One Oankar, the primal energy, realized through the grace of the divine preceptor
(Ros=anger Dudhulikka=humble. Surita=goli. Janam di=by birth. Savani=queen.)
Boy Dhru came smiling to his house (palace) and his father full of love put him into his lap.
Seeing this, the stepmother got angry and catching hold of his arm pushed him out of the lap of the father (the king).
Tearful with fear he asked his mother whether she was a queen or a maidservant?
O son! (said she) I was born queen but I did not remember God and did not undertake acts of devotion (and this is the reason of yours and mine plight).
With that effort can the kingdom be had (asked Dhru) and how can enemies turn friends?
The Lord should be worshipped and thus the sinners also become sacred ones (said the mother).
Listening to this and getting totally detached in his mind Dhru went out (to the jungle) to undertake rigorous discipline.
On the way, sage Narad taught him the technique of devotion and Dhru quaffed the nectar from the ocean of the Name of the Lord.
(After some time) King (Uttanpad) called him back and asked him (Dhru) to rule forever.
The gurmukhs who seem to be losing i.e. who turn their faces from the evil propensities, conquer the world.
Prahlad, the saint, was born in the house of demon (king) Haranakhas like a lotus is born in the alkaline (barren) land.
When he was sent to seminary, the brahmin purohit became elated (because the king’s son was now his disciple).
Prahlad would remember the name of Ram in his heart and outwardly also he would eulogise the Lord.
Now all the disciples became devotees of Lord, which was an awful and embarrassing situation for all the teachers.
The priest (teacher) reported or complained to the king (that O king your son has become devotee of God).
The malevolent demon picked up the quarrel. Prahlad was thrown into fire and water but with the grace of Guru (the Lord) neither he was burnt nor drowned.
Angered as he was, Hiranyaksyapu took out his double-edged sword and asked Prahlad who his Guru (Lord) was.
At the same moment Lord God in the form of man-lion came out of pillar. His form was grand and majestic.
That wicked demon was thrown down and killed and thus it was proved that the Lord is kind to devotees since the time immemorial.
Seeing this Brahma and other gods started eulogising the Lord.
Bali, the king, was busy in performing a yajna in his palace.
A low stature dwarf in the form of brahmin came there reciting all the four Vedas.
The king after calling him in asked him to demand anything he liked.
Immediately priest Sukracharya made the king (Bali) understand that he (the beggar) is undeceivable God and He had came to delude him.
The dwarf demanded two and half steps length of earth (which was granted by the king).
Then the dwarf expanded his body so much that now the three worlds were insufficient for him.
Even knowing this deception Bali allowed himself to be deceived so, and seeing this Vishnu embraced him.
When he covered the three worlds in two steps, for third half-step king Bali offered his own back.
Bali was given the kingdom of the netherworld where surrendering to God he engaged himself in the loving devotion of the Lord. Vishnu was delighted to be the doorkeeper of Bali.
One evening while king Ambaris was fasting he was visited by sage Durvasa
The king was to break his fast while serving Durvasa but the rishi went to the riverbank to take a bath.
Fearing the change of date (which would deem his fast fruitless), the king broke his fast by drinking the water which he had poured on the feet of the rishi. When the rishi realised that the king had not served him first, he ran to curse the king.
On this, Vishnu ordered his death like disc to move towards Durvasa and thus the ego of Durvasa was removed.
Now Brahmin Durvasa ran for his life. Even the gods and deities could not afford him shelter.
He was avoided in the abodes of Indra, Siva, Brahma and the heavens.
Gods and God made him understand (that none except Ambaris could save him).
Then he surrendered before Ambaris and Ambaris saved the dying sage.
The Lord God came to be known in the world as benevolent to devotees.
King Janak was a great saint who amidst maya remained indifferent to it.
Along with gans and gandharvs (calestial musicians) he went to the abode of the gods.
From there, he, hearing the cries of inhabitants of hell, went to them.
He asked the god of death, Dharamrai, to relieve all their suffering.
Hearing this, the god of death told him he was a mere servant of the eternal Lord (and without His orders he could not liberate them).
Janak offered a part of his devotion and remembrance of the name of the Lord.
