The paathi sings the Bani of Sant Paltu Sahib from the book: Sahib Ki Bani, part 1...
Bada hoy tehi poojiye santan kiyaa vichaar.
Bada hoy tehi poojiye santan kiyaa vichaar.
THIS IS THE BANI of Param Sant Satguru Paltu Sahib. Paltu Sahib says, “Once, all the Saints sat together and They decided as to Who is the biggest of them all and Whom everyone should be worshiping.” So, They looked at 330 million gods and goddesses. And, in all of that, there are three who are the supreme gods amongst all of these; that is Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. So, these three were the bigger gods among all of the gods and goddesses. However, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh have been created by Maya. And then, Maya, along with Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, have created the 330 million gods, and the 8.4 million life forms that are there.
So, each of these bodies or forms were made, and then the souls were set inside each of these forms. Each of the souls were put in each of these forms. And then, different places were decided upon for where each of these forms would be staying or residing.
So, there is heaven, there is Vaikuntha, and there is Kailash for the gods and goddesses to stay. But, in those heavens also, the essence is still karmas. So long as there is a body, the essence still remains the karmas or deeds. So, again, for creating the other forms, these three among themselves have taken each other's help, because the three still come within the realm of the three gunas, which are tamo, rajo, and satogun.
Santhan kiyaa vichaar ghyaan ka deepak leenha,
Santhan kiyaa vichaar ghyaan ka deepak leenha,
Devatha tethish kot nazar mein sab ko cheenaa.
So, these Saints were introspecting and They were seeing and assessing all the gods and goddesses. And then, among the gods, They also saw Indra. They felt that Indra is the king of other gods and goddesses. Even about Lord Indra, there were occasions where the demons, or the Rakshasas, and like Sumbha and Nisumbha, or Jalandhara, or Mahishasura, these were Rakshasas who had mystic powers. And they were also attained within. And when they had attacked the heavens, even Lord Indra could not contain that. And then the gods had gone again to Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh for help. And even Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, along with these 330 million gods and goddesses, could not control, or could not defend, against Mahishasura, Sumbha, Nisumbha, and Jalandhara who had a lot of mystic powers and who had done a lot of tapas. So, all these gods and goddesses could not defend them. And then, finally, all of them went to Maya.
Maya came in the form of Durga. And then, she came to their defense and she killed these Rakshasas. Jalandhara was a daitya, and he had, again, a lot of mystic powers. He would often attack gods during the nighttime and, during the daytime he would hide in the oceans. And it was very difficult for the gods to locate him during daytime and attack him or kill him. So, they were scared of him and they went to Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh for help.
Again, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh could not defend against Jalandhara. And all of them went to Agastya Rishi. And he was a great rishi actually, and he had lots of powers. So, they went to him, and they asked him if he could dry up all the oceans and seas by drinking them. And, if he could do that, then they could locate Jalandhara and be able to kill him.
So, Agastya listened to them and then, to help them, he left his tapasia and came down. And then, he put his palm in the ocean and sipped that ocean, and all the oceans and seas were swallowed by him. So, he drank up all the oceans and seas, and then these daityas were located by the gods and goddesses, and then they killed them. And after that, Agastya reinstated all that. He put the water back, and the oceans and seas came back to their normal state.
So, the point is that where gods and goddesses find it difficult, they go to Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. And even where they find it difficult, they go to people who are of a higher order and who have done penance, and who have done their austerities and have gained a lot of these powers.
Sab ka khandan kiyaa khoj ke teeni nikaara,
Sab ka khandan kiyaa khoj ke teeni nikaara,
Teeno mein duhi sahi mukthi ka ekai dwaara.
So, the Saints introspected with Their Eye of Knowledge. And They introspected and decided who was the stronger in all of these. And They evaluated all the gods and goddesses, and among all the gods and goddesses, They selected these three gods, which are Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. And They felt that these are the stronger gods amongst all the gods and goddesses. And, within the three then, They took out Shiva, because Shiva is governed by the tamsic guna. And so They took out Shiva and They were left with rajsic and satvic gunas. And that is how Brahma and Vishnu were the two gods that were left. But then, They felt that these two gods are also not above the gunas. They are also determined and governed by the gunas. And the only way to get out of the gunas is to go above the Brahm. And these gods are not above Brahm. So, therefore, They felt that it is only the Saints who have, actually, gone beyond Brahm. And that is why They are beyond and above the gunas. So, finally, the Saints decided that it is the Saints Who are more powerful and stronger than all the gods and goddesses and Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, all of them.
