Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji : Message of the 15 Bhagats or saints (Part-5)

51. Message of the 15 Bhagats or saints (Part-5)

Bhagat Nam Dev ji

Main Teachings : Even having received everything a person should say, “Nothing is in my control. What ever is done, is done by God only.” The pleasure of God can be achieved only by living in His will. God dwells in the heart of a man, who is true and pious in his actions. As said on page 1162 :

One who stays away from others' wealth and others' spouses the Lord abides near that person.

Creator should be worshipped not the creation. As stated on page 874 :

I take only the Name of the One Lord I have given away all other gods in exchange for Him.

We should pray to one and only one God Almighty. As stated on page 1292 :

Please do not forget me; please do not forget me, please do not forget me, O Lord.

Bhagat Nam Dev ji was born in the village Narsi Bahmini, Distt. Satara, Maharashtra(India) in the year 1270. His father was Daam Shetty and mother was Gona Bai. Since Childhood, Nam Dev ji was very religious minded. He always involved himself in singing the praise of Almighty. His parents sent him to study for worldly education from a teacher(Paadha), but he was interested more in spiritualism and less in worldly affairs. So he used to go to the Beethal Mandir in Pandharpur daily, in the morning and evening with his father to worship Thakur (Stone idol of God). He got his religious teachings from a great saint Gianeshvar(Giani Dev ji). After worshipping Thakur, he used to earn his livelihood from cloth printing. He used to do two things at a time, that is earning a livelihood and meditating. In Gurbani, he himself gives the description of a dialogue with Bhagat Tirlochan ji. Once he was very busy in his work of printing design on clothes and deeply meditating at the same time, when Bhagat Tirlochan ji came to see him. Bhagat Nam Dev ji did not pay any attention to him. He kept on meditating and working on the piece of cloth. Tirlochan ji waited for some time, and then said sarcastically,” O Nam Dev! I heard a lot about you, including, that you meditate a lot. I came to see you, but after seeing you I find you are totally engrossed in earning money. You are printing colored designs on people’s clothes day and night. Bhagat Kabir ji has described this dialogue on page1375 :

Trilochan says, O Naam Dayv, Maya has enticed you, my friend. Why are you printing designs on these sheets, and not focusing your consciousness on the Lord ?

And the answer which Bhagat Nam Dev ji gave is also mentioned by Kabeer Ji on page 1376 :

Naam Dayv answers, O Trilochan, chant the Lord's Name with your mouth. With your hands and feet, do all your work, but let your consciousness remain with the Immaculate Lord.

Bhagat Nam Dev ji loved God Almighty very intensely. His parents got him married to a very kind and gentle lady Raja Bai daughter of Gobind Shetty. He was blessed with four sons(Narayan, Mahandev, Gobind, Bithal) and one daughter Limba Bai. He performed his family duties honestly but even in his family life, he gave utmost importance and priority to recitation and meditation of naam(pray). By nature and temperament, Bhagat Nam Dev ji was simply very innocent, docile, kind hearted and free of any kind of crookedness. He used to go to the temple daily with his father and see his father offering milk to the Thakurs. He never knew that his father left the milk pot behind the curtains and then picked it up after some time. Nam Dev ji had firm belief that Thakur (stone idol of God) does drink the milk. One day his father had to go out of town for a certain task. He called his son Nam Dev ji and said,” My dear son, I am going out of town, so you will offer milk to Thakurs tomorrow.” So after giving directions to his son about doing his duty carefully, he went out of town. Next day Bhagat Nam Dev ji got up with full of enthusiasm, took a bath, milked the cow(Kapil cow) and went to Beethal Temple. He prayed from the core of his heart thinking Thakur ji was about to appear. God Almighty was pleased with his innocence and deep love and revealed Himself in a physical form to take the milk from Bhagat Nam Dev ji. This whole incident is described by Bhai Gurdas ji in his vaar 10, pauri 11 as followed :

