Sakhi Series :- 252 (GURU AMARDAS JI AND BHAI GANGU SHAH)

GURU AMARDAS JI AND BHAI GANGU SHAH

At Govindval, a poor Sikh approached Guru Amardas jee and asked for help in getting his daughter married. This Sikh was very poor but a really good Sikh.  Guru Sahib wrote a *hundi*, signed by him, addressed to one Bhai Gangu Shah in Delhi, and asked the poor Sikh to get the money from Gangu Shah. Guru Sahib thought that since Gangu Shah had acquired a lot of wealth, it was a good time to test him. 

<**HUNDI** :  Hundis are used as a form of remittance instrument to transfer money from place to place, as a form of credit instrument or IOU to borrow money and as a bill of exchange in trade transactions>

Only the fortunate ones can withstand the tests of Guru Sahib. Only if Guru Sahib himself does kirpa, we can pass tests from him. Anyway, Gangu Shah, received this poor Sikh with warmth and inquired about Govindval. The Sikh told him all about Govindval and finally told him the purpose of his visit. He gave Gangu shah the hundi written and signed by Guru Sahib. 

Gangu Shah saw the hundi and was about to give the money to the poor Sikh, when his mind corrupted him. Some bad karma from his previous lives blossomed and ruined him. Gangu Shah started thinking that it is true that he is rich but who in this world can afford to just give away money like that. He thought that, Guru Sahib is not into worldly affairs and does not understand the worldly affairs. Guru Sahib knows more about spiritual world as opposed to the worldly affairs. The Sikhs are taking advantage of Guru Sahib and will try to take away Gangu's money. He thought that if today, he gives money to this poor Sikh, tomorrow there will be a line-up of beggars. 

It was great misfortune of Gangu Shah that he got trapped in the tricks of mind. His mind got taken over by maaya. He finally agreed to his mind and told the poor Sikh that he cannot give him any money as his money is stuck somewhere. 

The Sikh understood that Gangu Shah was reluctant to give money, so he did not argue further with Gangu Shah and travelled back to Govindval. He narrated everything that occurred, to Guru Amardas jee. The all-knowing Guru Sahib knew everything and just smiled after hearing about Gangu Shah's refusal to give money. He arranged money for the poor Sikh through other means. 

On the other hand, the abundant force of Waheguru came into action after the huge negative karma of Gangu Shah. Within days he lost everything he had earned. When he lost everything and came on the street, he realized his mistake. He realized that all that he had was by the kirpa of Guru Sahib. He realized his blunder and regretted refusing money to that Sikh. 

Fortunately, he had good karma and he thought of going back to Govindval Sahib. He came to Govindval Sahib and started doing sewa day and night. Guru Sahib did kirpa and he recited naam at very early amrit hours. All day he kept reciting naam and gurbani. All this time, he did not go in front of Guru Sahib and hid from other Sikhs who could recognize him. It is written in Suraj Parkash Granth that, with all this sewa and simran, his face started glowing with naam. 

Guru Sahib who knew everything, was waiting for the right time to approach him. With his sewa and naam jaap, he washed away his sins. Guru Sahib one day, called him in. With great hesitation and with great sharam (pashemaani, sharmindagi), he came to the darbar of Guru Sahib. He was thinking that how he could show his face to Guru Sahib after refusing to honour the hundi written and signed by Guru Sahib himself. Guru Sahib is no human and does not have human qualities. Guru Sahib is Waheguru himself and has qualities of Waheguru. Waheguru does not consider one's bad deeds when doing kirpa. 

Guru Sahib, called him Shah jee and told him that he was very happy with his sewa. He fell at the lotus-feet of Satguru and asked for forgiveness of his black deeds. Guru Sahib lifted him up and embraced him and gave him a lot of asees. With all these asees, Gangu Shah became a blessed soul. 

Now Gangu Shah had seen how unstable the material world is and he asked for only naam and more naam. Guru Sahib blessed him with the top spiritual state where one becomes one with Waheguru. Gangu Shah, became the real shah i.e. the shah of Naam.