The paathi is singing from the Bani of Sant Tulsi Sahib from the book: Ratna Sagar...
Andaj se jo nar than paave,
Jaaka bhakhu sakal subhaave.
Andaj se jo nar than paave,
Jaaka bhakhu sakal subhaave.
THIS IS THE BANI of Param Sant Satguru Tulsi Sahib. This is the third day of this Bani. This is from Tulsi Sahib’s Ratna Sagar, and this is the third day. In this Bani, in the earlier two days, we have seen Tulsi Sahib talking about the sajjan, or the God-fearing or good people, who are devoted and who work towards devotion. And then, He talked about what their characteristics are. Then He spoke in His Bani about the characteristics of the unscrupulous people — what they do, how they behave. And then, He also said that, as a result of their behavior, how they have to go into lower life forms of the egg-laying birds.
Now, He speaks about those souls who come from the andaj, they come from the birds into human form. What are their characteristics?
Andaj se jo nar than paave,
Jaaka bhakhu sakal subhaave.
Khaani lachch mein kahu samjhaayi,
Andaj se nar dehi paayi.
So, He says, “Those who come from the life of birds and the form of birds into the human form — what are their characteristics?”
Khaani lachch mein kahu samjhaayi,
Andaj se nar dehi paayi.
Khaani jugan jug rahe anekhaa,
Unkaa lakh pahichaan parekhaa.
He says, “Those who go from the human birth into the lower life forms of birds — of egg-laying creatures — spend several thousands and millions of years in those types of egg-laying species. There are nearly 1.4 million species of egg-laying creatures. So once the soul goes into that group, it stays there for a long period.
Now, Tulsi Sahib says, “From there, if some of them get elevated to a human life form, what are the characteristics of such people?”
Khaani jugan jug rahe anekhaa,
Unkaa lakh pahichaan parekhaa.
Man ki basan bake partheetha,
Vah upjaave vaisee reethaa.
In such people, the mind is very dominant and the mind is swayed by addictions. So, such people get easily swayed to addictions and the mind pulls them in all directions.
Man ki basan bake partheetha,
Vah upjaave vaisee reethaa.
Jas jas rahe khaani ras maahi,
Jas jas buddhi upjaave bhai.
Within the egg-laying creatures, there are several types of creatures. So, the mind, when it is there in those creatures, carries the impression of that creature when it comes into the human form because it is the law. From all our previous forms in which we have been or in the bodies in which we have stayed, those impressions have an influence on the state of our mind in the human form.
Sant Ji used to give an example. There were a father and son in Agra and both were disciples of Swami Ji Maharaj. During that period, there weren’t too many hospitals or nursing homes or such healthcare facilities. Mostly, people had to go to vaids or resort to Ayurvedic medicine, and it would take a long time for getting a cure. And, during that period also, there were several very large epidemics.
So, that son got infected by plague. During that period, this plague was endemic. So, he was suffering for about twenty to twenty-five days.
When he was about to die, the boy’s Third Eye opened while his father was weeping by his bedside. So, his Third Eye had opened and he could see the things inside and he told his father, “Do not weep for me because I am going to die now and I will be reborn as a human and I'm going to go to a good family where I will, again, go to a Saint, and I will get to become a Saint.”
He said, “Since I can now see all my previous lives also, let me tell you that I was a babul tree in my previous birth. And it is by luck that Swami Ji Maharaj used a part of my twig to brush His teeth and, as a result, I was given a redemption from that life and I was given birth as a human being. So, I was born as a human being. However, I carried all the impressions of a very basic life form — those of a tree. And that is why I was not able to do my meditation properly. Now, I will get a rebirth as another human being and I will go with much better impressions and I will get to meet a Saint, get Naam, and I will be going back to God Almighty there.”
So, basically, people do carry impressions of their earlier births. But, when there is such radical movement from a much lower life form into a human form, it is mainly because of the Grace and Mercy of Saints. But, since they have transformed from a lower life form into the human form, they carry the characteristics and those impressions of that earlier birth in the mind in the human form.