Hari ko liyaa nikari bahur tin mantra bichaara,
Hari ko liyaa nikari bahur tin mantra bichaara,
Hari hai gun ke beech sant hai gun se nyaara.
Paltu Sahib talks a little more on these gunas and between these three gods; that is, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. They first took out Mahesh, and then they were left with Vishnu and Brahma, who were governed by satvic and rajsic gunas. So again, between rajsic and satvic, they took out the rajsic guna, because they felt that satvic guna is the highest in the order of gunas. And, therefore, they took out Brahma also. And they decided that Vishnu, amongst all the gods, is the strongest one.
Palatu prathamai sant jan duje hai karthaar,
Palatu prathamai sant jan duje hai karthaar,
Bada hoy tehi poojiye santan kiyaa vichaar.
So, the Saints still felt that Vishnu is also governed by the gunas. So, if you have to go beyond the gunas, which is where the Saints go, then with Them only you go above the gunas since They go beyond Brahm. So, finally, They decided that it is the Saints Who are of a higher order than all of the gods and goddesses taken together.
All the people, all of us, are governed by the three gunas. And these three gunas determine our attributes, our vices, and our characteristics. So, each one may have a higher element of one of the gunas and a lower element of the other gunas. So, depending on how the three gunas are composed within the person, the characteristics of that person are determined.
Those with satogun, which is predominant amongst the gunas, they are people who are more drawn to religion, to worshiping gods, goddesses, or going to pilgrimages and eating vegetarian food, and these kinds of attributes.
Those with a higher element of rajogun, they will be people who will be more learned and intellectually more sophisticated, like the scientists or pundits, or professionals, or such people.
Those with a higher element of tamogun are drawn to more intoxication, non-vegetarian food, hurting people or killing people, and those kinds of features.
Seethal chandan chandrama thaise sheetal sant.
Seethal chandan chandrama thaise sheetal sant.
In the following Bani, Paltu Sahib talks about how we have three things that soothe us. One is cold water, which is very pleasant to drink and we get soothed when we drink cold water. Likewise, there is sandalwood. And that sandalwood is very pleasing and soothing to snakes and such other creatures who go and wrap themselves around the trunk to feel that soothing feeling from the sandalwood. And the third is Saints, Who are also very soothing because of Their calm nature. Because, in this world, where we have all these burning desires, attachments, and we have a lot of sorrow that is there, which is prevalent everywhere, Saints with their Satsang bring about a lot of soothing and calm the people down and make them more aware of reality. Also, people who have been very violent, people who have been dacoits, thieves, or robbers, and such people, when they have come in the company of Saints, and have surrendered to the Saints, then they have also been able to convert the bent of their tamogun into satogun. And they have also been able to transform themselves by surrendering to the Saints. And that is how Saints have been able to calm them and soothe them.
Thaise sheetal sant jagat ki taap bujaave,
Thaise sheetal sant jagat ki taap bujaave,
Jo koyi aavai jarath madhur mukh bachan sunaave.
Paltu Sahib says, “Those people who are in grief or are in sorrow, because of their difficulties in life, because of anger, hatred, and such other things when they come in the company of the Saints, these Saints have been able to soothe them by pleasant talking by word-of-mouth.”
People have been lost in their worldly thoughts, desires, and attachments, and they are constantly in the sorrow of this world. When they have come in the company of the Masters, and they have followed the Teachings of the Masters, they have been able to transform themselves and get the soothing effects of the Masters.
He talks about selflessness and the trees are selfless when trees give us fruit. They bend down with the weight of that fruit. And when we throw stones at these trees, they still give us their fruit. So, all these trees, they are selfless. They do not eat their own fruit. They give this fruit selflessly to others.
