Blissful Memories 4

During my college days at Faridkot Punjab, Giani Joginder Singh ji (who later lived in London UK) was also posted in the audit department of Punjab electricity board Faridkot. His wife and children lived in his native village Bargaadi, about fifteen miles from Faridkot while Giani ji lived in a small rented room in Faridkot and spent most of his time doing Prachar after the office hours. 

In those days, Dr. Attar Singh ji of Ludhiana (who later moved to Patna and then Mukherji Nagar Delhi) used to visit Faridkot and surrounding areas quite often. Giani ji had received the Gyan through Dr. Attar Singh ji and had a great deal of respect for him as he believed that the Saint who delivers the Gyan, should be respected and treated like next to the Guru. 

I was quite impressed by Dr. Sahib’s personality, his knowledge of Scriptures and his orating skills; the way he explained everything in well-structured fine details. I always looked forward to his trips and whenever possible, accompanied him to nearby towns and villages.

During one of his tours, I along with two other youth members Kulwant Singh ji and Madan Lal ji accompanied Dr. Attar Singh ji and Gyani ji to two villages. After the Satsangs, he visited few houses of the devotees at both places. As it was a sort of tradition, the hosts offered him some gifts of fabric for his clothing. Since three of us were accompanying them as sewadaars; carrying and taking care of their luggage, we took the fabric pieces, placed them in a separate bag and carried it along with the other luggage.
When we reached back to Faridkot Bhavan, we placed Dr. Sahib’s suitcase in his room and opened that bag of fabrics. Seeing those fabric pieces, we looked at each other and wondered…...

Dr. Attar Singh ji was very particular about his clothing; his dress. Though he always wore white Kurta- Payzama but the fabric had to be of a fine quality. Most of the fabric pieces presented to him that day in the villages were not up to his standard at all. So the three of us thought that there is no point of adding weight to his luggage if he is not going to use them. We found two pieces to be a little bit better, that could be used for something like night suits. So we left two fabrics in the hall closet to be used as floor sheets or to be given to some poor devotee, and brought the other two to his room.  
He looked at them and said “I think there were few more.” 

“Those were not any good … not of your standard. We placed them in the storage to be given away to the needy people” Kulwant ji replied. 

“No. That won’t be right. Please bring those to me” he said. 

Madan ji rushed to the storage room and brought those fabrics back and respectfully placed them before him and apologized. 

He took one piece of fabric in his hand, looked at it smilingly, spread it on his bed and sat down on it. Then he took the other one, opened it and placed it on his legs. 
And then, in his usual smiling and charming style, he addressed us in a soft and sweet tone, which turned out to be a great lesson for all those who were present in the room. 

He said “never underestimate anyone’s Shradhaa- Bhaavna and play with their emotions. You don’t know what was in their mind when they did that seva. They may be poor to buy expensive material but their bhaavna is not less than anyone else. They brought it for me, gave it to me – to be used by me, for my body. I must accept it with the same Bhaavna, with same love and use it in some way. It’s true that I will not want to wear it as a dress, but I can certainly sleep on it using it as a bed sheet for couple of nights when I am here, and use the other one to cover myself while I sleep. This way, their Shradhaa will be fulfilled in some way. Then later we can use these for some other purpose or give to someone who can use them”.   

How great was his thinking of respecting everyone’s ‘Shradha–Bhaavna’.

                                        'Rajan Sachdeva'