The story I just related is not just a fictional story. It is a real story that has happened. And Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj used to very often relate this story in his Satsangs.
So, Tulsi Sahib says, “Those who come from previous life forms with the characteristics of egg-laying creatures carry those impressions and characteristics as human beings. And those influences continue when they are human beings.”
Jas jas rahe khaani ras maahi,
Jas jas buddhi upjaave bhai.
Jaisi rahani chaal nith chaale,
Lachch alachch dhoi prathipaale.
So, those impressions carry on in the human being and such people carry that in their behavior, in their thought processes, in their intellect — all of these are affected by their previous births.
Jaisi rahani chaal nith chaale,
Lachch alachch dhoi prathipaale.
Joee ras mein man rahaa nidhaana,
Soee ras dharase parakh pichanaa.
Tulsi Sahib says, “The person behaves according to those influences and impressions and he also incurs karmas in this life according to that behavior. And, as a result, he again goes back into other lower life forms.”
We can see that all humans are not alike. Everyone has a different intellect and way of thinking. And all of them are behaving according to their earlier karmas and impressions from their earlier lives.
Even within the same family, where a father has four sons, four sons may have radically different characteristics. Someone may be an addict and maybe eating non-vegetarian food and swayed by other such vices. And there may be someone who is devoted or someone else who does some other thing. So, that way, all four may be very different in their characteristics according to their karmas.
So, each one has his own intellect and thinking process and each one is different from the other.
Joee ras mein man rahaa nidhaana,
Soee ras dharase parakh pichanaa.
Rahani rahe sab bhaasak reethi,
So bhaasak hoi parase preethi.
Andaz khaani subhaav,
Gharaa jo nar tan aayi ke,
Andaz khaani subhaav,
Gharaa jo nar tan aayi ke,
Lachhan ke barthmaan,
Joni janam jug jug rahe.
Aalas neendh nain bhari sove,
Kaam krodh daaliddhar hove.
So, such people, when they are in the human form, have higher levels of lust and anger. They are more prone to sleeping and laziness. They are generally born under conditions of greater poverty. They are not wealthy. They follow their own thoughts and thinking, and they are not able to assimilate what others are trying to explain. So, they are not as wise.
Aalas neendh nain bhari sove,
Kaam krodh daaliddhar hove.
Chanchal chor chugal chaturaaee,
Maya moh mamata adhikayee.
Such people have a lower attention span and they are more active in their thinking. They are also prone to having more attachments. So, they are more prone to attachments to their families and their near and dear ones. And they find it difficult to understand the Teachings of the Masters.
They do not follow a proper schedule or routine and they do not have proper times for eating. They eat at very odd times. They also sleep at very odd times. So, whenever possible, they prefer to sleep because they are lazy by nature. They do not follow a routine of sleeping with a set time.
They are also prone to stealing. They take to stealing other people's things. And they also speak ill about others.
Chanchal chor chugal chaturaaee,
Maya moh mamata adhikayee.
Guru ke charan chitth nahi laave,
Santhan ki sangati nahi bhaave.
Such people do not understand and do not like the Teachings of the Masters. Basically, they do not like to go on this Path of devotion by going to Masters. Because of their impressions and their characteristic intellect, they have short attention spans and are unable to understand the Teachings of the Masters. So, therefore, whatever is being explained by the Masters, they are not able to understand it and assimilate it.
They take to slandering and they do not mind even talking bad about Masters. They also try to discourage someone else who is going to Satsang. And by saying different things, they try to discourage and get the other person to lose focus on their devotion.
Guru ke charan chitth nahi laave,
Santhan ki sangati nahi bhaave.
Bhooth pisaach ru pooje deva,
Devee darash aur nahi sewaa.
Such people take to occult and black magic, and if someone is unwell for example, they feel that some ghost has overcome that person. So, they believe in all such things, about ghosts, and about all these tantras and mantras, and about all of these kinds of things.
