whatever they hadin their mind. They, beingengulfed in the Divine fear,begged pardon and Sant Jishowered peace on themafter conveying that thetrial of any Saint is a sin.Bhai Ghaniah along with histwo accomplices watchedsecretly to observe thatSant Ji remained to samadhifor the whole night. In themorning they beggedpardon of Sant Ji for thecommitment of the mistakethat they should not haveput Sant Ji to test. Sant Jipardoned them and advisednot to put such holy personto test any time. Thesethree persons realized thisand later took holy nectarof Guru (Amrit). A robber ofvillage Kallar namelyGanesha Ram was greatlyinfluenced by themeditation of Sant Ji. Hegave up robberies andviolence and started serviceto the humanity. Once, twoyoung ladies were sent toSant Ji's sleeping place fortrial, but they startedweeping due to the Divinefear. Sant Ji pardonedthem.Honest Earning EffectsSpiritual AdvanceAt many places, Sant Jipreached devotees that themeals partaken from thefood articles earned withhonesty and hard work hada great effect on theconcentration of mindduring meditation. At onetime at village Dhamial, heheld consultations with hisparty and decided to workas labourers and earn theirdaily meals by the sweat oftheir brow; saying, "We area burden on the society, weshould earn our ownlivelihood. The food soearned helps in fixing one'smind on the Divine Name."Two of his devotees BhaiKalyan Singh and anotherone went to the village inthe garb of labourers andfound work with a Sikh,building a new house. Theyworked with such zest andwhole heartedness that theowner of the house felt,that they were not ordinaryworkmen. During the resttime at noon he took bothof them one side and asked

them, "Who are you?" Bothof them replied, "We areworkmen and have comefor work." Then the ownerof the house said, you havefinished the whole day'swork in half the time, takeyour full wages (8 annas)and go home. But BhaiKalyan Singh refused to doso saying, "It is not rightfor us to take the full wagesfor the day when we haveonly worked for half thetime." In the evening whenthe wages were distributedto all, they also got 8 annaseach. With this they boughtprovisions and came to thecave, cooked food andbrought it to Sant JiMaharaj. After Sant Ji hadtaken his meals, he spokeout, "Today the food is verydelicious, there is specialsweetness in this."Naturally the food earnedby honest labour has aspecial sweetness anduplifting influence on themind. Tomorrow I will alsoaccompany you. Next daydressed as a labourer hewent to the house. The lastday's experience hadalready raised a doubt inthe mind of the master ofthe house that thesepersons were not ordinaryworkmen. This morningwhen he saw the Divineradiant shining foreheadand intoxicated eyes of SantJi Maharaj, he said you arenot labourers; have mercyupon me. Grant me sight ofyour holy countenance, Iam ready to serve you inany way. While the masterof the house was soaddressing Sant Ji, somemore Sikhs of the villagecame to the spot. All ofthem with folded handssaid, "Our hearts tell usthat you are a GodConscious Sadhu. Havemercy on our village andgive us an opportunity toserve you. This is the onlyway by which we can get achance of upliftingourselves". Sant Ji grantedtheir request, saying, "Verywell! Send us food from thehouse of those persons whoearn their livelihood by thesweat of their brow". Thevillage people made thisarrangement and Sant Jistayed at Dhamial for twomonths. Daily there wereHari Kirtan Diwans both inthe morning and eveningand many a person beganmeditating on the GuruMantra "Wahe-Guru".During a Dewan(congregation) at DehraKhalsa a boy named HukamSingh had a thinking in hismind that if Sant Ji was aperfect or accomplishedsage he would manage ingetting the 'darshan' of theDivien God to whom Sant Ji

at once understood thetelepathey convictionthrough and started singingthe holy hymns, "Kahe rayban khojan Jaayee, Sarbniwasi sada alepa tohi sangsmaaee" (684). What is theneed of searhing the God inthe forest? He (God) is omnipresent and also remainsaloof from the worldlymaterial. He (God) alsoremains with everyone.Sant Ji sang the holy hymnsin a particular mood. Theboy felt the presence of Godin his mind and he wasgreatly satisfied. Whilereturning, doubt againaroused in his mind that allhermits sing hymns likethis, but Sant Ji did not tellthe portrait of the DivineLord. Sant Ji againvisualized his doubt andcalled him near. Then SantJi first pointed out hisfinger straight towards thesky and then downward andremarked. "The Divine Lordcan take the person upwardin this manner and similarlyif a person who goes up andhis mind gets involved indoubts, he could be broughtdown by Him, (the DivineGod) in no time." Thosewho want holy sight'Darshan', they should getup early in the morning,take bath, recite hymns(Gurbani) and renderrewardless service tosangat and continuouslymeditate on the DivineName (Behndian UthdianHarnam Dhiyawe, 305) torecite the Divine Name allthe time. "If they do so,only then they can feel theDivine Light and enjoy theholy sight of the BelovedLord in all situations(Sorrows and Pleasures).The boy got satisfaction andhaving reached his village,he engulfed himself in theDivine Name and theservice of the Saadh Sangat(sages and holycongregation).Mother Bholi JiWhen Mata Bholi Ji, themother of Sant Ji met himat Dera Khalsa, then Sant Jibowed his head andhumourously asked, " 'O'mother, am I engaged insome bad work?" Mata Jiinnocently replied, "No, mydear son". Thereafterobeying Sant Ji, Mata Jistayed in the Saadh Sangatand engrossed herself inmeditation on the DivineName. As per the advice ofSant Ji, she tolerated allsufferings on her bodyconsidering these as thesweet Will of God. In thelast days of the life of MataJi, she developed anabscess near the knee jointwhich did not allow hereven to get up from the

