8-60 Bhai Bhagtoo/ Bhai Pheroo

Sahib Baba Bhanna ji sent a servant to call for his son, Baba Sarwan ji.  Baba Sarwan ji was the grandson of Baba Bhudda ji.  He was the eldest grandson.  Baba Sarwan ji came to Kiratpur.  He did the Darshan of Guru Har Rai Sahib ji.  He was told of the traditions of the Guru’s home.  Baba Bhanna ji took his son’s arm and gave it to Guru Har Rai ji.  He said: “oh giver of peace, please keep my son with you.”  Baba Bhanna ji bowed and took leave. 

Baba Bhanna ji went to Ramdas Village, where his father’s resting place was.  He stayed in his home for some time and then let his body go.  He went to the Guru Puri to be with his father.  He had the joy of Brahmgyaan, just like his father. 

In Kiratpur, Guru Har Rai Sahib ji, was on the throne and lived there.  He blessed the land.  Baba Sooraj Mal ji stayed in Kiratpur, along with his family.  He obeyed his father and kept his mind in a humble state.  He was never jealous of Guru Har Rai ji.  He saw him as the Guru, even though he was his nephew.  After a few months, Mata Mahadevi (Marwahi) ji left her body.  Her Sanskaar was done with the traditions.  Baba Sooraj Mal ji fulfilled the traditions and gave donations on her name.  Sahij Paath and Langar was done.  The Sadhoos were given Langar.  The Sikhs and Masands that didn’t come at the hearing of Guru Hargobind Sahib ji’s passing, due to a far distance, they eventually had come to Kiratpur within a few years.  Some Sikhs came every 6 months.  They brought many gifts and bowed to Guru Har Rai ji.

Bhai Bhagtoo ji and Bhai Behlo ji came and brought their Sangats.  They came and did the Pooja of Guru Har Rai Sahib ji.  They would come every Vaisakhi and Diwali to Kiratpur.  The Sikhs would have their wishes fulfilled by Guru ji.  Guru Har Rai ji was omnipotent.  He had the same powers as the Gurus before him.  He was the same form.  Baba Sooraj Mal ji took care of the administrative tasks and would sit with his nephew, Guru Har Rai ji.  Guru ji respected his Chacha a lot.  He gave him what he needed from the treasury.  Baba Sooraj Mal ji made a living by the same tasks as he did before.  The way the Sangat came to Guru Hargobind Sahib ji, they came to Guru Har Rai ji in the same way.  Many Sikhs thought to themselves: “we wonder about the new Guru’s powers.”  They would think of something in their minds.  They wanted to see the ocean full of virtues which could never be hidden in any direction.  Guru Har Rai ji removed the darkness of doubt for everyone who came to him. 

Bhai Bhagtoo ji served Guru Ramdas ji and the Gurus after him.  Bhai Bhagtoo ji stayed with Guru Har Rai ji a lot and did his Darshan with love.  He had gone really old.  He wanted to stay with Guru Har Rai ji for the rest of his life and do Seva.  After a while, Bhai Bhagtoo ji came to the court everyday.  One day, he folded his hands and said to Guru Har Rai ji: “please give me a Seva.  I wish to do Seva.  Without Seva, my life is being wasted.  I don’t want to waste my life.  Time can pass by sitting.  The best time is that, which is spent in the Seva of the Guru.  To keep the mind with the Guru, Seva is needed.  Hands and feet used in the Guru’s Seva, that person’s mind does not wander.  Their life is a success.  They wash the dirt of the mind from many lives.”  Guru Har Rai ji looked at Bhai Bhagtoo ji and joked around with him.  He joked: “you should do the “Charkha Saherna” (get married at an old age), by which your old age could pass in ease.”  Bhai Bhagtoo ji laughed at the joke.  He folded his hands and said: “everything happens by your wish.  Whatever words come from your mouth, they become reality.  Only time will tell why you are saying this.  Please give me the Seva of your home.  I want to make my body a success.”  Guru ji laughed and said: “you did Seva all your life.  Your body is successful beyond your imagination.  You are the best Sikh.  You want to inspire the young ones to do Seva by doing it yourself.  Very well, you can take care of the farms of the Guru’s home.  Look after the people who work in the fields.  Take the workers and farm the land.  There is nothing else that is good for you at your age.  You should supervise the workers.  You were born as a Zamindar.  For this reason, farming is good for you.  You should teach everyone.  You are the great Sikh of the Guru.  You can do this.”  Bhai Bhagtoo ji heard this and was happy.  He bowed to Guru ji’s feet and made the effort to manage the people.

Bhai Bhagtoo ji got the plows made and got the best bulls.  He had the lands plowed.  He planted the seeds and recited Gurbani as he did it.  The crops were abundant.  He directed the work for the irrigation canals in Kiratpur.  There was a lot of land.  Bhai Bhagtoo ji supervised everyone.  He was the head manager and directed everyone on how to do the farming.  The crops were harvested when the time came.  It was Vaisakhi and the workers were told to harvest the crops.  Bhai Bhagtoo ji would bring Langar for the workers everyday.  The food was from the Guru’s Langar. 

One day, Bhai Bhagtoo ji brought the Langer for the workers.  He sat on the boundary, under a tree and told everyone to come and eat.  The workers came and sat in lines.  Everyone took the Rotis in their hands.  Bhai Bhagtoo ji put subzi on top of the Rotis.  The workers said to him: “Bhai Sahib ji, think about something, we work so hard.  It would be nice if we got ghee with our rotis.  We work all day long in the burning sun.  Without ghee, we will go blind because of the bright sun.  If we get a “Payeea” of ghee a day, we would be stronger to work.  The dry roti is not good.  Tell us how we can eat these?”  Bhai Bhagtoo ji heard this and agreed with them. 

