A BRIEF PRAYER IS ALSO ACCEPTED IF CARRIED OUT WITH LOVE
An army personnel started on his cycle from village DAGAANE for Nirmal Kutiya Johalan. Before starting he took a vow that he would eat or drink only after he reached the Kutiya and had DARSHAN of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj. It was summer season and he had to pedal his cycle for thirty kilometers to reach Kutiya
On the way he felt thirsty. Though his mouth was completely dry yet he did not drink water. When he was passing through Jandu Singha, he stopped his cycle on seeing a watermelon seller. He was hungry as well as thirsty. When he alighted from his cycle he remembered his vow and he did not wait further and started again for the Kutiya.
He reached Nirmal Kutiya Johalan after some time. He bowed at the feet of the great Holy saint and sat nearby. Sant ji Maharaj was sitting under the mango tree, in front of the Sach Khand building.
A tailor with his sewing machine was sewing clothes a little distance from Sant Baba ji.
Sant Baba ji addressed the tailor, “Master ji! Please give some sort of work to this Fauji (Army man).”
Obeying the orders of Sant Baba ji the tailor gave him a needle, thread and cloth to sew. The Army man was astonished at this order of Sant Baba ji. He however thought, “I am feeling so thirsty and Sant Baba ji has asked me to work.”
The divine saint read his mind and asked an attendant, “Get a glass of water and serve this individual. Please ensure that only one glass of water is given to him.”
The Fauji drank the water from the glass on being served but his thirst was not quenched. He got up and went to the small well and drank more water. The moment he drank this water, pain welled up in his stomach. Within moments he was doubled up in pain. His chest was burning from inside and he folded up in pain.
Sant Baba ji watched him and said, “You were given the liberty to drink a glass of water. But you did not stop. Now go out and lighten yourself near the trees.”
He vomited and cleaned his stomach but the effort made him very weak. He thought if there were mats nearby, he could stretch and rest for a while to regain his strength.
He had wished for the mats and saw Sant Baba ji bringing two mats for him. Sant Baba ji gave the mats to him and asked him to lie down. It was Sant Baba ji’s grace that he himself brought the mats for him to lie down.
In the evening he became a little better. Sant Baba ji asked him, “Recite the Path of Rehras Sahib.”
He replied, “Maharaj ji! I will not be able to sit.”
Sant Baba ji said, “OK! Then recite the Path while walking.”
When the Path of Rehras Sahib was over, Sant Baba ji asked him to perform the Ardas. Obeying the orders of Sant Baba ji he performed Ardas but it was a very brief Ardas.
Sant ji Maharaj was very happy on this brief prayer of his and said to him, “A prayer should be brief. It should not be stretched unnecessarily.”
Nambardar Didar Singh who was present there sought permission to speak from Sant Baba ji and said, “Once I had gone to attend a DIWAN at a village. After the DIWAN the priest performed the prayers. It was so lengthy that some old men had to sit down during the prayers and some had to leave the pandal.”
Sant Baba ji advised, “What is the gain from such a prayer which troubles the minds of some and makes them ask as to when the prayer was going to end. Some people lose their strength standing at one place for a long time.”
He knows everything, without being told; unto whom should we offer our prayers? (Page 1420)
Sardar Nirmal Singh Lahiri joins as a priest in reciting Gurbani during the Akhand Paths at the Kutiya these days. The entire family is blessed and living happily in Delhi.