The Jeevan of Bhagat Puran Singh Ji

The Jeevan of Bhagat Puran Singh Ji

Mehtab Kaur- his beloved mother

She aborted thrice before the birth of Bhagat Ji
There was a caste distinction between his mother and father, and this was his father’s second ‘marriage’, it was not welcome by the family or community
His father was a generous man on the verge of bankruptcy he took his remaining money and distributed it to the poor farmers
Mehtab Kaur was generous and very religious.
“Her instincts sharpened towards nature, animals and religion. Perhaps she was shaping the destiny of her yet unborn child”
Bhagat Ji was born ‘Ramji Das Junior’ after his older step brother to help the older sibling accept Bhagat Ji.
House full of warmth, happiness, affection and good diet due to his mother
Parents opened their home especially during the plague- they did not worry about the infectious disease like others did.
Mehtab Kaur raised a sensitive and aware son- these very emotions helped him carry out humanitarian work,
Effect of his mother prayer; once at the age of 7 he fell ill and Mehtab Kaur wept and prayed to maharaj- “cure him and he will walk on the path that leads to you”
After bankruptcy his parents became labourers. His mother was a very hard worker, her body full of blisters and burns. Bhagat Ji was never to see or know about these.
Mehtab Kaur would send her entire earnings to Bhagat Ji.
His mother left for four years for work and was abandoned by her husband and step son.
Bhagat Ji says “ I shall forever remain indebted to my mother for the hardships she faced for my sake and the man she made out of me”
Mehtab Kaur once said “This son of mine is puran in himself” Slowly everyone else started to refer to him as Puran.

Childhood

Initially Bhagat Ji was a devoted Hindu. However, once he was refused food at the Mandir when a priest said “you do not belong here”- confused and bewildered Bhagat Ji started to evaluate if he didn’t belong in God’s house then where did he belong?
Always alone and reading during his childhood
He would converse with lawyers on a regular basis.
He was isolated and hated by his older brother- this was only revealed to Bhagat Ji as his mother didn’t want any financial support from his father’s family.
Bhagat Ji would go to gurughar everyday, do langar seva and then read at night.

Education

He was sent to boarding school because “Mehtab Kaur didn’t want her son to be exposed to negative attitudes at home, which could harm his personality and lead to future complexes”
Often found at the front of lectures making notes
He initially failed at school but his mother’s words of love lifted his spirit.
He failed school several times but never, ever gave up.

Sikhi

Bhagat Ji was inspired in Reru Sahib by several incidents- soul stirring kirtan, impact and essence of true langar, impact of sangat. He was inspired by the ‘glow and charm radiating from the face of a Gursikh.
He was inspired by the Chotte Sahibzadey “ The life history of the young princes inspired him beyond his imagination. ‘I felt strong emotional bond with the princes' identity as I bowed before the sacred place.”
“ I had immense faith in my Guru and the sangat; I believed that together they would help me succeed in my missions”

His inspirations

Bhagat Ji was inspired by Florence Nightingale and her commitment to seva! She stayed unmarried so she could serve.
Passionate reader- sociology, psychology, geography etc.

Seva

Bhagat Ji never said no to any type of seva.
He would serve cripples at gurughar during his teens
His main task until 1951 was washing the patients stinking clothes, soiled with faeces and pus. He would also clean up the place of their stools and urine himself. “I always kept this job for myself, not exposing the other sevadars to it, for it was repulsive and not every man’s cup of tea. Bhagat Ji carried the bundles of clothes on his and walked to the local taps to hand wash all the clothes.
“If I had started thinking about these jobs from the angle of repulsion, it wouldn’t have been seva”

Piara Singh

Piara’s mother had died and Piara Singh was born with a disability
He was brought to gurughar but some of the sevadars were to busy to care for him.
One day Piara was found with alone, sad and only a few centimetres from his own faecal matter. Bhagat Ji says “My eyes became teary and a deep sadness filled my soul”
Bhagat Ji named the boy Piara Singh meaning ‘the loved one’, and gave him so much love, which probably the child’s real mother could not have given him. Piara provided him with a reason to live. For 13 years to come, Bhagat Ji roamed the streets of Lahore with Piara on his back”
“Piara has been gifted to me by the Guru himself, how can I turn away from him then?”
“The kind of love I received from my mother until her death, I tried giving the same to Piara”
Bhagat Ji confessed, ‘Sometimes I think maybe it was due to the bond I shared with Piara that I was able to love other cripples.
It is said that on Bhagat Ji’s death Piara did not cry or grieve- as if he could not comprehend the loss he had suffered.