ed. The agony was sosevere that a worldlyperson could not have beenable to bear it. One day,Sant Ji came to her roomand got her room vacatedfrom all the devoteesattending on her. Sitting onher bed side, Sant Jirevealed her the completespiritual method of obeyingthe God's will andremaining in His order."So Sikh Sakha Bandhap HaiBhaaiJo Guru Ke Bhane Wich Aawe.Aapne Bhane Jo Chale BhaaiWichher Chotan Khawe" (601)He is the devotee orfriend or relative, whofollows the ordain of God.Those who act according totheir own will, suffer andremain detached from theDivine God. Mata Bholi Jifully understood thisdoctrine and took this toher heart and bore all bodilysufferings and agonies as asweet will of the God anddid not utter even a singleword of ungratefulness.Perceiving the death verynear, Sant Teja Singh askedmother whether he shouldsend a request to Sant AttarSingh Ji for his arrival here.Mother replied that fromwhere you would like to callSant Ji (Sant Attar SinghJi). He was with her all thetime. Sant Ji was omnipresent. Sant Teja Singhtold this thing to Sant AttarSingh Ji when mother hadexpired and further sharedhis views with Sant Ji that itseemed that mother hadexpired after attaining theunion of her should with theDivine Lord and gotsalvation. Sant Ji agreedand confirmed it. It wasonly the miracle of abidingby the Will of God andobeying His Order. Sant Jidid not cure her mother'sknee with his power cutmade respected mother tounderstand the Will andOrder of God and blessedsalvation :"Nanak Sa Karmaat Sahib TutheJo Miley"Miracles are only thosewhich are bestowed by His(God) blessings.Tribals Request RainOnce Sant Ji was goingin a tonga from Peshawar toKohat (now in Pakistan).These areas, which wereinhabited by muslim martialtribes (Pathans andKabalis), were underextreme drought spell dueto which even drinkingwater became scarce. Onseeing the Divine radiationon the face of Sant ji, five

muslim tribals caught holdof the horse of the tongaand prayed Sant ji, bowingtheir heads with reverence,to bestow rain to save theirpopulation. Sant Ji told thathe is a human being likethem and rain is controlledby the "Allah" (God). Theyinsisted with the tearsrolling and exclaimed "Youare in tune with God andsave the mankind andanimal life of this area." Ontheir appeal, Sant ji gotgown and told them "Let uspray together". Sant Jirecited the Divine Name andholy hymns of Guru Nanakand "Lo, the clouds gatherand heavy rain is there". Allthe muslim tribals heaved adeep sigh of relief andspiritual bliss.Showering PeaceSant Ji was riding ahorse while going to TarnTaran in the company ofSikhs, who perceived thatSant Ji looked like GuruGobind singh Ji - Themoment this thought waveflashed the minds of thesepersons, Sant ji at once gotdown from the horse andstarted walking with themand did not ride the horse inspite of their insistence. Asikh devotee, who used tosleep in the room of Sant Ji,asked him, "what make youto wake up spontaneouslyat midnight and bring you inutmost prayer and mercifulmood". Sant Ji, avoided andbrushed aside this but onhis insistence, he statedthat he visualized the wholeworld engulfed in a flameand being roasted likegrains in the fire of lust,wrath, greed, etc. at thatmoment, he started prayingand begged mercy from theDivine Lord showeringpeace on the world.After this revelation,Sant Ji removed this fellowfrom his room as heinterfered in the Divineaffairs.Release of Rehmat KhanA muslim namedRehmat Khan wasentrapped in a false murdercase and was ordered to beput to gallows in the CentralJail, Lahore. He was prayingto Nanak Peer for hisinnocence and protection.On perceiving his prayer,Sant Ji rushed to CentralJail, Lahore and metRehmat Khan three hoursbefore his hanging time. Hebowed with tears before HisHoliness and pleaded hisinnocence. Sant ji showeredspiritual bliss on him andtold that Guru Nanak Peerwould get his released fromthe jail before hangingtime. As soon as, Sant Ji left

