71.
Sakhi Bhai Lehna ji meeting Guru Nanak Dev ji
Meeting the True One, Truth wells up. The
truthful are absorbed into the True Lord.
Intuitive understanding is obtained and one is welcomed with honor,
through the Guru's Word, filled with the Fear of God.
Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji Ang. 17
Guru
Nanak Dev founded a new village and named it Kartarpur. The Guru used to do
farming there. He held his daily satsang(congregation) with the people in
the village to tell them about God and the goal of human life. Bhai Lehna ji,
a resident of village Khadur, believed in the worship of the goddess. One
early morning at village Sangar, Bhai Lehna went for a bath in the nearby
stream, where he saw Bhai Jodha, a Sikh of Guru Nanak, singing the hymns of
his Guru (Asa-ki-Vaar) after having his bath.
When
Bhai Lehna heard these serene and divine heart touching hymns, he was
captivated and filled to the brim with ecstasy. He enquired about this
spiritual composition from Bhai Jodha, who assigned this divine verse to
Guru Nanak, whose present abode was at Kartarpur.
Bhai
Lehna with his heart full of divine attraction immediately made up his mind
to have holy glimpses of Guru Nanak while going to the Goddess' pilgrimage
with his fellow worshippers. As usual, on the way they halted for the night
about 5 miles from Kartarpur. Bhai Lehna took leave of the group and
proceeded towards Kartarpur for having Holy glimpses (darshan) of the Guru.
Simultaneously, Guru Nanak left his Holy seat to receive Bhai Lehna :
If you
take one step towards the Guru, The
Guru will take millions of steps to welcome you.
Bhai Gurdas ji
On
the way Bhai Lehna, riding on his horseback, came across an old man with a
spiritual glowing face, from whom he inquired about the abode of Guru Nanak.
The gentle old man asked Bhai Lehna to follow him. On reaching the
destination, the old man told Bhai Lehna, to tie the horse on the corner and
enter the holy abode (satsang). The Holy Old man, being Guru Nanak himself,
entered from the other side and immediately sat on his seat, where the
congregation was reciting the divine hymns.
While
entering the abode, Bhai Lehna, in a state of trance, fell on the feet of
Guru Nanak. Guru ji lifted his head with divine affection. As soon as Bhai
Lehna glanced at the divine radiating face of Guru Nanak, he felt shocked,
humiliated and tears rolled down his cheeks. Guru Nanak patted him and asked
for the reason for his tears. He replied that he had committed a great sin
that being a disciple; he was riding on the horseback, whereas his holy
master was leading him on foot.
On
hearing this, Guru Ji asked his name and he replied that the humble servant
was called Lehna (meaning "the dues to be collected" in Punjabi). Guru Nanak
affectionately told him with a divine smile that a person who is a
'creditor' (lehna) always comes to the debtor on horseback, whereas the
debtor always approaches the creditor on foot.
Bhai
Lehna could not understand this divine prophecy for forthcoming happenings(
ie he would one day be the Guru succeeding Guru Nanak). At night, Bhai Lehna
had a vision of a beautiful lady, wearing red cloths and sweeping the abode
of Guru Nanak. On enquiry, she replied that she was the same Goddess, whom
he used to visit every year for blessings.
The
reply left Bhai Lehna wonderstruck. Then the Goddess gently explained that
there was no need for Bhai Lehna to feel depressed. This was the abode of
Almighty Lord from where she gets every thing and distributes them to her
devotees. This divine vision left deep imprint upon his mind and he thanked
Almighty Lord, who had brought him on to his real abode.
Next
day, after waiting for a long time, fellow pilgrims came to Bhai Lehna and
asked him to lead the group for pilgrimage. He humbly brushed aside their
persuasions and told them that he had found the divine abode, which he was
searching for, all his life. Now, he won't go anywhere.