Thursday, March 23, 2006

The Story of Bhai Joga Singh


Joga as a young boy of maybe about 15 came to Guru Gobind Singh Maharaaj’s darbaar. He was so overcome on seeing Satguru jee and Guru Sahib asked “WHO ARE YOU?” He replied “I am JOGA” Guru Sahib asked “TOO KEHDAA JOGA? - ਤੂੰ ਕਿਹਦੇ ਜੋਗਾ?” (who’s joga are you i.e. who are you worthy of?) Joga replied “MAI TERE JOGA GURU JEE, Guru jee mai tere joga - ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਜੋਗਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ, ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਜੋਗਾ” i.e. I am yours/ I am worthy of you; Satguru ji replied, “too mere Joga, MAI TERE JOGA - ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰੇ ਜੋਗਾ, ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਜੋਗਾ”. Guru jee asked Joga to stay with Him and become part of the Khalsa thus he became known as Bhai Joga Singh.

Love grew between Guru jee and Bhai Joga Singh, and Bhai Joga Singh loved being with Guru Sahib. Several years passed and Bhai Joga Singh’s parents came to take him home, they thought he should now be married as he had come of age. They went to ask permission from Guru Sahib to take him back home and Guru jee gave the go ahead on the condition that Bhai Joga Singh was to return whenever he was asked, he would be called when he Khalsa needed him regardless of where he was and what he was doing he should come. They agreed to this and headed off back to his village.


Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh in the City of Peshawar (now in West Pakistan).

So the wedding preparations began and Bhai Joga Singh's Anand Kaaraj took place in the city of Peshawar. Bhai Joga Singh had been newly wedded and spent only a day as a married man, when a messenger from Guru Sahib arrived and presented Bhai Joga Singh with a letter requesting that he return as he was needed by the Khalsa. His family pleaded with him that he stay as he has just newly married and that how could he leave his wife so soon. However, Bhai Joga Singh was adamant that he would go back to Guru Sahib as nothing was more important than his Guru. Indeed the path of the devotees is sharper than the edge of a sword, and it is even narrower than a hair.

Bhai Joga Singh continued his journey to Anandpur as fast as he could. After passing through Lahore and Amritsar, he reached a resting spot at Hoshiarpur. On his way his ego got inflated and he thought, "WHO COULD HAVE ACTED LIKE ME? Certainly very few Sikhs would leave home after being newly wedded and carry out the Guru jee's order like me." This sense of pride brought his fall. At night he was overwhelmed by evil-passion and he started towards the house of a PROSTITUTE.


Bhai Joga Singh was wearing the Guru's uniform- full appearance with a Dastaar and the 5Ks adorned on his body. On his way to the prostitute, Bhai Joga Singh said to himself, "If some one sees me going into the house of a prostitute, it will bring DISGRACE to the Guru. Outwardly I am in Guru's attire. So NOBODY should see me entering the prostitute's house." On trying to enter he came across a GUARD standing there so he paused and backed away, he tried four times to enter the building but could not get past the guard seeing him. He realised how weak he was being and rode back to Guru jee.

On entering the divaan he payed his respects to Guru Sahib and Guru Jee looked at Bhai Joga Singh. Guru jee asked Bhai Joga to explain where he was last night. In shame Bhai Joga Singh did not answer. However, the all-knowing Guru knew of Bhai Joga Singh's temptations. Guru Sahib again asked, "Bhai Joga Singh! I have asked you a question, you are struggling to answer. Why cannot you answer me? Tell me WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?" As the incident unfolded Guru jee revealed that HE HIMSELF was the GUARD, and that He were there to stop Bhai Joga Singh from entering and sinning. Bhai Joga Singh fell at Guru jee’s charan (feet) and begged for forgiveness. Guru Sahib reminded him of what he had said before, “Guru Jee MAI TERE JOGA - ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਜੋਗਾ” (I am worthy only of You Guru ji). Guru Sahib said “because you belong to me - I belong to you Bhai Joga, I BELONG TO YOU! Mai tere joga! - ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਜੋਗਾ”

Such are the ways of the Beloved Guru. Once we put our complete faith in Him, He does not abandon us and let us waver.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

vaheguru

i remember when i first heard the story about bhai joga singh, 5years ago or so, think it was an audio cassette of bhai harbans singh, vaheguru, bought tears to my eyes, so powerful, vaheguru, remember thinking wow, Guru ji how amazing you are, each time i hear/ read it, still experience the tears n the shivers,

thank u for sharing broji
vaheguru

Unknown said...

Fateh ji

Amazing sakhi.Keep posting!

Guru rakha

Anonymous said...

Guru Fateh
I love this
Guru Rakha

Anonymous said...

Salaams Sikh brothers!

I have visited this Gurudwara on numerous occasions, since I find the Peshawari Sikhs to be so fascinating. There is a good story by Newsline Magazine from Pakistan called "The Frontier Singhs" that I think you should all read (http://www.newsline.com.pk/NewsOct2008/sprepoct.htm). Surprisingly, Peshawar has the most Sikhs of any city in Pakistan, and the Sikhs speak Pashto and consider themselves Pashtuns!

I have marked out the location of this gurudwara on google mapmaker... its on the west side of the Old Walled City near the Dabgari Gate (go to google.com/mapmaker and type in Peshawar and then zoom in to the Dabgari gate). When I go back to Peshawar in a year or so, I'll visit and take more photos of this Gurudwara, the Gurudwara Gurhatri, and Gurudwara Beeba Singh in Peshawar.

By the way, those photos posted are rather old. The whole temple is now whitewashed , and the gate is no longer pink, but a beautiful white and gold color.

Anonymous said...

Waheguru jio, pls check the http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Bhai_Joga_Singh & make correction coz guru ji asked bhai joga singh to cum back immediately while he was performing lavaan & he left immediately without completing.

Anonymous said...

guru fateh ji, wjkkwjkf, veer ji there is a historic gurdwara of bhai joga singh in hoshairpur distt. of punjab. this holy place has witnessed the tenth guru shri guru gobind singh ji visit to protect bhai joga singh's mind falling in bad virtues.

Anonymous said...

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh ji, if any one has any sort of information on life of bhai joga singh after this incidence and where he lived his remaining life n abt his family and more. all information will be a welcome as i would like to go deep inside this historic sakhi and how guru sahib kept his sikh's morale. wjkkwjkf.

manjeet singh sehgal said...

in mumbai we have 2 large gurdwaras dedicated to Bhai Joga Singhji with considerable sangat attendance at gtb nagar ,sion.

Karolina Zarębska said...

Dawno nie było takiego artykułu. Bardzo fajny wpis.