jail, a telegram wasreceived from the Viceroy ofIndia to whom RehmatKhan had made a mercyappeal and he was releasedfrom the jail.Recite Hymns for LangarAt times, when thenumber of persons gatheredto take food in the 'Langar'(free common kitchen) wasmuch more than expected,the house-holders used tofear the shortage of food.Sant Ji visualising their fearused to get all the foodcovered with sheets andasked them to recite theDivine Name and serve thefood (Page 1426, GuruGranth Sahib) "Tichar MoolNa Thurindo Jichar AapKirpal, Shabad Akhut BabaNanaka Khahe KharachDhan Mal."Even after serving thefood to the gathering, it isstill left in plenty.Bringing to Light TheMastuanaA seceluded thickforest near Sangruru(Punjab, India) (inerstwhile Jind State) wascalled Mastuana whereeither cattle used to grazeor wandering hermits usedto meditate. On his firstvisit to this place, SantAttar Singh ji perceived thatthis land was blessed byGuru Nanak Dev Ji andother Gurus andmanySaints in the pastperformed deep meditation.He developed this place intoa spiritual and educationalcentre from 1901-1925 ADwith voluntary service ofdevoted and dedicatedpersons like Sant GulabSingh ji, Sant Bishan SinghJi, Sant Teja Singh Ji andmany other blessed souls.In 1906, a school wasopened in Mastuana andSant Teja Singh Ji dedicatedhis life to Sant Attar SinghJi for this.When Sant Ji came tostay at Mastuana, thesangat donated moneywhich was mostly spent forcommon kitchen by theSewaks (devotees). Everyday, Krah Parshad (a sweetsacrament) and othereatables were served inenough quantity in theLangar. With the attractivemeals, more than 500wanderinghermitsgathered there. When theconstruction of Gurdwarabuilding was started, Sant Jiadvised the Sewaks tospend the whole offeringfor the purpose of building.Krah Parshad and otherdelicious eatables being

prepared in the kitchenwere stopped. Very simplemeals were advised to beserved. With this, onlyabout 50 devotees stayedthere and all other whowere fond of deliciousmeals left the Gurdwara.Sant ji remarked that all theingenuine persons hadgone, but only a few trueand faithful devotees areenough for service.Spiritual Message ofBrotherhoodPrincipal NiranjanSingh Mehta of KhalsaCollege, Amritsar met SantBaba Singh Ji and prayedfor the Divine Name butBaba Ji directed him to goto Sant Baba Attar Singh Jiat Lahore in 1905 AD andlater on took "Amrit" fromhim at Tarn Taran Sahib andhis name was converted toTeja Singh. He, later on,emerged as a great Saintwith the blessing of SantAttar Singh Ji. In 1906 ADhe dedicated his life to SantAttar Singh Ji at Mastuanafor the establishment of aneducational institution. SantAttar Singh Ji sent PrincipalTeja Singh to Europe andAmerica to spread theDivine message of GuruNanak for sowing the seedof spiritual brotherhood andalso to acquire westernscientific education so thatthese could be usefullyblended with spiritualeducation in an institute. Onthe eve of departure ofPrincipal Teja Singh toabroad, Sant Attar Singh Jishowered the following holywords upon him :1. Keep you entireoriginal form of bodyand hair intact, do notenter into controversies,simply say withfolded hands that wehave not formed this,it is the gift of God.2. Wherever you go,establish Sikh temples3. Convey themessage to the peopleof western countries(Europe and America)that the developmentof occult powers(Ridhi and Sidhi) towork miracles isnothing. The DivineRealization is muchbeyond these.4. One, who developsdesire and cravingunder the influence ofego for deliveringspiritual discoursesand lectures, shoulddesist from doing soand the other, who isfree from thesecravings, may do so.

Sant Teja Singh Jicarried out this missionthroughoutEurope,specially England, USA,Canada, Japan and Malaya.Bodily Guru ConceptOnce a learned personrequested Sant Attar SinghJi to express his opinionabout "Guru" (DehdhariGuru). Sant Ji stated thatbody of a person was nevera Guru and would never beso. Only the Divine Name(Shabad) is a Guru (DivineLight). In fact, Guru Nanakrevealed this to the hermitsand ages (Sidhs) on thepeak of Himalayas (KailashParvat) that the DivineName is the Guru and mindis the disciple of the same.Sant Ji remarked with allhumility that the peopleregard him as Saint but it isdifficult to be even a Sikh(Disciple of Guru Nanak).The Delhi Royal SessionIn 1911 AD, KingGeorge visited Delhi and allthe Cheiftains, Rajas,Maharajs and renownedSikhs were invited to attendthe royal session (Drbar).The Maharajas of SikhStates requested Sant Ji tolead the procession of Sikhsin Delhi on this occasionwhich started from ChandniChowk for Red Fort withGuru Granth Sahib onelephant and then byMaharajas of Patiala, Jind,Faridkot and other states,Sikh Cheiftains andprominent Sikhs. On thisoccasion Bhai Teja Singhand other Sikhs requestedSant Ji to recite a psalm(Shabad). All along thisjourney from Sees Ganj tothe Red Fort, Sant Jiremained immersed in adeep meditation with hiseyes shut. When he openedhis divinely illumined eyes,there arose from the verydepth of his soul, thefollowing soul stirring tune(Page 856 and 201, GuruGranth Sahib) :"Kou Har Saman nahi RajaEk Bhoopat Sabh Diwas ChaarKae Jhoothae Karat Diwaja."(856)No King is as great as theGod. These monarchs, lastingfour days, make falseostentation.Thir Ghar Baiso Har JanPyare Satgur Tumre Kaj Swaare(1) (Rahau)Dushat Dut ParmesharMaare Jan Ki Paij Rakhi Kartaare(1)Baadshah Shab Sab Vaskar Deene Amrit Nam Maha RasPeene (2)Nirbhau Hoai BhajoBhagwan Saadh Sangat Mil keeneDan (3)

