Derby Smagam UK April 2013 Live

You can watch the Live Akhand Keertan Smagam from Derby, UK (April 2013) at the following links:

http://akj.org/multimedia/Broadcast/live.asx

https://www.sikhchannel.tv/WatchUs/

http://sangattelevision.org/

Duni Chand & Guru Nanak Ji

Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana continued to travel to many different parts of the world. One day, they arrived at a beautiful location near Lahore, which is a historic city in present-day Pakistan. The Guru decided to set their camp outside the city. He sat on a green, grassy spot near the river Ravi. Sitting at this tranquil spot, the Guru fixed his thoughts on God and meditated for a little while. Bhai Mardana began singing the Guru’s sacred songs or hymns called Shabads. At times, the Guru himself would join in and begin to sing them as well.

Soon, people who heard these simple but very heart rendering melodies began to gather around the Guru and Bhai Mardana. Folks everywhere loved to hear these sacred songs. They also liked to hear the Guru’s talks about life and the importance of meditation or Simran.

One day, during such a melodious recitals, a rich man of Lahore came to the Guru. He asked the Guru to go with him to his house.

The Guru said, "I am all right here. I am not really fond of grand houses. Moreover, my visit to your house might cause you inconvenience and unnecessary trouble."

But Duni Chand was insistent and continued to repeated his request, again and again. The Guru agreed, at last, agreed to go with him to his house. On reaching there, the Guru saw a number of large prominent flags flying on Duni Chand’s house. He smiled on seeing the flags.

Duni Chand took the Guru and his companion inside the house. He gave them a huge selection of food to eat. He gave them cool water and other juices to drink. Then he sat near the Guru, with folded hands.

After a time, the Guru said, "A number of flags are flying on the your roof of your house. What are these for? What do they mean?’

Duni Chand, with pride replied, "They are to show how much wealth I have. Every flag represents ten million rupees (one crore is ten millions). The seven flags show that I have accumulated wealth of seventy million rupees."

The Guru said, "Then you are a very rich man. You must be very happy and contended with yourself?"

Duni Chand replied, "Holy Sir, I cannot lie to you. There are some people who are much richer than I am. This makes me sad and I desire to have more wealth. I would like to be the richest man in the city. I cannot feel completely happy and satisfied until my desire is fulfilled."

The Guru said, "But aren't the people who are richer than you also trying to become even more richer? It seems that there is a race between you and them to become the richest in this city. Perhaps, you may not be able to beat them in this race for the most wealth. In that case you may never be happy. Have you ever thought of that?"

Duni Chand said, "Holy Sir, I have no lime to think such thoughts. I just work day and night to gather more and more wealth"

Guru Nanak smiled and said, "Will you have time to do a small thing for me?"

Duni Chand replied, "Most gladly, holy Sir. What can I do for you?"

The Guru took out a needle, and said, "Please keep this safely with you. Give it to me, when I ask for it, in the next world."

Dunj Chand took the needle from the Guru. Later, he took this needle to his wife. He gave it to her and said, "The holy man wants us to keep the needle for him. He will take it back from us in the next world."

She said, "Are you mad? How can a needle go to the next world? How can we carry it with us to there? Go back, and return it to the holy man."

Duni Chand went back to the Guru and said, "Holy Sir, please take back your needle. We cannot take this to the next world. We cannot carry it there. That is not possible"

The Guru smiled and said, "Duni Chand, this needle is small and light. You say that it cannot go with you to the next world. How can the seventy million rupees go there with you? What good will this wealth do to you there?"

Duni Chand realised the futility of wealth and fell at the Guru’s feet and said, "Please Guru ji, tell me how my wealth may go with me to the next world."

The Guru said, "Give it to the poor in the name of God. Feed the hungry. Clothe the poor. Help the needy. What you spend your honestly earned wealth on righteous things, then it will go with you to the next world. Otherwise, it will be plundered here by others."

Duni Chand realised the truth in the Guru's message and accepted this advice. He established many institutions in Lahore and spent all his wealth to serve the needy and the poor of the city.

The Guru explained to him his golden rules of life. Duni Chand became the Guru’s Sikh. He began to live and act as advised by the Guru and followed the true message of God.

How can anyone be called bad?

salok mehalaa 2 ||

Salok, Second Mehla:

aap oupaaeae naanakaa aapae rakhai vaek ||

He Himself creates, O Nanak; He establishes the various creatures.

ma(n)dhaa kis no aakheeai jaa(n) sabhanaa saahib eaek ||

How can anyone be called bad? We have only One Lord and Master.

sabhanaa saahib eaek hai vaekhai dhha(n)dhhai laae ||

There is One Lord and Master of all; He watches over all, and assigns all to their tasks.

kisai thhorraa kisai agalaa khaalee koee naahi ||

Some have less, and some have more; no one is allowed to leave empty.

aavehi na(n)gae jaahi na(n)gae vichae karehi vithhaar ||

Naked we come, and naked we go; in between, we put on a show.

naanak hukam n jaaneeai agai kaaee kaar ||1||

O Nanak, one who does not understand the Hukam of God's Command - what will he have to do in the world hereafter? ||1||

Guru HarKrishan Ji and the Queen

When Guru Har Krishan visited Delhi he stayed at Jai Singh's place ( which is now the site of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib). However it is said that Jai Singh and his wife (the queen) had some doubts probably because of Guru sahib's age( who was very young : 7-8 yrs of age at the time).
So in order to test the Guru that evening Raja Jai Singh sent his queen disguised as a maidservant.

