By Bhai Kulbir Singh

Bhai Tilaku was a Sikh of Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee and lived in the Garh Shankar town of Punjab. Garh Shankar is in Jalandhar or Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. He was a great rasiya of Naam and Gurbani. He used to recite Mool Mantr a lot and his abhyaas was so intensive that he did not let any moment go without Mool Mantr.

He led his life in a very honest fashion and never said anything bad to anyone. He never used to bow his head to anyone other than Guru Sahib. He earned his living working hard and neither he owed anyone nor anyone owed him anything. He lived his life totally free of the worldly chains of Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Ahankaar.

In Garh Shankar there also lived a Yogi who was an accomplished Yogi. He had a lot of Ridhi Sidhi (mystical powers). He was more than 100 years old and had a great following in the city he lived in. Along with Ridhi Sidhi, he also was infected with the Haume Rog (disease of Ego). People used to sing his praises on his face and this resulted in his downfall and he developed the terrible haume rog.

The Yogi organized a great bhandaara (inviting people to his house for eating) in which everyone from the town was invited. The Yogi announced that whoever would attend his bhandaara would get 2 years of Swarag (heaven). Hearing the Yogi’s invitation, the residents of Garh Shankar flocked to the dera of the Yogi and sang his praises.

Hearing his praises, the Yogi got more egoistic and asked his followers to see if anyone from the town had not come to his bhandaara. The Yogi’s followers came back and told him that Bhai Tilaku had not come to his bhandaara. They also told the Yogi that Bhai Tilaku had said that he did not need any Swarag and as thus did not need to attend the bhandaara.

The Yogi’s ego got hurt hearing Bhai Tilaku’s response and he sent his followers telling them that he was offering Bhai Tilaku 10 years in Swarag, if he agreed to come to the bhandaara. Hearing this Bhai Tilaku smilingly said that he would consider any effort for Swarag a paap and as such refused to go to the bhandaara.

KYA NARAK, KYAA SURAG BICHAARA, SANTAN DOYOO RAADE||
(The Gursikh sant don't care about heaven and hell as they don't have to go to either of these places)

Hearing the response of Bhai Tilaku, the Yogi got very upset. Everyone had found out by then that Bhai Tilaku had refused to come. The Yogi, vowed that he would use his Yogic powers and force Bhai Tilaku to come. He developed a great feeling of enmity and anger towards Bhai Tilaku. Because of his such feelings, his kamaayee (spiritual earnings) got reduced.

The Yogi got into smadhi and using his yogic powers and called up the evil powers like bhoots, prets and birs. He dispatched them to go to Bhai Tilaku and force him to come to him. The evil powers arrived at Bhai Tilaku’s house and tried to harm Bhai Sahib. As these powers arrived closer to Bhai Sahib, they felt helpless to hurt him. Bhai Sahib was reciting Mool Mantr with utmost concentration. They tried their best but could not do anything.

After trying and losing to Bhai Sahib, the evil forces came back to the Yogi and expressed their helplessness. By then, the Yogi felt empty as his power had got spent in trying to harm Bhai Sahib. The evil powers told the Yogi that some higher power was protecting Bhai Sahib.

The Yogi after losing all his shakti, came back to his senses and decided to go and see Bhai Tilaku himself. He arrived at his house and knocked his door. He was accompanied by the whole city. When Bhai Sahib opened his door, the Yogi very humbly saluted him and Bhai Sahib responded accordingly. The first question the Yogi asked was about the identity of Bhai Sahib’s Guru. Bhai Sahib responded by saying that he was a humble servant of Guru Arjun Dev jee.

At this the Yogi asked him about the mantra he used against him. Bhai Tilaku told him about Guru Sahib’s baani and also told him that he did not have any bad feeling for the Yogi and he did not use it against him. He told the Yogi that Gurbani was pure amrit (nector) and reciting baani is like drinking sweet amrit.

Hearing some baani from Bhai Sahib, the Yogi felt compelled to see Guru Sahib. Bhai Tilaku brought the Yogi to Siri Amritsar Sahib, where the Yogi met Guru Sahib and became his Sikh.

Bhai Tilaku jee’s saakhi gives us some very valuable lessons:

1. We must only bow before Guru and his sangat.
2. We should have all our expectations on Naam and Gurbani alone.
3. If we keep our expectations on Naam and Gurbani and have faith in them, nothing can harm us.
4. We must live an honest life and keep other morals.
5. No matter how strong or great, we should not leave our Guru and go to someone else for anything.