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

And Bhagat Nam Dev ji himself tells this in his Bani which is entered in Sri Guru Granth Sahib on page 1163 :

Naam Dayv milked the brown cow, and brought a cup of milk and a jug of water to his family god. "Please drink this milk, O my Sovereign Lord God. Drink this milk and my mind will be happy. Otherwise, my father will be angry with me." Taking the golden cup, Naam Dayv filled it with the ambrosial milk, and placed it before the Lord. The Lord looked upon Naam Dayv and smiled. "This one devotee abides within my heart." The Lord drank the milk, and the devotee returned home Thus did Naam Dayv come to receive the Blessed Vision of the Lord's Darshan.

Due to his devotional meditation, Nam Dev ji had reached such a status in spiritualism that he viewed Almighty God in every creature. One day a dog came and took his cooked chappatti(Indian tortilla). Bhagat Nam Dev ji saw the presence of God in the living dog, ran after him saying,” O God! I desired to apply butter on the chapatti’s for you to eat, but you have carried them without butter. Please stop and let me apply butter to these dried chapatti’s. You can have them after that. “ Another day a Mughal ordered him to carry a foal( newborn baby horse). Bhagat Nam Dev ji again thinking about the presence of God in that Mughal was pleased to do that task for no pay. He talked to his God in very loving and sweet language as mentioned in Raag Tilang on page 757 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji :

Hello, my friend, hello my friend. Is there any good news ? I am a sacrifice, a devoted sacrifice, a dedicated and devoted sacrifice, to You. Slavery to You is so sublime; Your Name is noble and exalted. Where did you come from ? Where have You been ? And where are You going ? Tell me the truth, in the holy city of Dwaarikaa. How handsome is your turban And how sweet is your speech. Why are there Moghals in the holy city of Dwaarikaa ? You alone are the Lord of so many thousands of worlds. You are my Lord King, like the dark-skinned Krishna.You are the Lord of the sun, Lord Indra and Lord Brahma, the King of men. You are the Lord and Master of Naam Dayv, the King, the Liberator of all.