All the sins of hell were found not equal even to the counterweight of balance.
In fact no balance can weigh the fruits of recitation and remembrance of the Lords name by the gurmukh.
All the creatures got liberated from hell and the noose of death was cut. Liberation and the technique of attaining it are the servants of the name of the Lord.
King HariChand had a queen with beautiful eyes, Tara, who had made his home the abode of comforts.
At night she would go to the place where in the form of holy congregation, would recite the holy hymns.
After she had left, the King awoke in the middle of the night and realised she had gone.
He could not find the Queen anywhere and his heart filled with astonishment
The following night he followed the young queen.
The queen reached the holy congregation and the King lifted one of her sandals from there (so that he could prove the infidelity of the queen).
When about to go, the queen concentrated upon the holy congregation and the one sandal became a pair.
The king upheld this feat and realized that there her matching sandal was a miracle.
I am sacrifice unto the holy congregation.
Hearing that Lord Krishan was served and stayed over at humble Bidar's home, Duryodhan remarked sarcastically.
Leaving our grand palaces, how much happiness and comfort did you attain in the home of a servant?
You gave up even Bhikhaum, Dohna and Karan who are recognised as great men who are adorned in all courts.
We have all been anguished to find that you have lived in a hut”.
Then smilingly, Lord Krishan asked the King to come forward and to listen carefully.
I see no love and devotion in you (and hence I have not come to you).
No heart I see has even a fraction of the love that Bidar bears in his heart.
The Lord needs loving devotion and nothing else.
Dragging Daropati by the hair, Dusasanai brought her into the assembly.
He commanded his men to strip the maidservant Dropati stark naked.
All the five Pandavs who she was the wife of, beheld this.
Crying, totally dejected and helpless, she closed her eyes. Single-mindedly she invoked Krishna for help.
The servants were taking off the clothes from her body but more layers of clothes formed a fort around her; the servants got tired but the layers of clothes were never ending.
The servants were now writhing and frustrated on their abortive attempt and felt that they themselves were ashamed.
On reaching home, Dropati was asked by Lord Krishna whether she was saved in the assembly.
She shyly replied, “Since perennial times you are living up to your reputation of being father of the fatherless ones.”
Sudama, a poor brahman, was known to be a friend of Krishna from childhood.
His brahmin wife always pestered him as to why he did not go to Lord Krishna to alleviate his poverty.
He was perplexed and pondered over how he could get re-introduced to Krishna, who could help him meet the Lord.
He reached the town of Duaraka and stood before the main gate (of the palace of Krishna).
Seeing him from a distance, Krishna, the Lord, bowed and leaving his throne came to Sudama.
First he circumambulated around Sudama and then touching his feet he embraced him.
Washing his feet he took that water and made Sudama sit on the throne.
Then Krishna lovingly enquired about his welfare and talked about the time when they were together in the service of the guru (Sandipani).
Krishna asked for the rice sent by Sudama’s wife and after eating, came out to see off his friend Sudama.
Though all the four boons (righteousness,wealth,fulfillment of desire and libereation) were given to Sudama by Krishna, Krishna's humbleness still made him feel totally helpless.
Getting immersed in the loving devotion, the devotee Jaidev would sing the songs of the Lord (Govind).
He would describe the glorious feats accomplished by God and was greatly loved by him.
He (Jaidev) knew no would and hence binding his book would return home in the evening.
God, the repository of all virtues in the form of the devotee Himself wrote all the songs for him.
Jaidev would get elated seeing and reading those words.
Jaidev saw a wonderful tree in the deep forest.
Each and every leaf had the songs of the Lord Govind written on it. He could not understand this mystery.
Due to the love for the devotee, God embraced him in person.
God and saint have no veil in between.
Namdev's father was called to do some work so he called Naamdev.
He told Namdev to serve Thakur, the Lord, with milk.
After taking bath Namdev brought the milk of black-teat cow.
Having bathed the Thakur, he put the water used to wash the Thakur, on his own head.
Now with folded hands he requested the Lord to have milk.
Becoming steadfast in his thoughts when he prayed, the Lord appeared before him in person.
Namdev made Lord drink the full bowl of milk.