Saran Pare PrabhAntarjami Nanak Ot Pakri PrabbSuami (4) (201)O dear servant of theLord, Hold thy self in poise in thy(mind's) home.That by the grace of thetrue Guru, all thy tasks arefulfilledAnd thy God slayeth allthe Demons (within thee).And Saves thy bonour, Othou Servant of the creator -Lord,All Kings and Emperorsare placed at thy disposal.And thou partakest of theNectar of the great Essense.And in fearlessnes, thoumeditatest on the Supreme Lord,Yea, this is how thou artBlest in the society of saints.Nanak seek the refuge ofthe Lord, the Learner-Knower.Yea, Of this supreme Lord,and the Master.Throughout therecitation of this psalm, thewhole congregation in theprocession sang aloud thecouplet of the psalm turn byturn with Sant Ji. Then withthe end of the above psalmSant Ji sang alongwith thecongregation the followingsentence for a few minutes:Kalgi Wale DeDarbar Khushian Nit Navian"Boundless are thejoys and happinesses in theDivine Royal Darbar ofKalgidhar Dasmesh Father"It was at this juncturewhen the soul stirring voiceimmersed deep in theDivine Name created aDivine Aura all around, thatthe procession reached thefront of Dewan-e-Khas.King George V and his RoyalPriest were sitting in theRed Fort alongwith theViceroy, all the Rajas,Maharajas, Nawabs andSenior Officers. On seeingthe Divinely Radiant face ofSant ji, King George Venquired about him withunavoidableenquisitiveness. The Kingwas informed that HisHoliness was Sant AttarSingh Ji, the Lord Bishopand the greatest saintamong Sikhs. The royalPriest spoke out, "I havenever seen such a gloriousdivinely illumined face. Ifeel he is filled with specialdivine power. Had we sucha divine personalityamongst us, we would haveconverted the entire worldto christianity."

Gurdwara Damdama SahibTalwandi SaboIn the mid-twenties,Sant Ji undertook theconstruction of holy tankand other Gurdwarabuildings at DamdamaSahib Talwandi in thePunjab (India), where GuruGobind Singj Ji rested forsome time after his lastfight against tyrany andcompleted the Holy GuruGranth Sahib. For thispurpose, Sant Ji used to askeverybody for renderingservice and contribution. AtSimla, he went from houseto house to arouse the spiritof service and conveyed toall that ""our would notcome across such a beggarlike me begging for thisholy cause."" Many richpersons and Maharaja ofPatiala requested Sant Jiwith folded hands that hemay not beg contributionsfrom the commoners as theformer were ready todonate all the moneyrequired for constructionwork at Damdama SahibTalwandi. Sant Ji turneddown this offer with theremarks that the blessingsof Guru Nanak can create ariver of gold for thispurpose. But he had takenup this holy work for thespiritual uplift of themankind. He desired thatevery person whether pooror rich should contribute forgetting spiritual blessingsof the Gurus.Promoting EducationSant Attar Singh JiMaharaj laid great emphasison promoting educationwith spiritualism. He set upa school for girls in 1906 ADand thereafter a school forboys and the Akal DegreeCollege at Mastuana. Thushe developed Mastuana as akey centre for the growth ofSikhism and imparting oftemporaleducationcombined with spiritualeducation based on GuruNanak'sreligiousphilosophy complying withthe commandment of GuruGobind Singh Ji. Heestablished a series ofschools and colleges indifferent areas at differentplaces and laid theirfoundation stones. Heinvariably participated in allthe Sikh Educationalconferences and providedmotivation for opening anumber of schools andcolleges. Accepting therequest of Pandit MadanMohan Malvya-a greatsocial thinker and socialreformer of his time, and anumber of Rajas andMaharajas, he laid thefoundation stone of

