By Sd. Preetam Singh in Sooraa, June 1984
Dr. Surinder Singh jee must now be in Vahiguru jee’s feet, absorbed in naam and basking in the divine colours but I can never forget the twenty years of love he gave me. He spoke very little. He was always coloured in naam and vairaag and in Gurmat Smaagams, he would always be sitting apart, lost in naam.
My First Meeting
20 years have passed now. It was 10 at night and it was winter. It was very cold and in those days I pulled a rickshaw to support my family. Bhai Sahib (Dr. Sahib) in this bitter cold was dressed only in a simple chola. He was wearing no pyjama and on his feet he had regular shoes. His face was glowing with naam. He was already handsome because of his light complexion and because of the naam his face was reflecting, I was drawn to meet him. Blessed are Guru Gobind Singh jee’s Singhs who do not feel cold even in the dead of winter.
I was returning home but I was drawn to this person. I began to take my rickshaw behind him. I did not have the courage to speak to him but I had a deep desire to serve him by carrying him in my rickshaw and take him to where he was going. After some time, Bhai Sahib’s glance fell on me and Vahiguru jee gave me the strength to utter Vahiguru jee kaa Khalsa, Vahiguru jee kee fateh!
Bhai Sahib, slowly in a sweet voice, answered my Fateh and came to stand by my rickshaw. I humbly requested, Bhai Sahib jee, let me take you on my rickshaw to where you want to go. Where are you going? I feel like doing your seva.
Bhai Sahib did not reply and after silently standing for two minutes, he got on the rickshaw. Bhai Sahib was going from the Jagraon bridge to Bharat Nagar Chownk. After Bhai Sahib had gotten on, I did not have the courage to ask where he was going because Bhai Sahib was lost in the deep colours of naam. I gathered my courage and began to take the rickshaw to Bharat Nagar Chownk. I had just gotten to the Chownk when Bhai Sahib told me to go to a home behind the New Model Town Singh Sabha Gurdwara Sahib. In those days, Bibi Mahinder Kaur used to live in this house.
I arrived in front of the house and then Bhai Sahib motioned for me to come with him inside. I was astonished and began to follow him. There was a water hand-pump beside the door. Bhai Sahib began to pump and had me do a punj-ishnana and with his hands, motioned for me to accompany him in. I put the rickshaw near the hand-pump. Bhai Sahib went straight to the kitchen.
The Divine Milk in Sarbloh
Bhai Sahib spread a mat and asked me to sit down. I sat crossed legged with my hands folded together. For such a long time Bhai Sahib boiled milk in a Sarbloh bata and played in Vahiguru’s divine colours. For over an hour his consciousness was completely absorbed. I was bound by his order to sit but was getting anxious to go home because I was tired from pulling a rickshaw all day.
When a big bata of milk was brought to me, I began to drink and right away I began to be coloured in naam. Some divine colour came over me. My simran began to go automatically. My body began to feel like it was flying. My eyes filled with tears of vairaag and I was losing consciousness. After some time when I regained awareness, Bhai Sahib put a bata of kheer in front of me. As soon as I had eaten this, I completely lost consciousness and had no awareness of where I was.
Bibi Mahinder Kaur’s Pain
When I became conscious again after some time, I found that Bibi Mahinder Kaur, the person who was in the house, was feeling pain in her stomach. She could not bear the pain. Bhai Sahib knew about medicine and he gave her some medicines but none brought her peace.
I had an idea and remembered how Bhai Sahib before giving me the milk and kheer had gazed into the milk for such a long time and as a result, it was also coloured in divine colours. I took some water and after gazing into it while doing sirman, gave it to Bibi jee and she felt better.
Bhai Sahib Asked, Why did you do that??
Bibi jee felt better but the feeling of divine colours left me. Bhai Sahib saw how sad I was and asked, Why did you do that? I felt upset over my mistake and began to cry, which would not stop. Bhai Sahib took my hand and kept doing simran beside me. It was now three in the morning. Again, I was taken by the divine colours and Bhai Sahib told me to accept bhaaNaa (God’s will) in the future.
Bhai Sahib gave me five rupees and a lot of sarbloh utensils. I told him that I could not afford to use desi ghee but he said to use saro(n) da tael instead.
Getting Peshed with My Family
With Bhai Sahib’s encouragement, I gave up pulling a rickshaw and took a job at the post office as a guard. From there I became a packer, then a postman then a clerk and today I have received a promotion to Under-Postmaster. My memories of Bhai Sahib have been refreshed today and so I wrote some lines.
With Dr. Sahib’s support, my wife and children began to wear the Khalsa’s BaaNa and seeing this, Baoo Mul Singh jee was very happy. He blessed us and had us appear before the punj pyaaray and we became tyaar-bar-tyaar. I am forever bowing my head before Gursikhs like Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee, respected Baoo Mul Singh jee, Dr. Surinder Singh and other high Gursikh souls in Sachkhand and beg,
ਦੇਹੁਸਜਣਅਸੀਸੜੀਆਜਿਉਹੋਵੈਸਾਹਿਬਸਿਉਮੇਲੁ ॥੩॥
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