Infinite Compassion on Animal Life
This was all the wonderful effect of the Ocean of Purity and Love which Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj was. Minds stood purified and transmission of pure love used to be in full play. The whole nature also stood covered in this magical influence of divine Love and purity and its behavioural pattern used to be that of utter humility and submission. The entire creation experienced as if it were in the grip of a thrill of divine bliss in this Ocean of purity and Love. When the Lord of compassion arose for Ardaas it used to be unique in its coverage of the whole life present there.
|
“Hey Guru Nanak Eh Haria Bharia Bera, Jia
Jant, Pasoo Panchi, Keet Patanga eisay taran Paar Kar de”
|
He prayed for the redemption of all life covering human beings, animals, reptiles, birds, insects and so on. There was nothing left outside the compassionate purview of the Great Redeemer. His ardaas - prayer - was all inclusive in its embrace of all living creatures. This was the miracle of His unbounded divine compassion on the whole creation.
I had the good fortune of attending Ardaas performed by Mahan Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj Himself on the day of pooranmashi a number of times. The sangat, devotees from all over yearned to be present in His Ardaas. So direct was the devotional appeal in His prayer, so intimate the way of His personal communication to Sri Guru Nanak Sahib, so intense was His face to face talk with the Lord and so refreshing, invigorating and overwhelming used to be the impact of His personal Ardaas to Guru Nanak that every member of the congregation felt totally relieved and liberated from the grip of all previous karmas and sins, and having thus become so light, they were transported to the highest planes of Bliss. Every one soared high into the realm of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib's Grace-unbounded.
His compassion and mercy extended to all alike beasts, animals, birds, insects, reptiles. Within their tiny self they were attracted to Babaji, the divine source of all life and sought liberation at His holy feet. The animals behaved in His presence as if they were under some divine spell and their behaviour and mood also indicated a yearning petition for liberation, for redemption, for freedom.
Once a deer wounded by hunters, miles away from the Thaath, ran at full speed with hunters following on horses. Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj who was inside His prayer room, rushed out towards the entrance to the Thaath. As soon as Baba Ji reached there, the wounded deer rushed to His Lotus feet, fell thereupon and breathed its last. Baba Ji very kindly put His stick on its head. Hunters who were following had watched the whole scene of the deer fleeing to its final liberation at the holy feet of Baba Ji. They fell down at the holy feet and sincerely apologised and vowed never to kill any animal again.
Some Muslim shepherds were returning with their sheep towards Jagraon. The sheep happened to block the railway track just when a railway officer was passing that way on a trolly. Unable to clear the animals from the track, the officer ordered a couple of his men to lead the entire flock to Jalao khana. Meanwhile, Baba Ji, who was returning from his evening stroll, appeared. The railway officer and his men bowed down with reverence. Baba Ji, kindly remarked :
|
“Just a while ago, their sheep have been saved from the jaws of wolves and now you are sending the whole lot to Jalao khana” |
Muslim shepherds on hearing this ran towards Baba Ji and fell at His feet and narrated to the railway official and his men as to how miraculously providence had saved their sheep from an attack of wolves. They showed the wounded sheep. Babaji advised the muslim shepherds to always remember Allah, the Sole Saviour of all. Such was the Grace of Mahan Babaji flowing to humans and animals alike. These shepherds used to visit the Thaath on every Puranmashi to offer their obeisance.
He had the mysterious power of divine attraction. Whosoever had seen Him even once was attracted to Him again and again. Every one felt safe, light, fearless and totally at peace in His presence, safe because there is no safer place than the abode of the Lord, light because in His presence one's sins were reduced to ashes, fearless because one was under the protective hands of the Supreme Saviour, and totally at peace because Mahan Baba Ji was an Ocean of supreme Bliss Himself.
People from all religions were attracted and drawn to Him as if impelled by a mysterious divine force and so were the animals. They all looked upto Him as their sole Saviour, their sole Redeemer.
Numerous were the occasions when animals and beasts also came and attended congregations. They sat behind the sangat and after attending the Kirtan and Discourse left. Babaji never permitted any cruelty to them. Even reptiles like cobras sometimes came and appeared before Gracious Babaji, raised their hoods, bowed and then dropped dead. Compassionate Babaji normally gave instructions to give a bath and recitation of Japji Sahib before burying the dead animal or reptile. On enquiry by the wonderstruck members of the sangat, Babaji many a times, in a divine mood, told of the past karmas, names, reasons for taking a birth as an animal, reptile and so on. Some times the curious villagers tried to verify the details of these names and circumstances leading to their previous death from the places as given by Babaji and to their utter astonishment the facts used to be correct.