Prema - The Leper
Holy Sangat was on its way to Goindwal Sahib. It was proceeding to Holy Guru Amar Das Ji. Members of the holy Sangat on their way were singing holy Hymns in praise of their Beloved Satguru.
Prema, the leper, heard these life-giving Hymns of the passing by Sangat. He strongly felt and saw a real ray of hope in these holy words.
O Hope of the Hopeless,
O Friend of the Friendless,
O Home of the Homeless,
Guru Amar Das Ji.”
His diseased limbs could not carry him to the presence of the Merciful Guru. With great difficulty, but firmly resolved, he dragged his weary body upto the holy place. Totally fatigued and lifeless, he laid himself there, near the entrance to the Holy Mansion. He shed unending tears of despair pondering over and over as to who could be more hopeless, more helpless, more shelterless than him. He dare not drag himself in as a condemned person but lay there with a ray of hope that Antarjami Guru shall listen to his pathetic prayer and call him by Himself.
With no worldly and material support whatsoever, with a sense of utter helplessness and despair, Prema, the leper laid himself near the entrance to the Holy Mansion of Sri Guru Amar Das Ji and started waiting for the holy summons.
The Saviour of the poor does not care for the breed and status. His infinite grace flows in torrents to the humble in spirit and the poor.
The Knower of all Hearts, the Antarjami Satguru summoned the leper to His presence. As instructed by the Satguru, few sikhs went outside, gave the leper a bath in the holy water used by the Satguru for His own bath, covered him with a white sheet and lifting the leper, carried him to the holy presence of the Merciful Lord.
Fully conscious of his unbearable physical and mental agony, Prema cried from the depths of his soul,
He further burst out in pathetic cries,
Nectar of Mercy flowed from the All-Loving Satguru. All the physical and mental filth and dirt was instantly cleared and washed away. A young handsome person stood up with the Glory of Guru Nanak shining on his face.
The Supreme Hope of the Hopeless, Guru Amar Das Ji, owns Prema, the leper, as his own son and solemnizes his marriage with the daughter of a devoted sikh. He elevates the same leper to the status of a Saint who could bless others with the wealth of the Divine Name.
When Sri Guru Nanak Sahib passed on and transmitted all His Glory and Auspiciousness to Sri Guru Angad Sahib, He paid homage at the Holy Feet of the Successor Guru by placing His head thereupon. Humility personified Sri Guru Angad Sahib had cursed His feet at that moment and consequently puss used to ooze out from a thumb of one of His feet.
As and when Sri Guru Angad Sahib used to rest, Sri Guru Amar Das Ji, while pressing the legs of His Beloved Satguru, used to suck the puss oozing out of that thumb of the Holy Foot of Sri Guru Angad Sahib.
Such unique was the intensity of the devotion and love of totally dedicated Disciple for the Lotus Feet of His Beloved Satguru. But the Glory of this Unique Nectar being sucked by Sri Guru Amar Das Ji from the Holy Feet of Sri Guru Angad Sahib was also unique in its effect. Grace Eternal flowing from the Holy Feet of Grace Incarnate Sri Guru Angad Sahib totally consumed and swallowed Sri Guru Amar Das Ji. All the Divine Treasures of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib flowed in their totality from the Lotus Feet of the Second Guru Nanak, flooded the yearning and the thirsting soul of Sri Guru Amar Das Ji, and unveiled eternally Glorious Sri Guru Nanak Sahib in Him for posterity.
Such is the Glory of the pure love of the Lotus Feet of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib. Unmatched Humility and Pure Love of Sri Guru Amar Das Ji draws and attracts all Divine Graces of His Beloved Satguru through that sucking of the puss. That is the unique Bliss, the Supreme Anand of meeting the Satguru, Guru Amar Das Ji so beautifully expresses and airs in His Famous Divine utterance.
Eh Birad Swamy Sanda
Satgur Kot Painda Agey Hoey Lait Hai
Everyone of us has a legitimate claim on the unbounded and infinite Grace of our Eternal Satguru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and let us sincerely and yearningly beg for that Grace.
The humble in spirit alone can invoke His Grace. He does not like the proud and the arrogant. Let us seek, beg, and pray for His Mercy and Grace in the same pathetic tone. Most of us are suffering from the worst disease of ego, arrogance, pride, lust, anger, and greed.
Academic knowledge of scriptures, empty hollow words of prayer cannot stir God's Mercy.
We are struck, afflicted, and laid down with ego. A sincere appeal, prayer cannot go waste and unheeded. A mere holy touch or a compassionate glance of the Satguru is enough for emancipation.