'Banaras Hindu University'in 1914 AD.Reverence of Holy HymnsOnce Sant Ji went to avillage in a chariot and the'Sangat'(holycongregation) came forreception by singing hymnsof Gurbani (Shabad Kirtan).Sant Ji at once got downfrom the chariot in respectand reverance of "ShabadKirtan". Many people triedto bow and touch the feet ofSant Ji, but His Holinessavoided and discouragedthis with the remarks that"We should alwaysexchange the Guru Fateh(greetings) with foldedhands and specially sowhen the recitation of holyhymns (Shabad Kirtan) isgoing on". On an enquiry byan aged Sikh, Sant Ji statedthat there is one and onlyone Divine Word (Shabad)prevailing in the hearts ofmankind. There is no caste,creed, high or low in theworld according to the holyhymns (Gurbani)."Amrit" - The InvaluableHe disseminated thespiritual knowledge, recitedthe Divine Name andGurbani amongst allthroughout India especiallyPothohar (Peshawar toLahore) and Sind (now inPakistan) and Malwa in thePunjab (India). He baptisedmore than 12 lakh persons.It was at Dehra Khalsa thatmaster Tara Singh who wasonly a school boy at thattime took his 'Amrita' andas he says himself a greatchange came in his life. LikeMaster Tara Singh, BhaiSahib Bhai Teja Singh whoafterwards worked as 'HeadGranthi' at Nanakana sahibwas drawn from 'Kahuta'for his darshana. He was soattracted by him that he leftservice from the KhalsaSchool at 'Kahuta' andstayed with Sant Ji. Besidesthese two many a personwho became noble Sikhmissionaries took 'Amrit'from Sant Ji at this place. Apriest of Gurdwara TarnTaran Sahib requested SantJi that thousands of Sikhs,who were gettign "Amrit"(the holy nectar of TenthGuru) should offer Rs. 1¼each to the Gurdwara. SantJi remarked "Oh priest,even the kingdom of thewhole world is notequivalent to the "Amrit"and how can we tell theprice of this as Rs. 1¼. Infact, a sikh attains the"Amrit" after offering hishead to the Divine Master.The effect of the holy"Amrit" remains within theheart of the Sikh for sevenbirths to go on reminding

him for the DivineRealization when the Sikhremains under the veil oflust, wrath, ego, avariceand worldly attachment".While getting "Amrit" a Sikhtold that he used to removehis hairs. On hearing this,Sant Ji was so much movedand immersed in the Divinemood that tears startedrolling down from his eyesand spoke Divine wordsthat, "Oh Sikh, you havepunched the body ofSatguru, Divine Master, byremoving the hairs."Sant Ji alwaysremained prepared forbaptising (to give holynectar, Amrit), but nevercompelled anyone for thisholy purpose. He used tosay, "Bhai, this is thespiritual ship of GuruNanak, he who would boardthe ship will cross over thisworldly ocean of desires.The Amrit is the seed of sapof the divine Name, loveand heroism. It has norelation with the body.Whosoever comes to takeAmrit, let him come and hewho does not wish, he maybe left." Some devoteesraised objection that whydid Sant Ji administerbaptism without anydistinction of gender (maleor female)? Why did Sant Jibaptise the male and femaletogether? Sant Ji told,"Bhai, no one is prohibitedfrom getting a ticket toboard the spiritual ship ofGuru Kalgidhar; any malemay get it or any female. Icannot deny any personfrom this". Once a so callededucated Sikh asked, whySant Ji was baptising(giving Amrit) the Sikhswhen they do not followrituals strictly andrigorously. Sant Ji statedthat every baptised Sikhwas told of rituals properlyand if he did not follow,then he was responsible.Some doubted further thata person who followsGurmat strictly was onlyentitled to get 'Amrit' andbecome a fulfledged Khalsa.Sant Ji said, "To becomeKhalsa was a very difficulttask. Till a person becomesGod conscious, he is mere acandidate". Sant Ji furtherremarked that we did notcare for the things whichwere required to besearched and bothered forthe trifling matters comingin the way. This criticismcreated hindrance in ourjourney to the spiritualworld and did not allow usto move smoothly on theright path.Once Sant Ji askedBhai Teja singh Ji about thepopulation of Sikhs in theearly twenties. He informed

that it was about 40 lakhs.On hearing this Sant Jistated that out of thispopulation he visualisedhardly four "Khalsas", whoaccording to the definitiongiven by Guru Gobind SinghJi, had realised the DivineLight within and hadbecome one with Him. GuruGobind Singh Ji says."Atam Ras Jeh Janhi SoHai Khals DevPrabh Mein Mo mein TaasMein Ranchak Naahin Bhave"He who has realisedthe Divine within is the trueKhalsa. He is at one withGod and myself.Spiritual HumilitySant Ji used to statethat the real king on thisearth is the farmer whoproduces food forsustaining mankind. OnceSant Ji pointed to Bhai TejaSingh Ji (Sant) "You havepassed many worldlyexaminations with highdegrees but theexamination of the spiritualscience is qualified on theday when somebodycriticises and showershundreds of abuses on aperson and he remainsserene, calm and quietwithout developing anyirritation of hatredness."Yog VashishtBhai Teja Singh Jibrought holy book of "YogVashisht" in which the sage(Rishi) Vashisht Ji hadnarrated the sphere of Godconsciousness or theRealization of the Divinewithin to Sri Ram ChanderJi 'Avtar' (Prophet). Sant Jiused to explain the versesof Yog Vashisht to thecongregation daily. Whenthe whole of Yog Vashishtwas recited, Sant Ji statedthat the gist of this spiritualbook is that one shouldrealise the Divine Lightwithin and see the One-in-All and the All-in-One.Advice to Sikh LeadersOne day, some sikhleaders met Sant Ji Maharajand expressed greatconcern about dissention inthe sikh community. Sant Jireplied they should solvetheir problems themselves.On their repeated requestsfor guidance, Sant JiMaharaj advised that allleaders of different groupsshould get to-gether at SriAkal Takhat Sahib, Amritsarand with full devotion listentogether the holy hymns(Gurbani). The Divine Lightwill unite them and bring allof them on the right path.The leaders again requested

