Story of Bhai Soma Jee
Guru Ramdas Sahib jee was doing kaar-sewa (construction service) of the sarovar (holy pool) at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar. A lot of sangat used to help out in the digging of the sarovar and doing other kinds of sewa. There was a Sikh called Bhai Soma Arora, who used to earn his living by selling 'ghungraniyaan' (a snack made from chick peas) in Amritsar.
One evening Guru Sahib saw Bhai Soma jee and asked him how much vattee (profit) he had made. He came over to Guru Sahib and did matha tek and with extreme humility he answered Guru Sahib. Guru jee asked him to hand over his all day’s earnings. Without any hesitation at all, Bhai Soma jee placed all he had at the feet of Great Guru, Guru Ramdas jee.
Bhai Soma jee was a very poor person and was struggling to get by. The next day, Guru jee asked him how much he had earned and asked him to give all his earnings to him. Guru jee kept doing this for 5 days. Bhai Soma jee who was always broke, did not have any doubts on Guru Sahib. He trusted Guru Sahib 100% and believed that Guru Sahib knows better.
On the sixth day, Bhai Soma jee saw Guru Sahib at the Sarovar looking at the sangat doing sewa, with full Kirpa-Drishtee (gaze of grace). This time Bhai Soma jee did not wait for Guru Sahib to ask for the money but he came, did matha tek to Guru Sahib and placed all his earning at the blessed feet of the Great Guru. Guru Sahib, who was only testing Bhai Soma jee, was extremely pleased at him and said, "Today I have not come to take anything, I have come to give. Today you are no longer Soma, you are now 'Soma Shah'." (note: 'Shah' means very rich person).Guru Sahib’s divine words of calling Soma, Soma Shah, forced the great force of Vaheguru’s power to come in action. Within days Soma became a shah. He became a shah of not only of worldly money but also of the greatest wealth of all, Naam (the Name of the Lord).
This is a great saakhi and we can learn a lot from this. We all know that all that we have has been given to us by Satguru but yet when it is our turn to do some seva or give back something to Guru Sahib or his Panth, we find thousand reasons not to do so. We become selfish. May Guru Sahib give us the wisdom of Bhai Soma Shah jee.
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Dhan Hai Guru! Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!
Vaheguru. Dhan Sikhi.
ReplyDeleteSri Guru Raam Daas Sahib Jee themselves when they were younger, back before they were Guru Jee, when their name was Bhai JeTha, they used to do this same job of selling ghungRiyaan and they were very poor as well.
Guru Jee loves gareebs (poor peoples). Because most often they are very sincere humble people. We always say "guru gareeb nivaaz" but we don't know how to become gareebs.
gareebul pirustai
gareebul nivaaz hai