Bhagat Surdas JiBhagat Surdas ji was a Scholar that was proficient in Sanskrit, Persian and Hindi. Thus he attracted the attention of Emperor Akbar who appointed him Governor of Sandilà. But Bhagat ji’s heart lay elsewhere.
man bairaag bhaeiaa dharasan dhaekhanai kaa chaao ||
My mind has become detached from the world; it longs to see the Vision of the Lord's Darshan.He felt a great sense of detachment which led him to renounce his worldly responsibilities and entirely dedicate himself to the devotion of the Absolute One.
An honest, wealthy man along with his family came to visit Bhagat Ji. Bhagat ji gazed at the wealthy man’s wife and his mind began to waver.
akhee soothak vaekhanaa par thria par dhhan roop ||
The impurity of the eyes is to gaze upon the beauty of another man's wife, and his wealthAs a result of this impure act, his body started to flow with emotions of uneasiness and restlessness. He abandoned his devotion to God and took the attire of a lumberman. He began to drop off lumber at the wealthy man’s house daily so that he could have the chance to gaze upon the wealthy man’s wife. After he would drop off the stack of lumber at their house he would stand starring at the wealthy man’s wife without any shame. The wealthy man and his wife had a very generous nature as they both kindly served saints and gave money to the needy. The wealthy man’s wife felt grief in her heart that this poor man’s mind has wavered, if I tell my husband he’ll harm Bhagat Ji. In these thoughts she decided to stay quiet and not tell her husband.
A year later her husband asked her, “Where did you get all this lumber from?”
She clasped her hands together with her head lowered and replied in pure humbleness,
I can only tell you if you promise that you will be forgiving.”
The wealthy man trusted his wife deeply replying, “I will surely be forgiving because where there is forgiveness God himself resides there.
kabeeraa jehaa giaan theh dhharam hai jehaa jhoot(h) theh paap ||
Kabeer, where there is spiritual wisdom, there is righteousness and Dharma. Where there is falsehood, there is sin.
jehaa lobh theh kaal hai jehaa khimaa theh aap ||155||
Where there is greed, there is death. Where there is forgiveness, there is God Himself. ||155||
The wealthy man’s wife truthfully told him everything. The honest, wealthy man felt deep anguish that such a detached saint left his Bana to become a lumberman throwing piles of wood for a year just for this worldly rubbish. The generous couple did simran together and ended with an heartfelt ardas:
“Dear lord, please bless Bhagat Surdas ji with a place in your sweet lotus feet.”
Instead of getting angry at Bhagat ji they decided to invite him to their house for Langar. When Bhagat ji reached their house they washed his feet with respect and served him Langar. After Bhagat ji finished eating Langar the honest, wealthy man requested,
“O Bhagat ji, Please take my wife and everything I own, you are our saviour that will save us from the messengers of death, I shall renounce everything and meditate on God!”
Hearing these words Bhagat ji felt extreme shame. In feelings of Remorse he thought, what have I done? I have turned my eyes away from the almighty Lord and with lustful eyes have looked upon another’s wife which has the following consequences:
par thria raavan jaahi saeee thaa laajeeahi ||
Those men who go out to enjoy other men's women shall suffer in shame.
nithaprath hirehi par dharab shhidhr kath dtaakeeahi ||
Those who steal the wealth of others - how can their guilt be concealedBhagat ji then told the wealthy man to bring him two hot iron spikes. Upon his refusal Bhagat ji said he would curse him. Afraid of being cursed he then brought two burning hot spikes. Bairaagi Bhagat ji took the two burning spikes and stabbed his eyes. That these eyes made me throw piles of lumber for a year, they have made my life a living hell. The bairaagi, blind Bhagat ji then went into the wilderness to do bhagti. Whilst in the forest Bhagat ji got Diarehea, to his aid Bhagvan ji (God) himself appeared in human form.
Bhagvan ji washed Bhagat Surdas ji’s clothing and said, “Dear Bhagat ji, I must go now.”
Bhagat ji recognised God’s voice and respectfully with love grabbed Bhagvan ji’s wrist. Bhagvan ji pulled away and Bhagat ji proclaimed, “O lord you may free your wrist from my hands but try to leave my heart!”
Seeing Bhagat ji’s devotion Bhagvan ji sat down and blessed him with his eyes. Bhagvan ji then said, “ You should not have made youself blind, If you want to keep those eyes now you have to come back to this world again.”
Bhagat ji humbly requested,“ Please forgive me in this life, I will praise you and commit this life to you without eyes.”
Bhagat Surdas ji was then blessed with the effortless repetition of God’s Name. United with Guru Arjan Dev Sahib ji’s Lotus feet, Bhagat Surdas Sahib ji spoke this line of Bani which is on Ang 1253 of Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji:
shhaadd man har bimukhan ko sa(n)g ||
O mind, do not even associate with those who have turned their backs on the Lord.After speaking this line of Bani, Bhagat Surdas Ji went into smaadhi where all he saw inside and outside was the Blessed Vision of the Lord's Darshan. Dhan Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji has also included a Hymn in Bhagat Surdas ji’s name which is located on Ang 1253 of Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
The 9 steps that our mind takes when committing an immoral deed:
1) Looking at someone of the opposite sex and having dirty thoughts.
2) Listening upon dirty conversations.
3) Remembering this person’s face.
4) Praising that individual’s appearance to others.
5) In your mind thinking endlessly about this individual.
6) Privately thinking dirty thoughts of this individual.
7) Making plans on how to achieve goal to get closer to this individual.
8) Carrying out actions which assist in accomplishing goal.
9) Achieving the goal.
According to Guru Sahib’s Teachings these are 9 steps our mind falls into that lead us away from God and away from our true objective. A Gurmukh is one who has controlled his mind through Maharaj’s blessing and does not fall into these traps of Maya.
Khalsa is pure on the inside and outside, jeeahu niramal baaharahu niramal ||
gur kaa sikh bikaar thae haattai ||
The Sikh of the Guru abstains from evil deeds.
mithhiaa naethr paekhath par thria roopaadh ||
False are the eyes which gaze upon the beauty of another's wife.
akhee vaekh n rajeeaa bahu ra(n)g thamaasae||
The eyes are not satisfied with beholding sights and exhibitions.
akhee praem kasaaeeaa har har naam pikha(n)nih ||
The eyes which are attracted by the Lord's Love behold the Lord through the Name of the Lord.
jae kar dhoojaa dhaekhadhae jan naanak kadt dhicha(n)nih ||2||
If they gaze upon something else, O servant Nanak, they ought to be gouged out. ||2||
par thria roop n paekhai naethr ||
The Gurmukh is one who does not gaze at the beauty of another’s wife.
(The above information was taken from “Sri Sukhmani Sahib Steek” DDT,Baba Jaswant Singh(Bhagat ji) and translated into English.)
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