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				51. Message of the 15 Bhagats or saints (Part-5) Bhagat Nam Dev ji Main Teachings : Even having received everything a person should say, “Nothing is in my control. What ever is done, is done by God only.” The pleasure of God can be achieved only by living in His will. God dwells in the heart of a man, who is true and pious in his actions. As said on page 1162 : One who stays away from others' wealth and others' spouses the Lord abides near that person. Creator should be worshipped not the creation. As stated on page 874 : I take only the Name of the One Lord I have given away all other gods in exchange for Him. We should pray to one and only one God Almighty. As stated on page 1292 : Please do not forget me; please do not forget me, please do not forget me, O Lord. Bhagat Nam Dev ji was born in the village Narsi Bahmini, Distt. Satara, Maharashtra(India) in the year 1270. His father was Daam Shetty and mother was Gona Bai. Since Childhood, Nam Dev ji was very religious minded. He always involved himself in singing the praise of Almighty. His parents sent him to study for worldly education from a teacher(Paadha), but he was interested more in spiritualism and less in worldly affairs. So he used to go to the Beethal Mandir in Pandharpur daily, in the morning and evening with his father to worship Thakur (Stone idol of God). He got his religious teachings from a great saint Gianeshvar(Giani Dev ji). After worshipping Thakur, he used to earn his livelihood from cloth printing. He used to do two things at a time, that is earning a livelihood and meditating. In Gurbani, he himself gives the description of a dialogue with Bhagat Tirlochan ji. Once he was very busy in his work of printing design on clothes and deeply meditating at the same time, when Bhagat Tirlochan ji came to see him. Bhagat Nam Dev ji did not pay any attention to him. He kept on meditating and working on the piece of cloth. Tirlochan ji waited for some time, and then said sarcastically,” O Nam Dev! I heard a lot about you, including, that you meditate a lot. I came to see you, but after seeing you I find you are totally engrossed in earning money. You are printing colored designs on people’s clothes day and night. Bhagat Kabir ji has described this dialogue on page1375 : Trilochan says, O Naam Dayv, Maya has enticed you, my friend. Why are you printing designs on these sheets, and not focusing your consciousness on the Lord ? And the answer which Bhagat Nam Dev ji gave is also mentioned by Kabeer Ji on page 1376 : Naam Dayv answers, O Trilochan, chant the Lord's Name with your mouth. With your hands and feet, do all your work, but let your consciousness remain with the Immaculate Lord. Bhagat Nam Dev ji loved God Almighty very intensely. His parents got him married to a very kind and gentle lady Raja Bai daughter of Gobind Shetty. He was blessed with four sons(Narayan, Mahandev, Gobind, Bithal) and one daughter Limba Bai. He performed his family duties honestly but even in his family life, he gave utmost importance and priority to recitation and meditation of naam(pray). By nature and temperament, Bhagat Nam Dev ji was simply very innocent, docile, kind hearted and free of any kind of crookedness. He used to go to the temple daily with his father and see his father offering milk to the Thakurs. He never knew that his father left the milk pot behind the curtains and then picked it up after some time. Nam Dev ji had firm belief that Thakur (stone idol of God) does drink the milk. One day his father had to go out of town for a certain task. He called his son Nam Dev ji and said,” My dear son, I am going out of town, so you will offer milk to Thakurs tomorrow.” So after giving directions to his son about doing his duty carefully, he went out of town. Next day Bhagat Nam Dev ji got up with full of enthusiasm, took a bath, milked the cow(Kapil cow) and went to Beethal Temple. He prayed from the core of his heart thinking Thakur ji was about to appear. God Almighty was pleased with his innocence and deep love and revealed Himself in a physical form to take the milk from Bhagat Nam Dev ji. This whole incident is described by Bhai Gurdas ji in his vaar 10, pauri 11 as followed : 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 And Bhagat Nam Dev ji himself tells this in his Bani which is entered in Sri Guru Granth Sahib on page 1163 : Naam Dayv milked the brown cow, and brought a cup of milk and a jug of water to his family god. "Please drink this milk, O my Sovereign Lord God. Drink this milk and my mind will be happy. Otherwise, my father will be angry with me." Taking the golden cup, Naam Dayv filled it with the ambrosial milk, and placed it before the Lord. The Lord looked upon Naam Dayv and smiled. "This one devotee abides within my heart." The Lord drank the milk, and the devotee returned home Thus did Naam Dayv come to receive the Blessed Vision of the Lord's Darshan. Due to his devotional meditation, Nam Dev ji had reached such a status in spiritualism that he viewed Almighty God in every creature. One day a dog came and took his cooked chappatti(Indian tortilla). Bhagat Nam Dev ji saw the presence of God in the living dog, ran after him saying,” O God! I desired to apply butter on the chapatti’s for you to eat, but you have carried them without butter. Please stop and let me apply butter to these dried chapatti’s. You can have them after that. “ Another day a Mughal ordered him to carry a foal( newborn baby horse). Bhagat Nam Dev ji again thinking about the presence of God in that Mughal was pleased to do that task for no pay. He talked to his God in very loving and sweet language as mentioned in Raag Tilang on page 757 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji : Hello, my friend, hello my friend. Is there any good news ? I am a sacrifice, a devoted sacrifice, a dedicated and devoted sacrifice, to You. Slavery to You is so sublime; Your Name is noble and exalted. Where did you come from ? Where have You been ? And where are You going ? Tell me the truth, in the holy city of Dwaarikaa. How handsome is your turban And how sweet is your speech. Why are there Moghals in the holy city of Dwaarikaa ? You alone are the Lord of so many thousands of worlds. You are my Lord King, like the dark-skinned Krishna.You are the Lord of the sun, Lord Indra and Lord Brahma, the King of men. You are the Lord and Master of Naam Dayv, the King, the Liberator of all.

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