After the evening prayer, the queen(disguised as a maidservant) visited the Guru, along with some of her maids, and asked the Guru if he could go with them to see the queen to discuss religion with her. The Guru said that there was no need to go to the queen's palace because she could hear him very well if he spoke from his seat. The maids again asked the Guru to accompany them to the queen's palace because it was the royal order. The Guru smiled and said, "I am sorry you care more for tricks than for truth."


Saying this he rose from his seat, picked up a small stick and walked towards the maids. He stroked the first with his stick and said, "God bless you." Then he stroked the second and said, "bhali karre kartaar" He stopped near the real queen, put his stick on her head and said, " Truth is more powerful than tricks. You need to learn more, your Majesty. The time is fast approaching when queens like you will become maids not in disguise but in reality." Everybody, was surprised at this incident and the Guru's words. The matter was reported to the king who felt satisfied that Har Krishan Sahib was the real Guru of the Sikhs.

Bhai Soma Shah

Dhan Guru Ramdas Sahib jee was doing kaar-sewa of sarovar at Siri Harmandir Sahib - Siri Amritsar Sahib. A lot of sangat used to do sewa in digging the sarovar and doing other kind of sewa. Bhai Soma was a Sikh of great humility and did lot of sewa. He used to to sell ghunganiyaan (a kind of snack) to residents of Siri Amritsar Sahib and this way made his living.

One day in the evening Guru Sahib saw him and asked him how much vattee (profit) he had made. He came over to Guru Sahib and did 'matha tek' (paid respect) and with extreme humility answered Guru Sahib. Guru Sahib asked him to hand over all his day's earnings. Bhai Soma did not hesitate for a bit and placed all he had at the 'charan' (feet) of Dhan Guru Ramdas Sache Paatshah jee.

Soma was a very poor person and met his ends with great difficulty. Second day too, Guru Sahib asked him how much he had earned and asked him to give all his earnings to him. Guru Sahib kept doing this for 5 days. Soma who was always broke, did not have any doubts on Guru Sahib. He trusted Guru Sahib one hundred percent and believed that Guru Sahib knows better.

On the sixth day, Soma saw Guru Sahib at the Sarovar looking at the sangat doing sewa, with full Kirpa-Drishtee (gaze of grace). This time Soma did not wait for Guru Sahib to ask for the money but he came, 'matha tekked' Guru Sahib and placed all his earning at the lotus feet of Guru Sahib. Guru Sahib, who was only testing Soma, was extremely pleased at Soma and said, "Today am not going to take anything from you but am going to give you. Hence forth you shall not be Soma but Soma Shah" (Shah means very rich person).

Guru Sahib's 'bachan' (word) of calling Soma, Soma Shah, showered the abundant force of Vaheguru's power to come in action. With waheguru jis grace Bhai Soma became a 'shah' (rich person) and kept expanding his business. He became a shah of not only money but also of Naam.

Baba Bulleh Shah

Once Baba Bulleh Shah was sitting on bank of river when he saw this lady selling carrots. People were coming to buy it, but when they start picking and choosing she would say  "I only sell carrots in volumes there is no pick and choose". So all these people had to buy carrots in volumes/in bulk.

Then there was this beautiful man, who came to her to get carrots, but this time she herself picked the best carrots for him ! Bulleh shah was quite surprised looking at the incident so after this men had left  Bulleh shah asked her how come you let only him to hand pick the carrots, in fact you picked and choose carrots for him yourself. She replied, Bulleh Shah ji, he is my husband, there is no counting/accounts between lovers.

This made Bullah Shah realize, what's the point of carrying a rosary. He put it away and asked himself, Bullah are you insane? Why are you doing counting with your beloved? Why count what Waheguru has given me ? How many times have I done simran or went to Gurudwara, or how much money did I gave for charity and then brag about the same etc ?

Mahant Kirpal Daas at Paonta Sahib

In October 1686 the hill chieftains collected a force of 30,000 men and under the leadership of Raja Bhim Chand and Fateh Shah they rode towards Paonta Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh Ji's army consisted of around 4,000 Sikhs only besides a number of Udasis and Pathans.

KIRPAL DAS, MAHANT, was a leader of the Udasi's.  As his followers, not use to fighting ways, fled, Mahant Kirpal Das stayed back and joined action, flourishing his heavy stick called a Kutka.

He was totally inexperienced in the art of war. Yet by Guru ji's grace he engaged the Pathan chief, Hayat Khan(the chief of the Pathans who had recently deserted Guru Gobind Singh ji's forces), who dealt out a heavy blow with his sword. Kirpal Das received it on his club. Then rising in his stirrups and shouting vociferously "Sat Sri Akaal", he struck Hayat Khan`s head with his wooden truncheon so mightily that his skull was crushed.

The scene is described by Guru Gobind Singh in the Bachitra Natak in an eloquent smile. He wrote:

"Mahant Kirpal, raging, lifted his club and struck the fierce Hayat Khan on the head, upon which his brains spilt forth as butter flowed from the Gopi`s pitcher broken by Damodara."