Story of Veer Jasraj Singh...

ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਤੂੰ ਆਇਆ ਲਾਹਾ ਲੈਣਿ ||
praanee thoon aaeiaa laahaa lain |
O mortal! You came here to earn a profit. 

ਲਗਾ ਕਿਤੁ ਕੁਫਕੜੇ ਸਭ ਮੁਕਦੀ ਚਲੀ ਰੈਣਿ ||੧|| ਰਹਾਉ |
|lagaa kith kufakarrae sabh mukadhee chalee rain |1| rehaao |
What useless activities are you attached to? Your life-night is coming to its end. ||1||Pause||(Ang 43)

There comes a point in life when you’re sitting alone thinking "what is my purpose in life" – this was the exact story with me in 2010. I was sitting at Sachkhand Sri Hazoour Sahib whilst thinking this and the Raagi Jatha sang the shabad above - at the time I had no knowledge of Sikhi and had just started to keep my Kesh with no intention of taking any further steps. I started to keep my Kesh because my mum's side of the family are all Singhs. 

Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib, Nander (Maharashtra)

 

The Ragi Singh then started doing Katha of the shabad above and it felt as if my question was being answered whilst I was sitting there. I didn’t think much of it at the time, then on the way back to the place where we were staying (at Baba Buddha Nivaas), a Nihang Singh approached me and randomly asked me if I read Bani. I replied that I didn’t and he said that I should start doing Japji Sahib every day and told me to do Amrit Vela at Hazoour Sahib – for those who haven't been this is when the Sangat get the Jal (water) in the morning from the river Godavri whilst doing simran. Again, I thought nothing of what the Nihang Singh had said to me, but I decided to go the next morning just to see what it was like. I had never been to something like this before, being from a typical Panjabi family it was all about partying and having a good time, i.e. going against Gurmat. The experience I got that morning was so peaceful and I would do anything to go back there again.

Younger Sahibzaade

Anyway, when I got back to UK I started reading Japji Sahib but still carried on with my typical Panjabi lifestyle. Then, one day I was going to work and someone on the bus asked me why I don’t wear a turban, as I used to wear a patka at the time, and what the reason was of me keeping my kesh? I didn’t know what to answer him with, I felt embarrassed and stupid at the same time. Why did I keep my kesh? I came home and tried to find an answer to his questions. Whilst doing this I came across the Saka of Sirhind when Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh were bricked alive. I read the ithiaas (history) for the first time, I never knew our elder brothers had been tortured and killed in such inhumane manners. That the was triggering point of when I started getting into Sikhi and started going to the Gurudwara more and getting sangat of Naam rangeh Gursikhs. With Maharaj’s apaar kirpa Guroo Sahib blessed me with Amrit last year in December 2012.

The more I think about all the incidents that happened at Sri Hazoour Sahib and when I came back to the UK, I realise that they were ways in which Maharaj was drawing me towards them and pushing me towards keeping some sort of rehat by doing Japji Sahib every day. All I did was keep the Kesh on my head in 2010, not my beard and now Guroo Sahib has bless this gareeb with Amrit. It goes to show that if we take that one step towards Guroo Sahib Maharaj will take a million towards us and bring us to his charan.

ਚਰਨ ਸਰਨਿ ਗੁਰ ਏਕ ਪੈਡਾ ਜਾਇ ਚਲ ||
charan sharan gur eik painddaa jaae chal.
Take one step towards the True Guru,

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੋਟਿ ਪੈਡਾ ਆਗੇ ਹੋਇ ਲੇਤ ਹੈ ||
satgur kott painddaa aage hoe leth hai.
(and) the True Guru takes millions of steps towards you.
(Bhai Gurdaas Jee)

Vaheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa Vaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh

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Note: Thank you to Veer Jasraj Singh jee for accepting the request to write his personal story and sharing it with the Sangat.

Dhan Hai Guru, Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!