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Life of an Akali Singh......Inspiring Episodes


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----- Original Message -----

From: Harkinder Singh Chahal

Life of an Akali Singh......Inspiring Episodes

Durrat-Nivaran, Dushat-Daman, Gyan-Saroop, Meharvaan,

Parm-Poojjaye, Prem-Moorat Sri Khalsa Ji Sahib:

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh:

It was month of winter year 2001. I visited Damdama

Sahib with my old mother and my son. There I met this

old Nihung Singh who was well educated and knew

English as well. He lived on very bare minimum, and

slept on Parali spread on the kacha floor of a room

without any doors. He was expert in folk

medicines (Desi Dawaees). He was well travelled a

store house of knowledge and passion for serving

humanity. I listened to him in complete raptness for

about two hours. At one point I mentioned to him that

my mother was suffering from some breathing

irregularities.

He prepared a medicine right before my eyes and

recommended that it must be given with hot water. I

told him that we have hot water from geyser in the

room but he ran at full speed towards Langar fire pit

to heat some water and brought it back in very short

time. I wondered what was the difference between

electrically heated water or the Langar Hall's deg

heated water. Only the compassion in Nihung Singh ji's

deep penetrating eyes, and his body's erect thin old

frame knew the secret to my question. I never dared to

ask him the question: "What is the technical

difference in this hot water of the geyser and that

hot water of Langar's degcha?"

He did this all without any consideration for any

compensation whatsoever. I asked him his name. He said

there is nothing in NAMES. "Navaan vich ki piayaa

hai?" But upon more insistence he wrote in the dust of

the ground, in English letters: "Pattiaan Wala Vaid" -

Perhaps pointing to the fact that "From dust we came

and to dust we return. He murmered in soft voice that

he is only Guru Gobind Singh's son.

My son was messmerized listening him talk for about

two hours and then give medication to my mother in

such a dramatic manner in the end.....Dhann Guru,

Dhann Guru Piarey.

Harkinder Singh, London ,Ontario Canada

-- -----------------------

My 16 years old son sent me the following story today

that reminded me to pen down the above episode

briefly. Please share the following with others in

Name of Satguru Nanak, Akaal-roop Gur Gobind Singh:

"I have come across an amazing life of a nameless

Akali Singh whose jeevan I feel very compelled to

share with all of you. Akali jee was 81 years old in

1973, when his life was first written. Akali jee

instructed the original author to withhold his name as

he did not like to advertise his greatness.

Akali jee always stayed in Akali baana and was never

seen without shaster (weapons). He led a very simple

life and was a great rassiya of Gurbani and

Naam. His humility was unmatched and his speech was

sweet as honey.

He was arrested by the British government in 1916 and

till 1932 he stayed in jail for playing part in the

independence of India. After getting released, he went

to jail many times and in 1942 he was in jail with

Jawahar Lal Nehru; the first prime minister of India.

After the independence of India, Akali jee stayed

fully independent of worldly responsibilities and led

his life helping out others. He forever stayed merged

in the Naam of Vaheguru. He would stay in one place

for few months and then move on. He did not have any

attachments in the world and had no belongings to

worry about.

In 1962, he came to the Sipri town of Madhya Pardesh

(largest state of India). Sipri town of Madhya Pardesh

was greatly infected with crime at that time. There

was a small Gurdwara Sahib in the town and Akali jee

stayed there during his stay in this town.

One evening, Akali jee finished doing his Rehraas

Sahib paath and went out for a walk. While he was

coming back from the walk and was walking by a

water tank, he heard the moaning of a woman that grew

in a loud scream as if she heard someone walk by.

Akali jee stopped and started walking towards the

back of the water tank and saw about 8-10 men removing

the clothes and jewelery of a struggling woman. He

also saw a young man tied to a tree.

Akali jee tried to stop the thugs from committing this

crime but they did not pay any attention to a old

person. How could Akali jee tolerate such

cruelty on a helpless woman right in front of him? He

did realize his age which was about 71 years at that

time, and that he was against about 10 badmaashs

(thugs). He briefly closed his eyes and remembered

Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee and reminded him of his

bachan of Sava laakh se ek laraayoon i.e. I will make

my Khalsa fight with 125,000 persons. Akali jee

felt immense power at the end of the ardaas and he

took his 2 feet long stick and started beating the

thugs with it.

When the thugs got hurt with the stick, they all took

out their Rampuri knives and attacked Akali jee. Akali

jee who was an accomplished player of gatka,

immediately changed his paintra and took out his

kirpaan. He played gatka in such a way that no badmash

could even come near him, let alone hit

him. Many of the badmashs got severely injured with

his attack. They could not believe that they were

being beaten by a 70+ years old man. They tried

to subdue him but all in vain. Eventually they all ran

away.

Akali jee opened the ropes of the tied young man. He

then tried to lift the half unconscious young woman,

who was constantly repeating, bachaayo bachaayo (help

me, help me). Akali jee took her head in his two

hands, brought her near his heart, like a father would

do to his distressed daughter, and said, Beta, oh

chale gaye hunn. Chal ghar chaliye. (O daughter, they

are gone now. Let us go home). Hearing his comforting

voice, she regained her consciousness and the three

started walking back to their house. They went to the

Gurdwara Sahib but the doors of the Gurdwara Sahib had

been locked and the sewadaars did not open the doors

even after heavy knocking. At this the three of them

walked towards the couple house. The relatives were

anxiously waiting for the couple as they had been gone

for a long time. When they heard how Akali jee had

saved their honour, they wanted to thank Akali jee,

but Akali jee had left for the Gurdwara Sahib by then.

He stayed outside the Gurdwara all night as the doors

were closed.

The girl belonged to a very influential family in the

town. At the rise of the day, when everyone found out

about the incident, they all came to the Gurdwara

Sahib to get the darshan of Akali jee. The Police

chief himself came with a lot of people and the press

to see Akali jee. The girl who was saved by Akali jee

too was along with the huge crowd that came to the

Gurdwara Sahib.

The police chief asked the girl about the person who

had saved her honour and life. Hearing this the young

woman, moved forward and tearfully hugged Akali jee

and said, Yeh mere baapoo jee hain, Inhon ne meri jaan

bachaayee thee (He is my father who saved my life and

honour). This is all that the girl could say and then

she burst into tears. The whole atmosphere became very

emotional and Akali jee comforted the girl by slowly

patting her back.

The people gathered a large amount of money and

presented to Akali jee but Akali jee refused to accept

it. When they persisted, Akali jee took the

money and then in front of them placed the money in

front of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee. The police chief

asked Akali jee to stay in the town and that he would

ensure that Akali jee got pension for life. Akali jee

politely declined the offer saying that after taking

the amrit of Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee he has done

naukri (job) of only Panth and did not want anything

in return.

Hearing such high ideals of Akali jee, the whole crowd

started praising him. How could a singh of Guru Gobind

Singh jee hear his praise. The newspapers

wrote about him too. He left the town and moved on to

another unknown destination after that. This story was

originally written by Sardar Chanda Singh Bareli and

published in 1973.

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