The Brahmgyaani Bhai Bhagtoo ji looked around.  In the same time, a merchant was travelling by, carrying salt, spices, gurrh and ghee.  He had a can of ghee with him.  It was full of ghee, since he had just left his home.  Bhai Bhagtoo ji called the merchant: “hey you!  Come here if you have ghee.”  The merchant brought his cart towards Bhai Bhagtoo ji.  The merchant said: “I have ghee.  You can buy it from me.”  Bhai Bhagtoo ji said: “these workers work for the Guru.  They wish to eat Roti with ghee.  Give them the ghee and I will pay you.”  The merchant placed the can of ghee in front.  Bhai Bhagtoo ji gave fistfuls of ghee to all.  The workers were happy to eat ghee with their roti.  There was a little ghee left in the can.  The merchant said: “let me go and sell the rest of my things.  I will get the money from you, tomorrow.”  The merchant sold his things around the villages and went back home in the evening.  When the merchant went home, he hung the empty ghee can on a peg on the wall.  He thought to himself: “I weighed the ghee yesterday.  Bhai Bhagtoo ji will pay me tomorrow.  I will weigh the remainder tomorrow and let him know how much he took.”  He thought about this and went to sleep at night. 

In the morning, the merchant woke up.  He wanted to weigh the remainder of the ghee in the can.  When he opened the can, the can was filled with ghee to the top.  What the Sikhs of the Guru ate, all of it was back into the can.  The merchant was amazed to see this.  He thought to himself: “what is this?  The Sikhs ate the ghee.  There was only a little left.  The rest was eaten.  It is the same as before.”  He kept thinking of this.  He then realised that the man who took the ghee from him was a great being and so were the workers.  The merchant went to Bhai Bhagtoo ji after getting ready.  He bowed to Bhai Bhagtoo ji’s feet.  He said: “I have come to your sanctuary.  You are great and powerful.  You are deep and wise.  I have become your devotee.  Please don’t leave me.  Make me your Sikh and keep me with you.”  Bhai Bhagtoo ji said to the merchant: “Sri Satguru is the great being.  I am his Sikh.  He is the king of kings.  He is the Guru of Gurus.  He is the master of the 3 Loks.  I am like his minister or like a general in his army.  I can’t make anyone a Sikh.  The Satguru can only do that.  He will make you his Sikh and save you.  Go to the shelter of Sri Guru Har Rai ji.  He will make you his Sikh and give you Mukti.”  The merchant folded his hands and said: “I only know you.  Take me to the Satguru.  I will put my forehead to his feet.  Please ask him to make me his Sikh and destroy my pain from my lives.”  Bhai Bhagtoo ji became compassionate and took the merchant to Guru Har Rai ji. 

Bhai Bhagtoo ji and the merchant went to where Sri Guru Har Rai ji was seated.  They both bowed their heads.  When the two Sikhs bowed, Sri Guru Har Rai ji laughed and said: “welcome Bhai, the altruist!  Who have you brought with you?  Why haven’t you coloured him with your unique colour?”  Bhai Bhagtoo ji folded his hands and said: “where the great moon sits, stars do not have the competence to light in the same way.  Your light is great.  I thought about this and brought him here.  Give him Charanamrit of your feet and make him your Sikh.  Give him the wisdom of Gurmat and give him peace.  He has come with faith.  You are benevolent.  Please bless him.”  Satguru ji called for water.  He washed his feet and gave the Charanamrit to the merchant.  Guru ji said: “what is your name?”  The merchant said: “listen oh home of compassion, my father has named me “Sangat.”  I would sell salt and ghee and make rounds around the villages.  I do “pheris” (rounds) to villages to sell soap and salt.  This is how I make a living.  My life up till now, this is what I did.”  Guru ji said: “from now on, your name will be “Bhai Pheroo.”  You did pheris and met Sikhs.  You have made your mind pure in this way.  Leave your old work and start making Langar.  Do the Simran of Satnam and sing Keertan.   Bhai Bhagtoo ji has blessed you.  Bow to his feet all your life.  Whatever followers that follow you, they will bow to Bhai Bhagtoo ji’s descendants.”  Hearing the words of Satguru ji, Bhai Pheroo ji was really happy.  He bowed his head to Guru ji.  He then bowed to Bhai Bhagtoo ji.  Bhai Sangat ji was known as Bhai Pheroo ji from now on.  He began to make Langar and had everyone eat at his place.  He became the Masand of Lamah Desh.  He made Langar and fed everyone with love.  He made everyone happy.  Kavi Santokh Singh ji says: “I have seen his resting place.  Langar still continues to be made there, day and night.  He has many followers who have many places now.  Bhai Pheroo ji was alive till Guru Gobind Singh ji’s time.  He was rich and used all of his money to make Langar.  His Katha will come again in Guru Gobind Singh ji’s Katha.  I have listened to his Katha from the Saint who sits on his seat today.”  The merchant became a Sikh.  His name was Bhai Pheroo ji.  He became an Udaasi Sant.  He was known as Bhai Pheroo ji “Sachi Dhaari.”  Giani Sher Singh Maharaj ji’s Guru, Sri Pancham Parkash ji Maharaj Udaaseen was from the Samprada of Bhai Pheroo ji, Sangat Sabeeay.  This Samprada had many powerful saints. 

Thus ends the 8^th Raas.