Clothing

He never wore leather- only canvas.
He would say “I dress thus so that any poor, sick or crippled person doesn’t have to think twice before approaching me.”
“I follow Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology. We are natives of a poor country. We cannot move around dressed in fineries while our brethren are starving”

Begging

Often found on the steps of the GoldenTemple holding out the hem of his kurta for people to drop in alms for his home for thedestitute.
He had no financial help from government, no grants etc. He had immense faith in maharaj only.
During partition and heavy riots Bhagat Ji and Piara lived on uncooked rice- chewing it for food.
From sangat he would beg by simply saying ‘SATNAM’
Having been hungry for 8 days, Bhagat Ji picked up a piece of bread dropped by crow- broke it in half and shared with Piara.
People fondly called Bhagat Ji “the educated beggar”
Bhagat Ji explicitly warned not to make announcements on stage at gurdwaras for donations

Children

Many children including Jeeta and Kalu died in Bhagat Ji’s arms, often in months of excruciating pain, Bhagat Ji writes; “Every time one of my children died, I died with him”

Essence of Pingalwara

At one time there was over 800 hundred sick men, women and children abandoned by their families.
No discrimination was ever made on the grounds of religion or caste.
Bhagat Jee always said “Suffering knows no caste”
Today there are several Pingalwaras across the Punjab
The Pingalwara became a refuge for not only men and women, runaways or raped girls, but also harboured stray or sick animals. ‘Two bulls that were taken into care by the Pingalwara, aged here and have died recently.’
Also provided homes for the elderly way before these were in place nationally
“My mother’s blessings are with this institution. Everyone should rest assured on this aspect, whether I am here or gone, the Pingalwara will always be there. Profound truth uttered by the noble soul!”

Parition and 1984

Bhagat Ji helped individuals escape mob attacks- he was once separated from Piara Singh while he tried to help others. He writes “And if something untoward had happened to Piara I would have collapsed there and then”
He always stood up for truth and demanded and helped a Singh speak out against a gang rape of a Sikh woman by Muslims.
In protest to the 84 attacks Bhagat Ji relinquished his Padma Shri.

Return to Amritsar after Partion

At a make shift camp at KhalsaCollege, Amritsar Bhagat Ji started seva
“Most of the abandoned invalids around the college ground lay in their own excreta, covered in soiled and sinking clothes. My main task was to keep them clean and arrange food for them.

Eco- transport.

Bhagat Jee alwaysfavoured the tonga or bicycle and was never shy in questioning how people travelled to visit him.
He used to use the rickshaw carts to ferry his patients to and from hospitals and a tonga for himself.
According to him the only solution to vehicular pollution, was, ‘Plant more trees, for trees breathe out oxygen which fights the toxins generated by vehicular traffic”

Environment and Animals

Back in the 80s Bhagat Jee was talking and highlighting the problems of global warming.
He was deeply concerned about the preservation of the environment-pollution, sanitation, drinking water, degradation of land and deforestation.
His mother instilled in him a passion for the environment. She would spend time watering plants and trees.
His mother once said “Look down while you walk, son, lest God’s tiny creatures be crushed under your feet”. I became so conscious of this fact that I have always tried to look down while walking to avoid stepping on insects”
One night Bhagat Ji refused to travel by Tonga for fear of not being able to see the floor- in case he crushed an ant!
Inspired Sikh Sakhia and love, Mehtab Kaur planted a lot of trees which she would care for and nurture. He would help his mother to water the trees and on the way they would pick up sharp nails, thorns etc- he asked his mum for the reason. “Thorns and nails might pierce somebody’s foot, son, while stones etc will obstruct everyone’s path”
On a heavy tonga Bhagat Ji would stop the driver and inform the owner to treat the animal with respect.
Printed thousands of leaflets about the environment on recycled paper of course.
The analysis and forecast made by Bhagat Puran Singh regarding the ozone layer in the fifties was highlighted by scientists two decades later. He is being hailed today as the ‘First Sikh Environmentalist’ by people all over the world.

Other

A follower of Bhagat Ji writes “Such humility! Such service! He could be no ordinary person! In fact, as I kept in touch, with him and got to know him and his work better, he appeared to me a manifestation of Guru Gobind Singh Ji himself!!”
Bhagat Ji was not into awards-if he received he tried his best to promote the cause rather than himself! He would say “Is Nobel Prize greater than doing seva in Guru’s abode?”
Bhagat Ji’s death: Indians do not know about their treasure! No national newspapers wrote a single obituary!
He never slept for more than 4 or 5 hours a day!