The village of DHAMAI is situated on the Hoshiarpur road from Balachaur. It falls within the villages of Sammundra and Majari. Bhai Bhagat Singh of the Dhamai village was a devout follower of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj. He had studied till the eighth standard in school and was working as a Postman.
Once he came to Nirmal Kutiya Johalan to pay his homage to Sant Baba ji. Sant Baba ji was sitting on a mat. He was touching the feet when Sant Baba ji asked him, “Welcome Master ji! How are you?”
Bhagat Singh got up and folded his hands before replying, “Maharaj ji! I have all your blessings.”
Sant Baba ji asked an attendant to serve Bhagat Singh with milk and snacks and then took leave of him.
After a few days he again visited the Kutiya. This time Sant Baba ji addressed him by saying, “Welcome Babu ji! How are you?”
Bhagat Singh noted that Sant Baba ji sometimes addressed him as ‘Master ji!’ and sometimes as ‘Babu ji!’
“There must be some mystery hidden in the words of Sant Baba ji”, he thought.
He replied, “Maharaj ji! I am your humble servant and I have studied till eighth class only. A vacancy of a Babu (A clerk) is only filled through selection from among the graduate and postgraduate candidates. How can I become a Babu?”
Sant Baba ji was smiling and said, “Babu ji! Graduates will polish your shoes.”
Bhai Bhagat Singh could not understand the reason for such Holy words of Sant Baba ji.
After some days the Post Office received a letter from the Head Post Office in Hoshiarpur announcing vacancies for the post of clerks. Bhagat Singh was called to attend an interview.
Bhagat Singh was surprised at this development. How could a class eighth pass person stand a chance when the other candidates were graduates and postgraduates? External candidates had also been invited. For six posts there were 106 applications.
The internal employees were called on the basis of their past performance and service reports.
Bhagat Singh was very efficient in his work. His senior had recommended his case by sending an outstanding report for him. Every senior needs sincere and efficient officers and therefore Bhagat Singh was also a candidate.
Bhagat Singh had full faith in the words of Sant Baba ji but even then he brought the interview letter to Nirmal Kutiya Johalan and sought the blessings of Sant Baba ji. Sant Baba ji found Bhagat Singh as a simple clean-hearted person. He advised him, “Babu ji! Never leave the remembrance of the Name of the Lord. Guru will bless you.”
God is the almighty Giver of all peace and joy. Be merciful to me that I may meditate in remembrance on Your Name. (Page 1080)
This blessing was enough to boost his spirits and he said, “Satya Vachan Maharaj!”
There were still some days left for the interview. He followed the advice of Sant Baba ji and became disciplined in his prayers. Naam Simran continued during the day. Whenever he was free during the work, he recited ‘Waheguru! Waheguru!’ He never counted the number of times he uttered ‘Waheguru!’
Whenever he started to do something he recited ‘Satnam’. An individual in this stage had to be a blessed one and such a person doesn’t feel afraid of anything.
The day of the interview was a normal day for Bhai Bhagat Singh. He reached the office where the interview was to be held and waited for his turn. An officer sitting alone in a room called him for interview. Bhai ji wished ‘Sat Sri Akal!’ to the officer and sat on a vacant chair.
Courtesy demanded that he should have kept standing till the officer asked him to sit. There was some mysterious force working behind him that had led him to sit in the chair without any permission.
The officer however thought, “The rightful owner has taken his seat.”
Many questions were asked in the interview and he replied all with full confidence. Lastly he was asked, “Can you read English and Urdu language?”
Bhai ji replied, “Yes, Sir! You may take my test if you like.”
Looking into the confident replies, the officer stopped further questions and the interview was over.
The result of the interview was announced. Bhai ji had topped the list of the successful candidates. Bhai ji was overwhelmed with emotions. He could not control himself and came to Nirmal Kutiya Johalan to inform Sant Baba ji about his promotion.
Sant Baba ji was happy and advised him to keep on reciting Gurbani and not to forget the benevolent Lord.
Bhai ji was posted in the Balachor Post Office as a clerk. He performed his duty as was required from him. Although there were other clerks and officers in the Post Office yet the only two who had the maximum experience were the Post Master and Bhai ji.
During those days the address of the residents was mentioned in Urdu. There were very few officials who could read the language of Urdu. The Post Master was very worried on this account. Since there were very few people who could read the address in Urdu, the letters were delivered after much delay. One day the Post Master kept a meeting at his residence to find a solution to this problem. Many employees involved in this work were called for the meeting.
In the evening the employees collected and came to Bhai ji and said, “Bhai ji! You please accompany us for the meeting.”
Bhai ji said, “Why should I go? I have not been called by the Post Master.”
The colleagues said, “You have the maximum experience and you can read Urdu language. We will benefit from your experience.”
Bhai ji said, “I don’t have good clothes ready that can be worn to the residence of the senior officer.”
“Not much time will be taken to prepare your clothes. You give us your iron and we will iron your clothes,” said one of the colleagues.
The educated colleagues took the clothes of Bhai ji and started ironing them. Another polished his shoes.
Bhai ji on observing this remembered the words uttered by Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj only a few days back. The moment he saw Sant Baba ji’s face in his mind, tears from his eyes rolled down his cheeks.
In the Company of the Holy, one meets the Incomprehensible Lord. In the Company of the Holy, one flourishes forever. (Page 271)
The respect and love of Bhai ji for Sant Baba ji increased manifold. He never stopped praising Sant Baba ji. He brought his relatives and friends within the ambit of the aura of Sant Baba ji by convincing them through his own experience.
Once he came to Nirmal Kutiya Johalan with his entire family and requested an attendant working in the village school to look after his house in his absence. He was asked to sleep on the terrace. This man used to drink alcohol and that day also he came drunk. He went to sleep on a cot on the terrace of Bhai ji’s house. He had just gone off to sleep when he started receiving stick blows on his body. His intoxication vanished in no time. He heard a voice, “Run away from here. We will look after the house ourselves.”
The man ran away afraid of further beating. He informed Bhai ji about the happening on his return.
Bhai ji bowed his head in reverence to Sant Baba ji and thought, “Sant Baba ji is our real guide who keeps us away from all sinners. Sant Baba ji takes care for our security as well.”
The entire family of Bhai ji is Amritdhari and joins in the SEWA at the Kutiya.