Wounded Deer at The Holy Feet
His compassion and mercy extended to all alike beasts, animals,
birds, insects, reptiles. Within their tiny self they were attracted to
Babaji, the divine source of all life and sought liberation at His holy
feet. The animals behaved in His presence as if they were under some divine
spell and their behaviour and mood also indicated a yearning petition
for liberation, for redemption, for freedom.
Once a deer wounded by hunters, miles away from the Thaath,
ran at full speed with hunters following on horses. Baba Nand Singh Ji
Maharaj who was inside His prayer room, rushed out towards the entrance
to the Thaath. As soon as Baba Ji reached there, the wounded deer rushed
to His Lotus feet, fell thereupon and breathed its last. Baba Ji very
kindly put His stick on its head. Hunters who were following had watched
the whole scene of the deer fleeing to its final liberation at the holy
feet of Baba Ji. They fell down at the holy feet and sincerely apologised
and vowed never to kill any animal again.
Saves Sheep from Wolves
Some Muslim shepherds were returning with their sheep towards
Jagraon. The sheep happened to block the railway track just when a railway
officer was passing that way on a trolly. Unable to clear the animals
from the track, the officer ordered a couple of his men to lead the entire
flock to Jalao khana. Meanwhile, Baba Ji, who was returning from his evening
stroll, appeared. The railway officer and his men bowed down with reverence.
Baba Ji, kindly remarked :
Muslim shepherds on hearing this ran towards Baba Ji and
fell at His feet and narrated to the railway official and his men as to
how miraculously providence had saved their sheep from an attack of wolves.
They showed the wounded sheep. Babaji advised the muslim shepherds to
always remember Allah, the Sole Saviour of all. Such was the Grace of
Mahan Babaji flowing to humans and animals alike. These shepherds used
to visit the Thaath on every Puranmashi to offer their obeisance.
Saviour and Protector of Creation
He had the mysterious power of divine attraction. Whosoever
had seen Him even once was attracted to Him again and again. Every one
felt safe, light, fearless and totally at peace in His presence, safe
because there is no safer place than the abode of the Lord, light because
in His presence one's sins were reduced to ashes, fearless because one
was under the protective hands of the Supreme Saviour, and totally at
peace because Mahan Baba Ji was an Ocean of supreme Bliss Himself.
People from all religions were attracted and drawn to Him
as if impelled by a mysterious divine force and so were the animals. They
all looked upto Him as their sole Saviour, their sole Redeemer.
Numerous were the occasions when animals and beasts also
came and attended congregations. They sat behind the sangat and after
attending the Kirtan and Discourse left. Babaji never permitted any cruelty
to them. Even reptiles like cobras sometimes came and appeared before
Gracious Babaji, raised their hoods, bowed and then dropped dead. Compassionate
Babaji normally gave instructions to give a bath and recitation of Japji
Sahib before burying the dead animal or reptile. On enquiry by the wonderstruck
members of the sangat, Babaji many a times, in a divine mood, told of
the past karmas, names, reasons for taking a birth as an animal, reptile
and so on. Some times the curious villagers tried to verify the details
of these names and circumstances leading to their previous death from
the places as given by Babaji and to their utter astonishment the facts
used to be correct.
This was all the wonderful effect of the Ocean of Purity
and Love which Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj was. Minds stood purified and
transmission of pure love used to be in full play. The whole nature also
stood covered in this magical influence of divine Love and purity and
its behavioural pattern used to be that of utter humility and submission.
The entire creation experienced as if it were in the grip of a thrill
of divine bliss in this Ocean of purity and Love. When the Lord of compassion
arose for Ardaas it used to be unique in its coverage of the whole life
present there.
He prayed for the redemption of all life covering human
beings, animals, reptiles, birds, insects and so on. There was nothing
left outside the compassionate purview of the Great Redeemer. His ardaas
- prayer - was all inclusive in its embrace of all living creatures. This
was the miracle of His unbounded divine compassion on the whole creation.
I had the good fortune of attending Ardaas performed by
Mahan Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj Himself on the day of pooranmashi a number
of times. The sangat, devotees from all over yearned to be present in
His Ardaas. So direct was the devotional appeal in His prayer, so intimate
the way of His personal communication to Sri Guru Nanak Sahib, so intense
was His face to face talk with the Lord and so refreshing, invigorating
and overwhelming used to be the impact of His personal Ardaas to Guru
Nanak that every member of the congregation felt totally relieved and
liberated from the grip of all previous karmas and sins, and having thus
become so light, they were transported to the highest planes of Bliss.
Every one soared high into the realm of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib's Grace-unbounded.