Wednesday 25 May 2011

Dr. Kaur Singh jee

By Dr. Niranjan Singh & Bhai Kirpal Singh
In Soora, January 1991

Dr. Kaur Singh jee lived a completely Gursikh life with untouchable ethics and values. He was a lover of doing naam abhyaas, reading baaNee and listening to keertan. He at all times had a Sehaj Paath of Sree Guru Granth Saahib going and immediately after concluding one, he would commence another.

Dr. Sahib was born on January 1st, 1900 and left this world on November 11th, 1990.

At the age of 23, Dr. Sahib became a medical officer in Patiala State. From his very first salary he began to take out his dasvandh and he continued this practice till the end of his life. Once, when the Maharaja of Patiala seized Dr. Kaur Singh jee's assets, he could not give his dasvandh for two years but once his financial situation improved, he gave the full account of the missed two years to the Guru. He would also continuously make anonymous donations to various Gursikh causes along with his regular routine of naam, baaNee and keertan

Everyday, Dr. Kaur Singh would rise between 1 and 2AM and then wash his hair with cold water and would never let any day pass without this. Even if he had a fever of 102-103 degrees, he did not skip this rehit. Until 8AM, he would remain immersed in naam and BaaNee. After having his breakfast, he would go to the upper level of his home and read GurbaaNee pothees and sing BaaNee. He used to consider idle talk with family and friends as a waste of time. Dr. Sahib had a very large family with eight sons, three daughters and many grand daughters and grand sons, but he remained free of worldly attachment.

Dr. Kaur Singh had a very deep and unbreakable love with Bhai Sahib Randheer Singh jee. Bhai Sahib too had limitless love for him and when the two would meet, Bhai Sahib would take him into an embrace and it would seem as if they were friends from even previous lives who had been finally re-united. This love between the two lasted their entire lives. Up to Dr. Sahib's final days, if someone even mentioned Bhai Sahib's name, his every hair would stand on end and his happiness and excitement would know no bounds.

Dr. Kaur Singh received amrit in an amrit sinchaar organized by the NirbaaN Keertanee Jatha and he became so attached to naam and baaNee that he would attend any smaagam within 50 miles of his home. At RaN Sabaaees, he would sit the entire night in complete awareness and would not move even a little.

When Dr. Sahib was young, he was very stubborn and of a hot temper. He would even try to take a stick to his commanding officers. Even the biggest and most influential members of his family would fear him. But after becoming attached to naam and baaNee, he became so soft-hearted and calm that even if he had spoken bitterly to someone 20 years earlier, he would go to beg for forgiveness and would always say, "I am very much in error…."

Dr. Sahib had received the priceless gift of BaaNee in his youth from Gurmukh Pyaaray Sant Attar Singh jee. When he was younger, Dr. Sahib attended a divaan in which Sant jee was doing keertan. The thought came to his mind that it would be nice if he could speak in person to this great Gursikh, but then he thought, with such a huge sangat present, this would not be possible. Then, while doing keertan, a type of miracle occurred. Sant jee was doing keertan and then stopped and while gesturing towards Dr. Sahib asked, "Do you read BaaNee?" Dr. Sahib thought that the motion could not have been towards him since Sant jee did not know him at all. Sant jee, seeing Dr. Sahib's silence, then said "Man with the red turban! Do you read baaNee??"

Seeing the direct reference to himself, Dr. Sahib stood up and replied, "Mahaaraj, I cannot memorise baaNee." Sant jee replied, "Do Sukhmani Sahib paaths, you will memorise a lot of baaNee." Then what? A downpour of blessings followed. He memorised so much baaNee along with his nitnem, including Sukhmani Sahib, both Barahmahas, Baavan Akhree, Akaal Ustat and many others as well.

For every Smaagam, Dr. Sahib would make donations for the langar. Over the years, he gave hundreds of thousands of rupees this way. But he did not let anyone know about how much he gave. If someone in the family asked him this question, he would avoid the question or scold them for asking. These donations were above and beyond his regular dasvandh. He forever remained humble and hidden.
Once, Dr. Sahib sold off some property he had bought near Bathinda for about 1.5 Lakhs. He then said to his close friend Bhai Kirpal Singh, "I'm going to take this money with me after I die." Bhai Kripal Singh replied that this even a small needle could not come with us after death, how would he take such a large sum of money?
A few days later, Dr. Sahib gave a large donation to the langar of the Central Smaagam and then said "I'll take this money with me like this." And he vowed to give the rest of the money for the Guru's work as well.

Dr Sahib was a very deep scholar of baaNee and would always encourage Singhs to do clear and correct paath. Once, Bhai Jeevan Singh jee was doing keertan and afterwards, Dr. Sahib approached him and said "at some places you read baaNee incorrectly." Bhai Jeevan Singh then replied in humility, "Dr. Sahib, when I read baaNee incorrectly, please slap me." Dr. Sahib at that moment grabbed Bhai Sahib's feet and asked for forgiveness.

At first, Dr. Sahib used to say, "When I pass on, call as many Singhs as possible and have a keertan." But a short while before his passing, he began to say "It's alright. It's of no consequence if someone comes or not." It was as if he had received some kind of knowledge. As it happened, when Dr. Sahib passed on, and the bhog was to happen, there were smaagams at many places and very few Singhs could attend. Even Bhai Kirpal Singh whom he considered his own nephew could not attend due to certain complications at home.

So, this beloved of the Guru left for Gurpuree, reading baaNee, meditating on naam, listening to raN sabaaees in one sitting. He was 91 years old.

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