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

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

Bhagat Tirlochan ji

Bani Entered in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji : Four shabads, one in Sri Raag, two in Raag Gujri and one in Raag Darshani

Principal Teachings : Man is caught in the web of mammon (maya) and affection. Age is passing by. Old age and angels of death are coming closer. The purpose of a human being coming to this world is to purify the mind and unite with Almighty God. Through Simran(Reciting prayer), mind is purified but man adopts false and baseless rituals and ignores Simran. Finally a person gets nothing. Intensive poignant meditation is required so that harmony with God Almighty may become possible in this human life. Bhagat Tirlochan ji was born in the year 1267 A.D. at Village Baarsi, Distt. Sholapur(Rajasthan, India). He was religiously inclined since childhood. His wife and him used to be very loving hosts to the saints and the noble souls who visited them. He got religious education from Swami Gianeshwar ji. He was a contemporary of Bhagat Naam Dev ji, a well known saint of the time. Tirlochan ji used to share and discuss all details about naam Simran with Bhagat Naam Dev ji. This has been mentioned in the Shalok of Baba Kabeer ji. Naam Dev ji was busy dying clothes (His profession) when Tirlochan ji visited him. This created an illusion in the mind of Tirlochan ji regarding the spiritual status of Baba Naam Dev ji. Tirlochan ji thought that Baba Naam Dev ji was always engrossed in his work whenever he visited and it seemed that Naam Dev ji was influenced by wealth (maya). So Bhagat Tirlochan ji revealed his doubt to his dear friend Baba Naam Dev ji. As mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 1375 :

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 ?

Naam Dev ji smiled after hearing the question from his friend and in order to clear the doubt of Tirlochan ji he replied,” O My dear friend! Tirlochan, I am not caught in the web of maya. Hands do not recite Naam. It is to be meditated upon with the mind. So I meditate on the naam of God in my mind and use my hands and feet to earn and work for my livelihood. This answer is also registered in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 1375-1376 :

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.

Tirlochan ji was pleased to hear this answer, but a thought came to his mind that his spiritual state was not as high as compared with Bhagat Naam Dev ji. Bhagat Naam Dev ji was a saint of the highest level, who had reached the stage of harmony with Almighty God. Tirlochan ji thought that he should request Naam Dev ji to help him in getting a glimpse of God Almighty. So he asked his friend Bhagat Namdev ji politely. This whole dialogue between Naam Dev ji and Tirlochan ji and the answer of God Almighty to Tirlochan ji is recorded in Bhai Gurdas ji’s vaar tenth pauri 12th. Bhai Gurdas ji states that Naam Dev ji and Tirlochan ji were good friends and they got religious education from the same person. Early in the morning, Tirlochan Ji would get up to see his friend Naam Dev ji and they meditated together. Naam Dev ji would narrate the sermons of Almighty God and Tirlochan would hear them with deep love and devotion. One day Tirlochan Ji requested his friend Naam Dev ji ,”O Friend! you are lucky to have glimpses of God daily. Can you please request the Almighty on my behalf to show Himself to me. Naam Dev ji conveyed his request to the Almighty and in response to his request, Almighty God smiled and said,” O Naam Dev! Offering great amounts of wealth or to a person who claims that he is the best devotee because he recites my name does not obtain my glimpses. I am under the control of those devotees who even after long-term meditation don’t claim that they have meditated. Also, I can’t ignore a devotee who does meditation with intense love and purity from the bottom of his heart. O Naam Dev! The persons who become true devotees like you, are worthy of My glimpses. As mentioned in Bhai Gurdas ji’s 10thvaar pauri 12thas :

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.”

So Bhagat Tirlochan ji received harmony with Almighty God through company and humble prayer of his friend Bhagat Naam Dev ji. There are four other tales concerning Tirlochan ji’s life in the book,”Bhagat Maal Granth”. When his reputation spread everywhere, many saints and other curious learners started to pay him visits. He, along with his wife, looked after every guest very affectionately and politely. His wife requested him to hire a servant to help her in the domestic affairs because of the large number of visitors. Bhagat ji also thought about having a good servant in the house. Next day, Almighty God came in the disguise of a servant and stood before Bhagat Tirlochan ji. After giving him instructions, Bhagat ji asked him about how much salary he wanted. The servant (God disguised Himself) said politely,” What would I do with my salary because I have no relatives in this world. I will work without pay. What ever you give me to eat and wear, I will accept it. But I have one condition. If you try to slander or talk behind my back, I will not stay here. That is all my pay and the conditions.” Time passed by at its own pace. All the work of Bhagat Tirlochan ji and taking care of guests was beautifully accomplished by the Intuitive servant. Everything was going smoothly and peacefully. One day Bhagat ji’s wife talked badly about the servant Antarjami (his name) to one of her neighbors. As a result of this, agreement between the master and the servant was broken and the servant disappeared. It was a problem. When Bhagat ji came to know that all this happened because of his wife, he tried to pacify her by giving references from old religious scriptures. He told her that it was the outcome of her earlier deeds from past life and every one has to pay for their deeds. As mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 695 :

Why do you slander the Lord? You are ignorant and deluded. Pain and pleasure are the result of your own actions.