The other example like a tree is the pond. The pond collects the water from various sources and it does not drink its own water. That water is then served to several animals for the purpose of quenching their thirst, to the farmers to till their land, to thirsty people, so everybody gets the benefit of that water, which the pond holds for others, which it doesn’t drink itself.
The other example is clouds. They collect water from the various oceans and seas from thousands of kilometers away, and then they carry this water. And they shower rain across a vast land, and they provide water to the people. So, even the clouds take shape and take their body for a selfless purpose. It is only for carrying the water from the seas to the places which require these waters. And without this selfless help from clouds, we would be left with no water on land and we would not have drinking water and water for our farmlands.
The fourth example is Saints. Because Saints are compassionate, They are always selfless and thinking about others. All the worldly people think about themselves, their families, and their occupations, etcetera. It is only the Saints and Masters Who think of all the others who come and seek Their help. And They go from place to place, and They shower Their Grace and give Naam to the parched souls who are lost in their sorrow in this world. They sprinkle the drops of Naam on these parched souls and make them aware of Reality. So, They go from place to place and They stay in different states, in different places, with whatever is offered there in terms of stay and food. They accept that with humility. And They only do this all for the selfless help that They are offering to the souls there.
Dheeraj sheel subhaav chima na jaath bakhaani,
Dheeraj sheel subhaav chima na jaath bakhaani,
Komal athi mrudhu bain braj ko karathe paani.
Paltu Sahib says, “They are very compassionate and They are selfless. They are very modest and They are satisfied with what They have. And They help the others. So, They are very selfless towards others.” They come to help the souls who are in sorrow in this world.
The souls are torn by their own desires and attachments, and by Their Satsang, They offer Their calm and selfless help to such souls. By coming to Satsang and listening to Satsang, these souls are able to get the soothing calmness from the Masters.
So, everyone is doing and pursuing all their worldly desires, but they are able to understand the Reality and they are able to conduct themselves properly with the help of Satsang from the Saints.
Those of us who are also suffering a lot, if we see people coming to Satsang, they have a lot of resolve in their mind. They are better equipped to handle all of this worldly sorrow that comes to us in the form of all of our attachments and desires and all of these things.
So, when we talk bad about others, I want to give a small example. That is, how does that affect us? There was this king who used to give a lot of food to poor people and he used to often give good food to a lot of brahmins. He used to invite about four thousand to five thousand brahmins every year, and then he would give them food and he would donate food, etcetera, to them.
So, one such year, he sent out invitations to all these brahmins to come, and he set up a place for doing that. He had invited all these brahmins on that day, and food was being cooked in an open area, where different types of food like kheer, khichree, and vegetables, etcetera, and sweets were being cooked. And all the brahmins who had come for eating were waiting in the shade of several trees that were there in his garden.
And, during that time, there was this eagle, which was flying up, and it had a snake in its mouth. While that eagle was holding this snake in its mouth, it was holding it tight. So, the poison that was there in the snake, that bag of poison, which was there, that came out of the snake and fell down into the food that was being prepared. Nobody noticed it, so it fell into that khir, which was being prepared.
So, that khir was prepared and it was served to all of the people. So, that snake was an extremely poisonous snake, a very potent poison was there. So, after eating, within about ten to fifteen minutes they all started becoming black, because of the poison. And they all started dying. So, that way, about five thousand people died in that. After this happened, the Lord of Judgment inside was talking, and there was this discussion between themselves. And he was wondering as to whose account will this karma go now?
So, Chitragupta had asked this question to Dharam Raj. Dharam Raj said, “Let us evaluate. So, one is the cooks who cooked this food.” But he said, “The cooks did not know this had fallen into the food. So, it was definitely not their intention to serve poison. So, they should not be held accountable for this. The other is the king who has called everyone to eat. And he is the person who has actually served this food to everybody. But then, the king, in fact, had good intentions of serving good food. It was definitely not the intention of the king to have this poison drop into his food and serve that food. And he was not even aware that such a thing had happened. So, it should not be the king also who is responsible for this. Then, is it the responsibility of that eagle which was flying? Because that is the one that had that snake drop that poison. But that eagle was hungry for so many days. It was, again, not the intention of that eagle to drop that poison into the food below. It was only taking its own food and flying towards its own house. So, again, the eagle should not be held responsible.”
