Bhai Puriya Ji and Bhai Choohar Ji were Chaudhary (headmen of a small area) by profession and came to the refuge of the Fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Their profession was such that they could not avoid lying and doing other such sinful practices including corruption.
They came to the Darbaar (court) of Guru Ji and truthfully pleaded, “O Satguru Ji (True Guru), since we are Chaudharies (headmen) we lie a lot… how can we attain salvation?”
Guru Ji replied, “You will have to stop lying if you want to be saved.”
They honestly replied, “Dear Great Guru, we are Chaudharies (headmen) by profession and it is impossible for us to carry on with our profession without lying.”
Guru Ji is extremely compassionate and kind. Guru Ji could have denied them Sikhi but Guru Sahib is always merciful. Guru Ji lovingly said, “If you can't stop lying then continue your normal day only after waking up Amrit-vela (the last part of the night before sunrise) and doing Naam Simran (meditation), and listening to Gurbani (scripture) for about 2 hours (4-5 ghariya) with love. Then at night, write all your sinful activities on a piece of paper. Every month they would come to the Darbaar (court of the Guru) for darshan (audience) and bring along your account of sinful activities that you have done whilst doing your daytime job.”
The Chaudharies (headmen) happily obeyed the hukam (order). They started getting up at Amrit-vela (early hours before sunrise) to do Naam Abhyaas (the spiritual practice of repeating the Name of the Lord). Later on they would listen to the recitation of Gurbani (scripture) for about 2 hours. During the night, they would write all of their sinful activities, such as lying, doing corruption etc. Then every month they would go to the Darbaar (court) of Guru Sahib and read out all their sins there.
The amazing transformative power (Paaras-Kalaa) of Gurbani (scripture) never fails. Whoever listens to Gurbani (scripture) and Naam (the Name of God) with love and devotion gets their heart and intelligence cleaned. These Chaudharies (headmen) were no exception to this. They felt extreme remorse and embarrassment when they read out their sins to Guru Sahib. They started getting fearful of sinning. They had the following options:
1) Continue to sin and write all sinful activities. They read them out to Guru Sahib once a month.
2) Since they felt embarrassed, they could have continued their sinful activities but not write all of them on paper.
3) Stop sinning and thus save themselves from the embarrassment they felt when reading out their sins to Guru Sahib.
They of course chose the last option i.e. to stop lying and doing corruption. At first, they reduced their sinful activity to a bare minimum. They only lied when they could not avoid but slowly they totally gave up lying. It took them 6 months to reach this state.
Their tendency towards Dharam (righteousness) increased and their sinful activities stopped. This way they attained salvation. Scholar-saint Bhai Gurdas Ji has written about them as follows:
They came to the Darbaar (court) of Guru Ji and truthfully pleaded, “O Satguru Ji (True Guru), since we are Chaudharies (headmen) we lie a lot… how can we attain salvation?”
Guru Ji replied, “You will have to stop lying if you want to be saved.”
They honestly replied, “Dear Great Guru, we are Chaudharies (headmen) by profession and it is impossible for us to carry on with our profession without lying.”
Guru Ji is extremely compassionate and kind. Guru Ji could have denied them Sikhi but Guru Sahib is always merciful. Guru Ji lovingly said, “If you can't stop lying then continue your normal day only after waking up Amrit-vela (the last part of the night before sunrise) and doing Naam Simran (meditation), and listening to Gurbani (scripture) for about 2 hours (4-5 ghariya) with love. Then at night, write all your sinful activities on a piece of paper. Every month they would come to the Darbaar (court of the Guru) for darshan (audience) and bring along your account of sinful activities that you have done whilst doing your daytime job.”
The Chaudharies (headmen) happily obeyed the hukam (order). They started getting up at Amrit-vela (early hours before sunrise) to do Naam Abhyaas (the spiritual practice of repeating the Name of the Lord). Later on they would listen to the recitation of Gurbani (scripture) for about 2 hours. During the night, they would write all of their sinful activities, such as lying, doing corruption etc. Then every month they would go to the Darbaar (court) of Guru Sahib and read out all their sins there.
The amazing transformative power (Paaras-Kalaa) of Gurbani (scripture) never fails. Whoever listens to Gurbani (scripture) and Naam (the Name of God) with love and devotion gets their heart and intelligence cleaned. These Chaudharies (headmen) were no exception to this. They felt extreme remorse and embarrassment when they read out their sins to Guru Sahib. They started getting fearful of sinning. They had the following options:
1) Continue to sin and write all sinful activities. They read them out to Guru Sahib once a month.
2) Since they felt embarrassed, they could have continued their sinful activities but not write all of them on paper.
3) Stop sinning and thus save themselves from the embarrassment they felt when reading out their sins to Guru Sahib.
They of course chose the last option i.e. to stop lying and doing corruption. At first, they reduced their sinful activity to a bare minimum. They only lied when they could not avoid but slowly they totally gave up lying. It took them 6 months to reach this state.
Their tendency towards Dharam (righteousness) increased and their sinful activities stopped. This way they attained salvation. Scholar-saint Bhai Gurdas Ji has written about them as follows:
paree-aa choo-harr chau-dharee,
pai-rraa dargah daataa bhaaraa.
“Bhai Puriya, Chaudhari Choohar, Bhai Paira and Bhai Durga Daas are known for their charitable nature.”
(Bhai Gurdas Ji, Vaar 11: Pauri 18)
“Bhai Puriya, Chaudhari Choohar, Bhai Paira and Bhai Durga Daas are known for their charitable nature.”
(Bhai Gurdas Ji, Vaar 11: Pauri 18)
REFLECTION: May Guru Sahib erase our sinful tendencies and enable us to chant the Name of the Lord and derive pleasure (rass) from it. If you struggle getting rid of the darkness of your life (i.e. bad habits and ways), then walk towards the light (the Guru). The more you add light in your life through reading Gurbani (scripture), Simran (meditation), and reading books on the lives of the Gurus and great Sikhs in history, you will find that after some time, the darkness would have gone.
Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaaj!
(Great is the Divine King, Guru Arjan Dev Ji)
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