Tirlochan ji also tried to make her understand by giving more examples as mentioned on page 695 :

The karma of past actions cannot be erased, O wife of my house; this is why I chant the Name of the Lord.

Four shabads of Tirlochan ji are registered in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. In these shabads he has condemned hypocrisy and showing off. He has stressed the need of purifying the mind by meditation and service to humanity. One should, “ Lakh chaorassi jin upa-ee so simroh nirbanni…Recite the name of Almighty God who created everything. Keep the main task of meditation and recitation of God Almighty in mind. There is no use wearing clothes of an ascetic or Sanyasi(monk) and going to forests, remaining naked, begging food from door to door, smearing ashes all over the body, sitting near the red hot burning material, standing in constant stream of water, living in torn clothes and having earrings in your ears. Without Simran (pray) of God it is just like churning water instead of milk because one doesn’t get any butter out of water. As mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 526 :

You have not cleansed the filth from within yourself, although outwardly, you wear the dress of a renunciate. In the heart-lotus of your self, you have not recognized God - why have you become a Sannyaasee ? Deluded by doubt, O Jai Chand, you have not realized the Lord, the embodiment of supreme bliss. You eat in each and every house, fattening your body; you wear the patched coat and the ear-rings of the beggar, for the sake of wealth. You apply the ashes of cremation to your body, but without a Guru, you have not found the essence of reality. Why bother to chant your spells ? Why bother to practice austerities ? Why bother to churn water ? Meditate on the Lord of Nirvaanaa, who has created the 8.4 million species of beings. Why bother to carry the water-pot, O saffron-robed Yogi? Why bother to visit the sixty- eight holy places of pilgrimage ? Says Trilochan, listen, mortal: you have no corn - what are you trying to thresh ?

On page 92 of Guru Granth Sahib ji , Tirlochan ji has narrated one personal experience from his life. He has tried to awaken the human being from his ignorant sleep of Maya(evil influence of wealth). He says,” O Mortal! I have this doubt in my mind as I have seen the God of Death with my own eyes. Even the strongest and the bravest are crushed and grounded by the angels of death. No body stands a chance before them. But you are caught in the web of maya(wealth) to such an extent that even old age and death are out of your mind right now. You have forgotten the harsh punishments at the hands of the angels of death. Under the luxurious surroundings of this world, you have considered this materialistic world as the final truth. O Lazy man! you are infatuated and engrossed in the false nature of the world. O mortal! Just remember, you will have to pass through very dark, dangerous and scary path, where even the light of Sun and the moon does not come. Listen to me, do pray in the holy feet of the God….

"O my Beloved, take me into Your Embrace ! O my Lord, please save me !"

O Creator! You yourself know every action of mine ,” Aiy Ji tu aapay sabh kuchh jandaa badit Tirlochan ramaa-yee-a” Tirlochan ji’ s words are further clarified and mentioned on page 92 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji :

The mind is totally attached to Maya; the mortal has forgotten his fear of old age and death. Gazing upon his family, he blossoms forth like the lotus flower; the deceitful person watches and covets the homes of others. When the powerful Messenger of Death comes, no one can stand against his awesome power. Rare, very rare, is that friend who comes and says, "O my Beloved, take me into Your Embrace ! O my Lord, please save me” Indulging in all sorts of princely pleasures, O mortal, you have forgotten God; you have fallen into the world-ocean, and you think that you have become immortal. Cheated and plundered by Maya, you do not think of God, and you waste your life in laziness. The path you must walk is treacherous and terrifying, O mortal; neither the sun nor the moon shine there. Your emotional attachment to Maya will be forgotten, when you have to leave this Today, it became clear to my mind that the Righteous Judge of Dharma is watching us. His messengers, with their awesome power, crush people between their hands; I cannot stand against If someone is going to teach me something, let it be that the Lord is pervading the forests and fields. O Dear Lord, You Yourself know everything; so prays Trilochan, Lord.

Guru Teg Bahadur ji orders on page 1429 :

Whatever has been created shall be destroyed; everyone shall perish, today or tomorrow.

So under this eternal order,Bhagat Tirlochan ji left for his heavenly abode in the year 1335 A.D. and left permanent foot prints in the form of shabads which give us guidance and will continue giving it for ever. As the Great Guru Arjun Dev ji has preserved them in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 526 :

O sister, do not forget the Name of the Lord of the Universe.