So, the Lord of judgment said, “Okay, let us keep these karmas pending. We will decide what to do with it.” So, about a year passed after that. And it so happened that there were a few pundits who were passing by the palace. And it was dusk and night was approaching. So, they decided to take a stay over at a nearby place, so they talked amongst themselves, saying, “The king of this place is a good person and he is known for his hospitality of brahmins. So let us go and stay at his palace only.”
While they were walking towards the palace, there was a house in between. And the housewife there, she noticed that these ten pundits were walking towards the palace. She stopped them and she just questioned them as to where they were headed. So they, accordingly, told her, “We are headed for the palace. And we’ll stay overnight there, and then leave for our place.”
She immediately stopped them and said, “Don't you know about this king? Last time, about a year back, he killed about five thousand brahmins. And you still want to go there?”
So, the Lord of Judgment immediately got alerted and he said, “Okay, I have found the person whose account into which these entire karmas are now to be written. It is that housewife.”
So, if we do not know the facts and we speak ill about somebody behind the back of that person with intentional malice, there is no bigger sin than that.
Therefore, Guru Nanak has also said, “To speak ill about anybody is not a good thing. So, without knowing the truth behind it, where we falsify and speak ill about somebody, that's not a good thing to be done.” And, that way, even the bad karmas of the person whom you are speaking ill about, those karmas are also taken and assumed by us without our knowledge of it, and without that person's knowledge about it.
So, therefore, Mahatmas caution us that we should not speak ill about other people, especially when we do not know the facts and we talk ill about somebody. That, we should completely refrain from doing.
Rahan chalan muskaan ghyaan ko sugandh lagaave,
Rahan chalan muskaan ghyaan ko sugandh lagaave,
Teen taap mitjaay sant ke darshan paave.
Paltu Sahib says, “Due to the Saints, when we meet the Saints and, in Their ordinary course of life also when people meet Them, a lot of our karmas get redeemed because of that.” Their attitude, Their way of living, is very unique. And that is what attracts other people also to come to Them.
Palatu jwaala udhar ki rahai na mitai turanth,
Palatu jwaala udhar ki rahai na mitai turanth,
Seethal chandan chandrama thaise sheethal sant.
By meeting the Saints, Paltu Sahib says, “The fire burning within us of desires, of our ego, and our anger, and all of that, all that quells down and we learn to become humble and we get the soothing feeling of humility when we meet and come in the company of Saints.”
Paltu Sahib says, “The moon is very pleasant and calming and, like that, where there is cold water in summer, that is also very pleasant and calming. Similarly, for the worldly people, when they go and meet Saints, it is also very calming to them.”
Deth leth hai aap hi palatu palatu shorr,
Deth leth hai aap hi palatu palatu shorr.
Paltu Sahib, in the third Bani, says, “The God Almighty is the Giver. He is giving everything. But we are saying that these things are all being done by us.”
One of the courtesans of Akbar was Rahim Khan, and he was a very good singer. And he also was a very generous person. So, he used to donate a lot of monies and other things to people. So, though he was a Muslim, he worshiped Lord Krishna and he was devoted to Lord Krishna all his life. And he was an extremely good poet. And he was also a very good friend of Tulsi Das.
Whenever Rahim Khan would donate money to people, he would always bow down his head and he would keep his hand at a higher level. And he would give the money with closed eyes, not seeing the person to whom the money was being given.
Some people went and tried to find out from Tulsi Das as to why Rahim Khan does this action when he is donating money. Why his hand is up, his head is bowed down, whenever he donates money to anybody.
So, Tulsi Das wrote a letter to Rahim Khan, and in the letter, He asked this, “I've heard that you, whenever you donate money, you raise your hand and you give the money with your head bowed down. So, where have you learned to do this?”