for some political solution.Sant Ji Maharaj respondedto their request and replied"You will always besuccessful in your mission,when you select righteouspersons without any biasPanj Pyaras and obey themas your leaders. Theyshould be respected andobeyed till they live andfollow the path shown bythe Guru."Progress of the PanthKhalsa and PeaceIn his presidentialaddress at the SikhEducational Conference heldat Ferozepur in 1915 AD,Sant Ji Maharaj pointed outto the congregation that weare all interested in theprogress of the KhalsaPanth. But dear devotees,this progress will come onthe day when all of youstart taking bath in theearly hours (at least 3hours before sunrise) of themorning in each house,each village, each town andeach city and meditate onthe Divine Name. Whenthere is common treasuryand everybody contributesone-tenth of his incomemonthly or yearly, thenthere will be no need toappeal for money for anycommon services. Whilemaking an appeal, thefearlessness in the mindgets weakened. Every oneshould give priority to therecitation of the DivineName and Shabad HariKirtan (singing of thehymns).Prayer SucceedsAt the time ofcongregation of SadhSangat at Jaitto, there wasacute shortage of water onaccount of participation of alarge number of devoteesand scorching heat. Thedevotees requested theSant Ji that he (Sant Ji)might perform prayer forthe rain. Sant Ji remarked,"Wich Sangat Har PrabhWasse Jio"The Divine God alwayslives in the Sangat(congregation). Let usearnestly commune withthe God together, He wouldcertainly listen to ourrequest. After the prayer,Sant Ji sang this wholeShabad (hymn) and also gotrecited by the Sangat in ahigh pitch. "Babiha AmritWele Bolea Tan Dar SuneePukar, Megha Nu PharmannHoa Warso Kirpa Dhar."1285.Babiha (a bird)chirpped for rain early inthe morning and hischirpping was heard at the

door of the Almighty and He(God) ordered the deity ofrains for bringing heavyshowers.After sometime itrained so heavily that thereremained no shortage ofwater.Spiritual Discourses withSant Gyani Sunder Singh JiOn the completion ofAkhandPaths(uninterrupted reading) ofGuru Granth Sahib (holySikh scripture) at GangsarJaitu, Sant Ji met GyaniSunder Singh Ji and toldhim that, "All are nowpressing hard that panth(followers of Sikhism)should be united. Had thisunion been strengthened onthe basis of meditation andreciting of holy hymns, itwould have not beenpossible for any one or anypower to put wedge in itand create hinderance intheir pursuit." Sant Jifurther asked Gyani SinghJi, if he could come toTalwandi Sabo and holddiscourse (Katha) on thewhole Guru Granth Sahibthen it would be an act ofbenefactor. So according tothis decision, the discourseon Guru Granth Sahib wasstarted on 5 October andconcluded on 26 March1926 AD.One day Gyani SunderSingh Ji requested Sant Jithat it has been written inShastras (Hindu scriptures)that the soul (Life) ofperson comes down toearth through the rays ofmoon or through theshowers of the rain andchange into foodgrains.Then, their consumption bymen and women turns intoblood and semen resultinginto the formation of humanbody. Be kind enough tothrow light on this subject.Sant Ji spoke "Gyani SunderSingh Ji, as the Akash(sphere) is every where,but where we build a roofover the walls then it iscalled by the name of MataAkash. Similarly, the DivineLord is indestructible andomnipresent, sperm offather and ova of motheralso exist under theAlmighty's Reliance, whenhuman body is formed.Before this, the Divine Godalso exists in the ovum ofthe expectant mother. Onaccount of His (God)existence every where, itnever comes from anywhere. Only after theformation of a body, ahuman being gets the nameof 'Jeew' (a living organismhaving life)".