They have a lot of desires and, therefore, they pray to deities for seeking satiation of those desires. They seldom go to Saints. They do not understand the Teachings of the Masters and they are not willing to let go of their own beliefs of deity worship and such other occult practices.
Bhooth pisaach ru pooje deva,
Devee darash aur nahi sewaa.
Theerath barath bahuth mann laave.
Thakur preethi bhaav chith chaave.
Such people are willing to do all things and rituals like fasting or going to pilgrimages and such other things, but they do not like to do the devotion of the Masters or understand the Teachings of the Masters.
They engage in slandering others who are on this Path. If there is someone in the family who is devoted or who is going to Satsangs or going to the Masters, then they engage in slandering and discouraging that person from going to the Masters, saying that he has moved away from their conventional way of praying to gods and goddesses and deity worships and pilgrimages, etc.
Theerath barath bahuth mann laave.!
Thakur preethi bhaav chith chaave.
Bhedh pooraan kahan bahu bhhave,
Sivaling paras puji lau laave.
Such people believe in Vedas and the Holy Scriptures and they have a tendency to be more drawn to the shivling or to the prayer of Lord Shiva. So, they are more devoted to the epics — like Ramayana and Mahabharata and Bhagavad-Gita — and they are drawn to what is said there.
Bhedh pooraan kahan bahu bhhave,
Sivaling paras puji lau laave.
Ban baahar ghar aagi lagaave,
Rovat maahi hansee uti aave.
Such people have the characteristic of creating fights between two people. They engage in slandering and they try to ignite a fight between two people by talking ill about one with the other.
And these people also have a unique characteristic that when they cry they suddenly laugh, and then they start crying again.
So, Tulsi Sahib is describing all these characteristics of these human beings who have come from the lower life forms of andaj, which are egg-laying creatures.
Dhani Dharam Das was a great disciple of Kabir Sahib. And even his wife and other family members used to go to Kabir Sahib and they believed in Sant Mat. But their only son, Narayan Das did not take to this. He did not believe in Kabir Sahib.
When Kabir Sahib would come to the house of Dhani Dharam Das, Dhani Dharam Das would bring his son to take the Darshan of Kabir Sahib and he would catch Narayan Das and bring him so that he could get Darshan. But, when he would bring him in front of Kabir Sahib, Narayan Das would show his back and stand with his back to Kabir Sahib.
So, he used to get admonished by Dhani Dharam Das. He told him, “The Master has come from such a long distance and He has come to our home. You should bow and show respect to him but, instead, you are showing your back.”
But, despite that, he would not listen.
So once, when Kabir Sahib had come to his house, Dhani Dharam Das requested, “You have given us all initiation and You have got salvation for everybody, You have taken care of all our souls. But Narayan Das, can You also take care of him?”
Kabir Sahib immediately told Dharam Das, “You have still not understood. He is an avatar. He is a representative of Niranjan and he is born to oppose me. He is born to take an opposing position to Sant Mat.”
Kabir Sahib also told him, “If you pursue this and you keep advocating for Narayan Das, then even you will go to hell with him.”
But then, Dharam Das Ji requested, “Narayan Das is my only son and if he is going to oppose Sant Mat then how am I going to take this further?”
So, Kabir Sahib told him, “Don't worry. That will be taken care of.” And, as a result, he got a son, Chudamani, who was born to Amin.
Later, Narayan Das did oppose Sant Mat and he used to do preachings against Sant Mat.
Likewise, even Guru Nanak Sahib had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakshmi Chand, and both of them took to other paths. They did not follow the Teachings of Guru Nanak Sahib.
So, just like Saints come to give salvation to the souls and take them back to God Almighty, even Niranjan sends people. And those people or mahatmas sent by him take to showing mystic powers and they try to mislead people from getting salvation.
Chhin sur taan alaap sunaave,
Dukh sukh peer paraee na aave.