On another occasion God brought a dead cow to life and also thatched the hut of Namdev.
On yet another occasion, God rotated the temple (after Naamdev was not allowed entrance) and made all the four castes (varnas) bow at the feet of Namdev.
The Lord accomplishes whatever is done and desired by saints.
Trilochan awoke early daily just to have sight of Namdev,
Together they would concentrate on the Lord and Namdev would tell him the grand stories of God.
(Trilochan asked Namdev) “kindly pray for me so that if the Lord accepts, I may also have a glimpse of His blessed vision.”
Namdev asked Thakur, the Lord, as to how Trilochan could have sight of the Lord ?
The Lord God smiled and explained to Naamdev;
“No offerings are needed by me. Out of my delight only, I would make Trilochan to have sight of me.
I am under the total control of the devotees and their loving claims I can never reject; rather I myself also cannot understand them.
Their loving devotion, in fact, becomes mediator and makes them meet me.”
A brahman would worship gods (in the form of stone idols) where Dhanna used to graze his cow.
On seeing his worship, Dhanna asked the brahman what he was doing.
“Service to the Thakur (God) gives the desired fruit,” replied the brahman.
Dhanna requested, “O brahman, if you agree kindly give one to me.”
The brahman rolled a stone, gave it to Dhanna and thus got rid of him.
Dhanna bathed the Thakur and offered him bread and buttermilk.
With folded hands and falling at the feet of the stone he begged for his service to be accepted.
Dhanna said, “I will also not eat because how can I be happy if you are annoyed.”
(Seeing his true and loving devotion) God was forced to appear and eat his bread and buttermilk.
In fact, innocence like that of Dhanna makes the sight of the Lord available.
Saint Beni, a gurmukh, used to sit in solitude and would enter a meditative trance.
He would perform spiritual activities and in humbleness would never tell anyone.
Reaching back home when asked, he would tell people that he had gone to the door of his king (the Supreme Lord).
When his wife asked for some household material he would avoid her and thus spend his time performing spiritual activities.
One day while concentrating on the Lord with single-minded devotion, a strange miracle happened.
To keep the glory of the devotee, God Himself in the form of King went to his house.
In great joy, He consoled everyone and made available profuse money for expenditure.
From there He came to His devotee Beni and compassionately loved him.
This way He arranges applause for His devotees.
Being detached from the world, Brahmin Ramanand lived in Varanasi (Kasi).
He would rise early in the morning and go to the Ganges to bathe.
Once even before Ramanand, Kabir went there and lay in the way.
Touching with his feet Ramanand awakened Kabir and told him to speak ‘Ram’, the true spiritual teaching.
As the iron touched by philosopher’s stone becomes gold and the margosa tree (Azadirachta indica) is made fragrant by sandal.
The wondrous Guru turns even animals and ghosts into angels.
Meeting the wonderous Guru the disciple wonderfully merges into the great wonderous Lord.
Then from the Self springs a fountain and the words of the gurmukhs shape a beautiful form
Now Ram and Kabir became identical.
Hearing of glory of Kabir, Sain also turned to be a disciple.
In the night he would immerse in loving devotion and in the morning he would serve at the door of the king.
On one night some sadhus came to him and the whole night was spent in singing the Lord's praises
Sain could not leave company of the saints and consequently did not perform the king’s service the following morning.
God himself took the form of Sain. He served the king in such a way that the king was overjoyed.
Bidding fairwell to the saints, Sain hesitantly arrived at the palace of the king.
The king From a distance the king called him nearby. He took off his own robes and offered them to Bhagat Sain.
‘You have overpowered me’, said the king and his words were heard by one and all.
God himself manifests the grandeur of the devotee.
The tanner (Ravidas) became renowned as bhagat (saint) in all the four directions.
In accordance with his family tradition he would cobble the shoes and carry away the dead animals.
This was his outward routine but in reality he was a gem wrapped in rags.
He would preach all the four varnas (castes). His preaching made them rapt in the meditative devotion for the Lord.
Once, a group of people went to Kasi (Varanasi) to have their sacred dip in the Ganges.
Ravidas gave one dhela (half a pice) to one member and asked him to offer it to the Ganges.