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				61. Message of the 15 Bhagats or saints (Part-15) Bhagat Tirlochan ji Bani Entered in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji : Four shabads, one in Sri Raag, two in Raag Gujri and one in Raag Darshani Principal Teachings : Man is caught in the web of mammon (maya) and affection. Age is passing by. Old age and angels of death are coming closer. The purpose of a human being coming to this world is to purify the mind and unite with Almighty God. Through Simran(Reciting prayer), mind is purified but man adopts false and baseless rituals and ignores Simran. Finally a person gets nothing. Intensive poignant meditation is required so that harmony with God Almighty may become possible in this human life. Bhagat Tirlochan ji was born in the year 1267 A.D. at Village Baarsi, Distt. Sholapur(Rajasthan, India). He was religiously inclined since childhood. His wife and him used to be very loving hosts to the saints and the noble souls who visited them. He got religious education from Swami Gianeshwar ji. He was a contemporary of Bhagat Naam Dev ji, a well known saint of the time. Tirlochan ji used to share and discuss all details about naam Simran with Bhagat Naam Dev ji. This has been mentioned in the Shalok of Baba Kabeer ji. Naam Dev ji was busy dying clothes (His profession) when Tirlochan ji visited him. This created an illusion in the mind of Tirlochan ji regarding the spiritual status of Baba Naam Dev ji. Tirlochan ji thought that Baba Naam Dev ji was always engrossed in his work whenever he visited and it seemed that Naam Dev ji was influenced by wealth (maya). So Bhagat Tirlochan ji revealed his doubt to his dear friend Baba Naam Dev ji. As mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 1375 : 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 ? Naam Dev ji smiled after hearing the question from his friend and in order to clear the doubt of Tirlochan ji he replied,” O My dear friend! Tirlochan, I am not caught in the web of maya. Hands do not recite Naam. It is to be meditated upon with the mind. So I meditate on the naam of God in my mind and use my hands and feet to earn and work for my livelihood. This answer is also registered in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 1375-1376 : 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. Tirlochan ji was pleased to hear this answer, but a thought came to his mind that his spiritual state was not as high as compared with Bhagat Naam Dev ji. Bhagat Naam Dev ji was a saint of the highest level, who had reached the stage of harmony with Almighty God. Tirlochan ji thought that he should request Naam Dev ji to help him in getting a glimpse of God Almighty. So he asked his friend Bhagat Namdev ji politely. This whole dialogue between Naam Dev ji and Tirlochan ji and the answer of God Almighty to Tirlochan ji is recorded in Bhai Gurdas ji’s vaar tenth pauri 12th. Bhai Gurdas ji states that Naam Dev ji and Tirlochan ji were good friends and they got religious education from the same person. Early in the morning, Tirlochan Ji would get up to see his friend Naam Dev ji and they meditated together. Naam Dev ji would narrate the sermons of Almighty God and Tirlochan would hear them with deep love and devotion. One day Tirlochan Ji requested his friend Naam Dev ji ,”O Friend! you are lucky to have glimpses of God daily. Can you please request the Almighty on my behalf to show Himself to me. Naam Dev ji conveyed his request to the Almighty and in response to his request, Almighty God smiled and said,” O Naam Dev! Offering great amounts of wealth or to a person who claims that he is the best devotee because he recites my name does not obtain my glimpses. I am under the control of those devotees who even after long-term meditation don’t claim that they have meditated. Also, I can’t ignore a devotee who does meditation with intense love and purity from the bottom of his heart. O Naam Dev! The persons who become true devotees like you, are worthy of My glimpses. As mentioned in Bhai Gurdas ji’s 10thvaar pauri 12thas : 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.” So Bhagat Tirlochan ji received harmony with Almighty God through company and humble prayer of his friend Bhagat Naam Dev ji. There are four other tales concerning Tirlochan ji’s life in the book,”Bhagat Maal Granth”. When his reputation spread everywhere, many saints and other curious learners started to pay him visits. He, along with his wife, looked after every guest very affectionately and politely. His wife requested him to hire a servant to help her in the domestic affairs because of the large number of visitors. Bhagat ji also thought about having a good servant in the house. Next day, Almighty God came in the disguise of a servant and stood before Bhagat Tirlochan ji. After giving him instructions, Bhagat ji asked him about how much salary he wanted. The servant (God disguised Himself) said politely,” What would I do with my salary because I have no relatives in this world. I will work without pay. What ever you give me to eat and wear, I will accept it. But I have one condition. If you try to slander or talk behind my back, I will not stay here. That is all my pay and the conditions.” Time passed by at its own pace. All the work of Bhagat Tirlochan ji and taking care of guests was beautifully accomplished by the Intuitive servant. Everything was going smoothly and peacefully. One day Bhagat ji’s wife talked badly about the servant Antarjami (his name) to one of her neighbors. As a result of this, agreement between the master and the servant was broken and the servant