One Day, Sant GyanniSunder Singh Ji, whileholding discussion onpractising the Divine Name,said, "If Guru Nanak Dev Jishowers his blessings on aperson, he could attain thenext spiritual stageautomatically provided, herecites the Divine Name insingle track devotion.Therefore, a person hasonly to meditate, practisingsingle track devotion". Onthis, Sant Ji confirmed it tobe correct. In the beginninga sikh devotee recites theDivine Name and holy hymnloudly. By this way, hisattention concentrates.After that with meditationonly, one can remain in thestage of concentration.Later, lips becomemotionless and only tonguepractices the Divine Name.After some time, the tonguetoo stops movement. Then'Kanth' (pharynx) alsostops working andsubsequentlydirectconstant link with theDivine God is established.In this stage, each andevery hair of the humanbody emits the sound of'Waheguru' (the DivineName). And even all worldand every thing in it isheard reciting 'Waheguru'."Jo Bolat Hai Mirg MeenPankheroSo Bin Har Japat Hai NahiHore" (1265)"Whatsoever deer,fish, birds speak, they onlyrecite the Divine Naam."A devoted person likethis, lives in this worldwithout involving himself inthe worldly affairs.Once, when Sant GyaniSunder Singh Ji visitedMastuana and whilediscussing the DivineThoughts mutually, Sant Jisaid, "Gyani Singh Ji, we(Sant Ji) with the relianceof Gurmanter (the DivineName, Waheguru), the stateof our mind turns fromsolicitudetothoughtlessness. Andkeeping ourselves withinour bodily structure, weestablish link with theAlmightly. This method isadopted by us." But bravepersons like you, with thereliance of 'Gyan' (theDivine Knowledge), keepingyourself in the solicitousstate and through selfperception, set uprelationship with the DivineGod." Sant Gyani Singh Jirequested that the methodwhich your goodself (SantJi) had adopted andenlightened to us is really agood and superior one.

Invaluable Words atSirinagarDuring the last visit toSirinagar, the eveningDewan (congregation) washeld in the Guest House(Dak-Bungalow). After theclosing of the Dewan, SantJi remarked that this wasthe congregation of thedeities, thirty crore deities,martyrs and devotees werepresent. He further said,"Bhai, responsibility is veryheavy and it is difficult totreat every one equally orwithout any discriminationand to get love andaffection from every body.Satguru may be kindenough and bestowstrength so that the workcould be completed. It isnot difficult to form aseparate Jatha (group) andmake some followers".One day at Srinagar,Sant Ji was having apleasure trip in the Dal Lakeand saw reflection ofmountains surrounding thelake in the restful water.Sant ji said to Sant TejaSingh Ji, "The hills whichwe see in the water, in factis not reality. Similarly, inthe vast sea of the sphere,the world is only in imagewithout any reality."While walking alongthe Dal Lake, Sant Ji saw inEnglish lady in the eveningand remarked, "Bhai, theyare ghost (person of filthydisposition). Since theexistence of Bharat Warsha(India) such type of sinfulatmosphere never prevailedin this country. EvenAurangzeb was better thanthe English, as he used toearn his day's meal byhimself writing the QoranShrif. In his this doing,there was an indication ofasceticism. But now-a-days,people laugh at theasceticism. This sinfulperiod too would pass."One evening atSirinagar, Sant Ji said,"Untruthfulness(falsehood), deceitfulnessand cheatings are prevailingI abundance in India. Letthis country be doomed."But next moment, Sant Jigave blessings that Dharmawould come to light andAdharma vanish.In 1923, Sant JiMaharaj used to live in asmall farm building invillage Kanjla. One day,Sant Teja Singh Jirespectfully enquired fromSant Attar Singh Ji Maharajas to when will India live inpeace. Sant Attar Singh JiMaharaj said, "Teja SinghJi, India will live in peace

when every body earns hisown living but there is acommon kitchen in everyvillage and every city, andmarriages and otherfunctions are also held atthe same place."Three Virtues and SpiritualGuidelinesSand Ji Maharaj hadspirituality, humility of thehighest order in his mind.Once while boarding a trainfrom Hazur Sahib andobserving great affectionsand pangs of separation ofthe devotees, Sant Jisolaced all present andremarked, "You are alldevotees of Hazur Sahiband always live at the feetof Satguru. Kindly dailyperform 'Ardas' (prayer) forme that the Lord God maybestow all the strength tolead my life according tothe Sikh tentes and his bodymay too succeed in theservice of Sangat."Sant Ji Maharaj alwaysrespected principles. At thetime of reciting/singinghymns, Sant Ji used to sitalong with the congregation(Sangat) and never had aseparate specific place tosit. He walked on foot alongwith the Sangat singingholy hymns who had cometo take him and never travelon some transport like'rath'. He (Sant Ji) advisedthe Sangat (congregation)that while the singing ofholy hymns were going on,it was pertinent to say"Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh". Inthe presence of Guru GranthSahib in the congregation, itwas against the principlesof Sikhism to bow headbefore any individual.Keeping this thing in viewSant Ji always sat in theTabya (sitting in attendanceto Guru Granth Sahib ingreat reverece) of GuruGranth Sahib, so that thedevotees only bow theirhead before Guru GranthSahib.Sant Ji used to sing theholy hymns in a simplemanner himself and got theSangat (congregation) to doso. Once, Bhai Didar Singhthought that Sant Ji did nothave the knowledge of'ragas'. Instantly at thecompletion of the Shabad(hymns) Sant Ji sanganother hymn in a peculiarmood, keeping in view thetimeliness of the 'ragas'according to the timing ofthe day. Sant Ji said, "Thetrue followers of GuruNanak do not need to learn'Ragas'. They acquire thisskill without any specialworldly efforts."