Koi kachu kah gussa bhari aave,
Zidd pade maaran ko aave.
Such people always have their own selfish interest at heart and they don't believe in doing selfless things. And even if someone is trying to explain something good to them, they refuse to accept it or believe it, and they argue with that. And sometimes, they are even willing to go and fight with that person for what he is saying.
So, first of all, these people do not understand what the Masters are explaining. And then, if someone tries to explain to them, or explain a little more forcefully, then that has an inverse effect.
These people are swayed only by their own intellect and thinking processes and they refuse to accept all of this.
It's like if you have a diamond and you are a trader of diamonds, then you will be showing it to people who would be interested in buying them and who would be traders in diamonds. You would not go and show it to every person because, if you go about showing it to everybody, there will be thieves there also who will want to take it away from you.
The high Teachings of Sant Mat are, therefore, not for everybody. And there is no point in explaining Sant Mat to everybody that we meet. It is because many people misunderstand it and they take some other kind of meaning out of all of this. So, only open that treasure of knowledge to such a person who you feel is capable of assimilating it and can understand what you are going to be saying.
Yaa bidhi udmad gyan,
Agyani bhav bhatak mein,
Yaa bidhi udmad gyan,
Agyani bhav bhatak mein,
He says, “Even the souls that are coming from the lower life forms of insects and reptiles also have similar characteristics.” Later now, he explains about other such lower life forms.
Atak na maane kaahu,
Poorab karani karam fal.
Koi koi ko dekhat kachu deve,
Man maleen maila kari leve.
Mann mein bure aap dukh paave,
Andhar maahi bahuth pachthave.
Such people, who have come from the lower life forms of egg-laying creatures, when they become human beings with their additional karmas, they then go into even the lower life forms of insects and reptiles. So then, when they go in those life forms of insects and reptiles, they further repent because, from three elements, now they have gone into two elements.
Jikar vibaadh bahut man bhaave,
Gyan dhyan sudhi budhi bisaraave.
Surakh nain ratnaari rekhen,
Bhown tedi dirgan se dekhe.
He says, “Those people who now come from the lower life forms of insects and reptiles, when they come into human forms, such people are of very low consciousness and they have very malicious and lustful thoughts.” They do not like to help others and — other than their own selfish interests — they are not bothered about anything. So, if they see something good happening to others, they feel jealous about it. They do not like it.
Mukh mein laar bahe din raati,
Bahu bidhi heth zuvaari saathi.
Neecha aap unch mann rakhen,
Mann ka mot madhurath bhaakhe.
Such people have this characteristic that they salivate a lot. They are also prone to gambling and they like to play cards and they like to gamble on cards.
So, from outside, they speak sweetly, but inside, they have malicious intent. Outwardly, they will appear to be sweet, but inside they have bad intent.
Hum samaan dusar nahi koi,
Ya bidhi base hiyen mein soyee,
Such people are generally illiterate. They do not like to get educated. They do not like to go to schools. And, later in life, they believe that whatever they are thinking is correct and others are not thinking correctly. They do more work of physical labor and less work of intellect. They do not like to listen to others.
Kubari peet pet halkaayee,
Sune koi baath turath kahe jaayi.
Baanki dharan mud tedaayi,
Yah lacchan bahu bhaathi rahaayi.
He says, “Some of them also have hunches on their backs. They have a very high ego — they are very egoistic — and they do not like to listen to others. They only want others to listen to them.
Yahee bidhi baranan baak,
Bhaakh kahu prakruthi sabhee.
Kabhi na chuke bhaav,
Jo lachchan yahi mein kahe.
Jaamein kutumb kaaz yon ghave,
Jyon kunkar pille ko chaave.
Such people are mostly involved in their own families. They do not have the capacity to go and look beyond their families. So, such people cannot live in larger families because they do not like to listen to others.
Lethe aindayi tan ko thode,
Sama vaiti ke mooch marode.