disappeared. It was a problem. When Bhagat ji came to know that all this happened because of his wife, he tried to pacify her by giving references from old religious scriptures. He told her that it was the outcome of her earlier deeds from past life and every one has to pay for their deeds. As mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 695 : Why do you slander the Lord? You are ignorant and deluded. Pain and pleasure are the result of your own actions. Tirlochan ji also tried to make her understand by giving more examples as mentioned on page 695 : The karma of past actions cannot be erased, O wife of my house; this is why I chant the Name of the Lord. Four shabads of Tirlochan ji are registered in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. In these shabads he has condemned hypocrisy and showing off. He has stressed the need of purifying the mind by meditation and service to humanity. One should, “ Lakh chaorassi jin upa-ee so simroh nirbanni…Recite the name of Almighty God who created everything. Keep the main task of meditation and recitation of God Almighty in mind. There is no use wearing clothes of an ascetic or Sanyasi(monk) and going to forests, remaining naked, begging food from door to door, smearing ashes all over the body, sitting near the red hot burning material, standing in constant stream of water, living in torn clothes and having earrings in your ears. Without Simran (pray) of God it is just like churning water instead of milk because one doesn’t get any butter out of water. As mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 526 : You have not cleansed the filth from within yourself, although outwardly, you wear the dress of a renunciate. In the heart-lotus of your self, you have not recognized God - why have you become a Sannyaasee ? Deluded by doubt, O Jai Chand, you have not realized the Lord, the embodiment of supreme bliss. You eat in each and every house, fattening your body; you wear the patched coat and the ear-rings of the beggar, for the sake of wealth. You apply the ashes of cremation to your body, but without a Guru, you have not found the essence of reality. Why bother to chant your spells ? Why bother to practice austerities ? Why bother to churn water ? Meditate on the Lord of Nirvaanaa, who has created the 8.4 million species of beings. Why bother to carry the water-pot, O saffron-robed Yogi? Why bother to visit the sixty- eight holy places of pilgrimage ? Says Trilochan, listen, mortal: you have no corn - what are you trying to thresh ? On page 92 of Guru Granth Sahib ji , Tirlochan ji has narrated one personal experience from his life. He has tried to awaken the human being from his ignorant sleep of Maya(evil influence of wealth). He says,” O Mortal! I have this doubt in my mind as I have seen the God of Death with my own eyes. Even the strongest and the bravest are crushed and grounded by the angels of death. No body stands a chance before them. But you are caught in the web of maya(wealth) to such an extent that even old age and death are out of your mind right now. You have forgotten the harsh punishments at the hands of the angels of death. Under the luxurious surroundings of this world, you have considered this materialistic world as the final truth. O Lazy man! you are infatuated and engrossed in the false nature of the world. O mortal! Just remember, you will have to pass through very dark, dangerous and scary path, where even the light of Sun and the moon does not come. Listen to me, do pray in the holy feet of the God…. "O my Beloved, take me into Your Embrace ! O my Lord, please save me !" O Creator! You yourself know every action of mine ,” Aiy Ji tu aapay sabh kuchh jandaa badit Tirlochan ramaa-yee-a” Tirlochan ji’ s words are further clarified and mentioned on page 92 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji : The mind is totally attached to Maya; the mortal has forgotten his fear of old age and death. Gazing upon his family, he blossoms forth like the lotus flower; the deceitful person watches and covets the homes of others. When the powerful Messenger of Death comes, no one can stand against his awesome power. Rare, very rare, is that friend who comes and says, "O my Beloved, take me into Your Embrace ! O my Lord, please save me” Indulging in all sorts of princely pleasures, O mortal, you have forgotten God; you have fallen into the world-ocean, and you think that you have become immortal. Cheated and plundered by Maya, you do not think of God, and you waste your life in laziness. The path you must walk is treacherous and terrifying, O mortal; neither the sun nor the moon shine there. Your emotional attachment to Maya will be forgotten, when you have to leave this Today, it became clear to my mind that the Righteous Judge of Dharma is watching us. His messengers, with their awesome power, crush people between their hands; I cannot stand against If someone is going to teach me something, let it be that the Lord is pervading the forests and fields. O Dear Lord, You Yourself know everything; so prays Trilochan, Lord. Guru Teg Bahadur ji orders on page 1429 : Whatever has been created shall be destroyed; everyone shall perish, today or tomorrow. So under this eternal order,Bhagat Tirlochan ji left for his heavenly abode in the year 1335 A.D. and left permanent foot prints in the form of shabads which give us guidance and will continue giving it for ever. As the Great Guru Arjun Dev ji has preserved them in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on page 526 : O sister, do not forget the Name of the Lord of the Universe.

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