One day ProfessorHarbans Singh, M Arequested Sant Ji, "Howthey can acquire hisqualities and developthemselves personallysimilarly to him"? Whilereplying, Sant Ji remarked,"Get up early in themorning, take bath andrecite holy hymns(Gurbani)." The Professorsaid that they felt sleepy,Then Sant Ji advised, "Theyshould wash their face withwater and loudly reciteGurbani." The Professorenquired that what wouldhappen then? Sant Ji said,"What would happen, wouldautomatically be revealed.First, follow this in the firstinstance."Sant Ji used to say,"Guru helps the Sikh in thesame manner as a motherlooks after her small child.If he weeps and does notobey, she daunts him. Butshe takes him in her bosomif he catches her finger andshows love. Similarly, if thesikhs catch hold the hand(finger) of a Guru, thenGuru takes him in his fold.Otherwise, the sikh keepsweeping in his insistence.""Anchal Lai TrayaBhai Bhoujal Dukh SansarKar Kirpa NaderNihalea Bhai Kiton AngApar.""Guru helps a sikh(devotee) after giving asupport of his (Guru)dress's corner to swim avast sea of worldly agony.Guru showers his blessingsthrough his kindness, keepshim in his fold and protectshim from all troubles."Sant Ji also advisedthat a sikh should strictlyfollow these tenets;meditation on the DivineName, aloofness from theworldly attachments,determination to follow theDivine Path, control ofmind, and removal ofworldly lust and desires.Sikh may spiritually becomeone with the Guru, yet heshould always recite "DhanGuru Nanak" and shouldalways feel the abode ofGuru sacred feet in hisheart.Sant Ji advised that itwas the duty of allindividuals to accept thepreachings and put these into practice. Great personscould only show the path.Just as indicators areplaced on the way in thesea to show the rightdirection to ships to reachthe sea-shore. The shipwhich would go in betweenthese indicators would

safely reach its destination,otherwise it would strikeagainst some hidden rock orwould get stuck up in amarshy bed. Similarly, theblessed person alites, whohad crossed the worldlydreadened ocean, tell thepeople that there is a rockof egotism and whirlpool oflust, greed, attachment andanger in this world. Aperson, who will lead hislife in accordance with theorderly planned manner,would cross the dreadenedsea.Sant Ji loved andrespected every one.Whenever on account ofsome reasons, the devoteesrequested Sant Ji not tovisit or take meal (Langar)from the house of aparticular devotee, Sant Jiused to say, "If we do notvisit their house andadminister holy sermons,how could they come in thefold of Guru Nanak. We areto bring all in the bosom ofGuru Nanak, The Master ofthe entire sphere; God hasstipulated this period fortheir reformation." In thisway, Sant Ji showered hisgrace on all and theybecame his (Sant Ji's)devotees.One day, Sant JiMaharaj told that the leaderof the Khalsa Panth shouldhave three virtues namely(i) bravery such thatwhatever he says he alsoacts upon it himself, (ii)patience like the earth suchthat the earth remainsunperturbed even if someone dugs it or polishes itwith gold, and (iii) depth inmind such that his internalfeelings are make knownonly to the deservingpersons and only to theextent desired. Sant AttarSingh Ji Maharaj had allthese three virtues to thefullest extent possible.The Last DaysIn his last days, whenthe devotees used toapprehend his demise withtears, Sant Ji used to tellthem that his realself is notthe body but the DivineName (Shabad) which is allpervading and those whomeditate on the DivineName constantly, wouldrealise the same.Sant Ji Maharaj spentwhole of his life in thespiritual uplift of mankindwithout any distinction ofcaste, creed, race or colour.He always remaineddeeply immersed in theDivine Name and showedthe path of self-realizationto seekers after Truth. "To

ameliorate the sufferings ofthe humanity, he evensacrificed his life by gettinghimself bitten by apoisonous snake whileattending a holycongregation (Sangat) atGurdwara Bangla Sahib,New Delhi. He shed hisbody carcase and mergedwith the All Pervading(God) on 1 February 1927(19 Magh Samat 1983) atSangrur and was crematedat Mastuana Sahib at adistance of 3 miles fromSangrur.the Infinite Divine Reality(Parmatama)."Suraj Kiran Miley Jal KaJal Hua RamJyoti Jyot Rali SampurnThia RamJust like a ray becomesone with the sun and waterbecomes one with theocean, the Divine soul(Atma) becomes one with