Rahim Khan replied to Tulsi Das, “Tulsi Das, you know everything, yet you are asking me. You know that the Giver is different. God Almighty is the Giver. So, whenever I give, I bow down in shame, because people talk about me giving. So, whenever they praise me for making their donations, and I know that the Giver is God Almighty, I bow down in shame.” He said, “It is God Almighty Who is the Giver. I'm only a tool there. But people often praise me for giving this. They do not, however, praise God Almighty Who is giving them this money. So, therefore, I always bow down in shame and I give that money by my hand raised.”
Paltu Sahib also says, “People often praise me for doing various things, but it is God Almighty Who is the Doer.”
Palatu palatu shor ram ki aisi ichchaa,
Palatu palatu shor ram ki aisi ichchaa,
Kaudi ghar mein naahi aap main mangau bichcha.
Paltu Sahib says, “I am a poor person. I ask for alms and I eat. I hear people talk and refer to me as a Mahatma, that 'Paltu is like this, Paltu is like that'. But I am a poor man and I ask for my food and I eat.”
Therefore, when we tread on this Path of our Master, and we walk with His Teachings, then the Master also opens up and He also showers His Grace. And He makes sure that there is no difficulty that His disciple faces.
So, when Sant Ji asked me to come into Andhra and set up the ashram, all that I had was my clothes, which I had from the earlier ashram that I was staying in. So, I only had these clothes and I was worried as to how I would set up a dwelling here. How I would set up an ashram and do the Teachings. So, with those thoughts, I had come back here.
But it was His Grace that a person came from Mumbai by the name of Bhola, and he gave me money to set up the ashram. And with that money, we purchased that land parcel and we started doing our farming there.
Now, that Bhola, over a period of time, I don't know what happened to him, but he stopped coming, and then he also asked for his money to be returned. I told him, “From the farm produce that I have I will give you all that money back.” And I repaid that. He had given me some twenty-seven thousand rupees and I repaid all of that money back to him over the next five years.
So, this is how, in strange ways that He works. I had no means. I had no money. And I had started with this help that came up my way. And, from that point till now, we can see how that ashram has progressed from time to time. It is not only that first instance where I got help from my Masters. I have always received that help forever from them. And I still continue to get Their help. Now, in fact, that ashram has progressed well, and I have given and donated monies to several other villages to set up their halls for meditation and Satsangs. So, see how it works. From a person who had no money, to a person who is now made capable of giving money to others, all this is the work of my Masters.
So, it is the Grace of the Masters that convert a person who is a person who has nothing and who needs the resources, to a person who is giving resources, who is donating monies.
Paltu Sahib also says, “I'm a poor person, but everyone outside in the world is making a noise and saying, 'Paltu is a Mahatma, Paltu is this, Paltu is that'.”
Raayi parbath kare karein parbath ko raayi,
Raayi parbath kare karein parbath ko raayi,
Adhanaa ke sir chatr paij ki karein badaay.
Paltu Sahib says, “God, that Giver, that Almighty, that Satguru, He has the power of making a mountain into a mole hill, and a mole hill into a mountain.”
Leela agam apaar sakal ghat antharjaami,
Leela agam apaar sakal ghat antharjaami,
Khaahi khilawahi ram dehi ham ko badnaami.
Paltu Sahib says, “It is God Almighty Who is omnipotent, Who is everywhere. He’s in all the beings. And He is Who is giving everything to everybody and taking care of everyone's needs. And yet, people are saying that ‘It is Paltu who is doing it’.”
So, the Doer is God Almighty. But He is forever gracious and graceful to the Masters and to the followers.
Ham so bhaya na hoyegaa sahib karatha mor,
Ham so bhaya na hoyegaa sahib karatha mor,
Deth leth hai aap hi palatu palatu shorr.
Paltu Sahib says, “The Giver is God Almighty. Only He is doing everything. He is the Doer of all that is happening. And yet, people are giving the credit to Paltu.” And they are saying, “It is Paltu who is doing this.” Because one of the great features of God Almighty, or one of the great attributes, is that He always gives the credit to His Sons, His Beloved Sons, and it is He who is actually the Doer of everything.
Ham so bhaya na hoyegaa sahib karatha mor,
Ham so bhaya na hoyegaa sahib karatha mor,
Deth leth hai aap hi palatu palatu shorr.
Radhaswami.