Bhai Sahib & the Radhasoami Guru - Sawan Singh

The story goes as follows. The Radhasoami guru - Sawan Singh was a resident of the village Mahimasingh wala which is very close to Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee's village Narangwal. Both villages lie in district Ludhiana. For this reason both knew each other quite well. Once Bhai Sahib heard Sawan Singh doing katha of the half-pankiti ...ਹਉਮੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਜਲਾਏ ॥2॥ as follows:

ਹੇ ਭਾਈ, ਹਉਮੈ ਰੂਪੀ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਨੂੰ ਜਲਾ ਦੇਵੋ। (O Bhai, burn the Haume roopi Shabad)

Bhai Sahib who happened to be there when Sawan Singh said the above, could not restrain himself after hearing such gross violation of Gurbani understanding and viyakaran. Bhai Sahib got up and asked, ਹਉਮੈ ਜਾਂ ਹਉਮੈ ਰੂਪੀ ਵੀ ਕੋਈ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਹੈ (Is there such a shabad called Haume?).

Hearing Bhai Sahib interrupt him, he got very agitated and in anger said to Bhai Sahib, "ਤੁਸੀਂ ਹੀ ਇਥੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਕਥਾ ਕਰ ਲਵੋ।" (why don't you come here and do katha).

Bhai Sahib replied back telling him not to get upset but to look to see if the word ਸਬਦਿ has a sihaari in the end. Responding to this Sawan Singh said, "ਲਗੀ ਤਾਂ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ, ਫਿਰ ਕੀ ਹੋਇਆ।" (Yes it does have a sihaari in the end. So what happened?)

Bhai Sahib said, "ਹੋਇਆਂ ਨਹੀਂ। ਅਰਥ ਸਪਸ਼ਟ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ।" (Nothing happened but meanings have become clear)

He asked, "ਉਹ ਕੀ?" (And what are the meanings?)

Bhai Sahib replied, "ਸ਼ਬਦ (ਗੁਰਸ਼ਬਦ) ਦੁਆਰਾ ਹਉਮੈ ਨੂੰ ਜਲਾ ਦੇਵੋ। " (Through the Shabad, burn the Haume)

Bhai Sahib gave more Gurbani Pankitis to support these meanings and the whole sangat sitting there agreed with Bhai Sahib. Sawan Singh felt very embarrassed (ਬਹੁਤ ਪਸ਼ੇਮਾਨ ਹੋਇਆ).

The above is quite funny, if you read it in Punjabi.

At another instance before the partition of India, Bhai Sahib was visiting Abtabad a city in present day Pakistan. Incidently Sawan Singh too was visiting that town. Sawan Singh was residing in a double storey house that caught fire. Sawan Singh got stuck upstairs. While people were trying to rescue Sawan Singh, Bhai Sahib started joking with Sawan Singh reminding him of his statements in Katha. While doing katha, Sawan Singh had said that one who is engrossed in Shabad, fire can't burn him, water can't drown him. He had said this while doing katha of a Gurbani shabad. Bhai Sahib jokingly told him, not to worry since fire could not burn him. At this Sawan Singh asked Bhai Sahib to stop joking and try to extinguish fire and rescue him.