A great festival of Abhijit naksatr (star) was on there where the public saw this wonderful episode.
Ganges, herself taking out her hand accepted that paltry amount, dhela, and proved that Ravidas was one with Ganges as warp and weft.
For bhagats (saints,) God is their mother, father and son all in one.
Ahalya was wife of Gautam. But when she set eyes Indhar, the king of gods, lust overpowered her.
He entered their house, got curse of being with thousands of pudendums and repented.
The Indralok (abode of Indr) became desolate and getting ashamed of himself he hid in a pond.
On revocation of the curse when all those holes became eyes, only then he returned to his habitat.
Ahalya who could not remain steadfast in her chastity became stone and remained lying on the river bank
Touching the (holy) feet of Ram she was lifted to the heavens.
Because of His benevolence He is mother-like to the devotees and being forgiver of the sinners He is called redeemer of the fallen ones.
Doing good is returned by good gestures always, but he who does good to the evil is known as virtuous.
How can I explain the greatness of that unmanifest (Lord).
Valmeel was a highwayman Valmiki who would rob and kill travellers passing by.
Then he began serving the true Guru, Now his mind became diffident about his work.
His mind still urged to kill people but his hands would not obey.
The true Guru made his mind tranquil and all the volition of mind came to an end.
He unfolded all the evils of mind before the Guru and said, ‘O Lord, this is a profession for me.’
The Guru asked him to enquire at home as to which family members would be co-partner him of his evil deeds at death.
But although his family were always ready to be sacrifice unto him, none of them were ready to accept responsibility.
On returning, the Guru placed the sermon of truth within his heart and made him a liberated one. With a single leap he was released from the net of worldliness.
Becoming gurmukh, one becomes capable of jumping across mountains of sins.
Ajamil, the fallen sinner lived with a prostitute.
He became an apostate. He was entangled in the cobweb of evil deeds.
His life was wasted in futile deeds and was tossed and thrown within the terrifying worldly ocean.
While with the prostitute, he became the father of six sons. As a result of her bad deeds they all became dangerous robbers.
A seventh son was born and he began to consider a name for the child.
He visited the Guru who named his son Narayan (a name for God).
At the end of his life, seeing the messengers of death Ajamil cried for Narayan.
The name of God made the death messengers take to their heels. Ajamil went to heaven and did not suffer the beatings from the club of the messengers of death.
Utterance of Name of the Lord dispels all sorrow.
Gankaa was a sinful prostitute who wore the necklace of misdeeds around her neck.
Once a great man was passing by who halted in her courtyard.
Seeing her bad plight he became compassionate and offered her a special parrot.
He told her to teach the parrot to repeat the name of Ram. Having made her understand this fruitful trade he then went away.
Each and every day, with full concentration, she would teach the parrot to say Ram.
The name of Lord is the liberator of the fallen ones. It washed away her evil wisdom and deeds.
At the time of death, it cut away the noose of Yama - the messenger of death she did not have to drown in the ocean of hell.
Due to the elixir of name (of the Lord) she became totally devoid of sins and was lifted to the heavens.
The name (of the Lord) is the last refuge of the shelterless ones.
The ill-reputed Putana applied poison on both of her teats.
She came to the family (of Nand) and started to express her newfound love for the family.
Through her clever deception, she lifted Krishna in her lap.
With great pride she pressed her breast teat in the mouth of Krishna and came out.
Now she expanded her body to a great extent.
Krishna also becoming the full weight of the three worlds hung from and stuck to her neck.
Getting unconscious, and like a mountain she fell down into the forest.
Krishna liberated her at last and gave her status of equal to his mother’s friend.
At the sacred place of Prabhas, Krishna slept cross legged with his foot on his knee.
The lotus sign in his foot was illuminating like a star.
A hunter came and considering it an eye of a deer, shot the arrow.
As he approached, he realised it was Krishna. He became full of sorrow and begged forgiveness.
Krishna ignored his wrong act and embraced him.
Gracefully Krishna asked him to be full of perseverance and gave sactuary to the wrongdoer.
The good is said good by everyone but the works of the evil doers are set right by the Lord only.
He has liberated many fallen sinners.