Such people — when they are with others — like to take care of their mustaches. They don't like to listen to others, so they may cough in common gatherings, or they may make such other sounds or noises. But they don't like others giving speeches and they don't like to listen to others.
Meethe bhojan adhik suhayee.
Fal falhaar khaay bahu bhaayi.
Jaane na jaathi apani chhotee,
Baathein kare badan se moti.
Such people eat simple food. They do not like very lavish food. They prefer to live on vegetables and fruits.
And, even if they are of a low caste, they believe that they are of a high caste. So, they believe they are superior. They walk with their chest high and they never think themselves as second to anyone.
Chaal chale theethar ki naayi,
Kaag subhaav rahe mann maahi.
They actually have the characteristics of a crow, but they like to show themselves as a pitta, which is a fast-moving bird. So, they like to show themselves as fast-moving, but they are actually very slow and they have very low characteristics.
Lampat baath kare bariyaayi.
Andhar sadha kapat rahe chaayi.
They brag about very big things, but in their hearts they have malice. And with such people, no one should have faith in what such people are saying.
Andaz jo jod khaan kahaave.
Tatvheen bhav bhatka khaave.
Koi sanjog pade as bhaayi.
Nar ki dahi ghare tab aayi.
Tulsi Sahib says, “Such souls are in these egg-laying creatures and insects — there are nearly 2.7 million life forms of insects, and there are nearly 1.4 million life forms of egg-laying creatures. So, such people or such souls, once they go into that group of creatures, they continuously keep getting born and reborn within that group of 2.7 million life forms and within that 1.4 million life forms. They seldom are able to get out of those kinds of life forms.
It is only very few of such which come into the human life form. That is because of the Grace and Mercy of a Saint.
Where They see some bird, that bird may get to become a human being. Or sometimes, some insect comes under Their feet and dies. That insect gets a redemption. It comes out of that nature of creature and it comes into and takes birth as a human being.
When Baba Somanath Ji was at His ashram, there was this pigeon and his name was Raju. This pigeon would always stay around the room of Baba Ji.
Baba Ji used to give Darshan twice to sevadars and other people. So, at 6:30 in the morning, when he would start that Darshan time, then first, this pigeon would come. First, Raju would come; he would go around His feet; he would touch his beak to the feet; then he would again keep going in circles around the feet. So, he would always take the first Darshan.
Sevadars would take him out for a walk also. When they would go into the fields to work, he would go with them. And then, after some time, those sevadars — when they would be doing seva — would hand over Raju to Pushpama and she would hold him for some time. So that way, he would go out with these people. He was there as long as Baba Ji was there, and when Baba Ji left His sharir, His body, even that pigeon went away.
That way also, even a peacock came to Baba Ji once. Where Baba Ji used to stay on the first floor of this building — which was a ground plus first floor — and the ashram was pretty much in a forest area.
So once, possibly, some hunters or someone must have been chasing this peacock and so, frightened, he had flown straight into the room of Baba Ji. And when he came inside, Baba Ji touched him. He was quite scared and tired. Baba Ji said, “He is quite tired and hungry.”
So, they gave him water and they fed him some grains. Then, Somanath Baba Ji created a room for him. It was open and was very well ventilated from all sides with a net on the sides. He stayed there for quite some time.
Even Bernard and all the others who used to come to the ashram, they know about this. This was a special enclosure made for only that peacock. It had a wall of only about four to five feet and then there was a mesh around it. So, it was specially created for him.
So, therefore, Saints, sometimes extend Their Grace like this on these birds. And, like that, They may also extend some Grace on these insects; or some insects come below Their feet and die. So, such animals get redemption from this cycle and they are born as human beings. Otherwise, they have to keep going in circles in those forms, in those creatures, like insects. They continuously remain as insects for a very long time — or as birds.
Andaz jo jod khaan kahaave.
Tatvheen bhav bhatka khaave.
Koi sanjog pade as bhaayi.
Nar ki dahi ghare tab aayi.
Radhaswami.