By Prof. Gurdev Singh
Saints with realized soul are very rare in this world. It is really a very difficult task to write of their life sketch. They look like any ordinary person but are internally merged with the super cosmic energy. An ordinary person as mentioned in Gurbani (Holy script) cannot describe their spiritual experiences
‘Only realized soul can understand about another super soul.’
An attempt has been made to bring out the important events in the life of Sant Ji ‘Waryam Singh Ji’ who is also the Founder and Head of Vishav Gurmat Roohani Mission Charitable Trust, Ratwara Sahib. He was born on June 17, 1918 in Dhamot, Tehsil Pyal, Dist. Ludhiana in Punjab. His father Sardar Kartar Singh and mother Mata Inder Kaur both were religious and deeply connected to Sikh way of life. He got baptized ( amrit paan ) at the age of four years. He started reciting gurbani, meditation and Jap (repetition) of Guru Mantra while studying in the school life. He passed his matriculation examination in the year 1934. He joined Purison Commercial College and did the course of steno and telegraphy.
As there was a religious and spiritual atmosphere at home, he remained in touch with many saints right from his childhood. He enjoyed the company of some prominent saints like Sant Attar Singh Ji Mastuana, Baba Nand Singh Ji Kaleran, Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji, Sant Attar Singh Ji Reru Sahib, Sant Dasondha Singh Ji Namdhari, Sant Jodh Singh Ji, and Sant Attar Singh Ji Attale wale. He was eager to surrender himself completely and was in search of the real master. His childhood actions and habits were different than those of ordinary children. He could recognize his toys from his previous birth and direct his mother to find them from the box. Before his birth, he had told his mother in a vision that he would not die as a child like the previous birth and would live for a longer life span. He used to find a lonely place in the early morning for prayer and Nam Jap and would recite WAHEGURU mantra 70000 times. Once in the school, on being asked by the teacher to read the word tobacco aloud, he preferred to keep mum and face the consequences of his teacher’s wrath.
Sant Ji’s father-in-law, Baba Hira Singh was also a realized soul. He came to his native village Dhamot to perform akhand path ceremony and foretold his father "You will be blessed with a son and a daughter will be born in our house. As per God’s wish, they will be tied in marriage". It so happened, he was married to Bibi Ranjit Kaur in the early age as per the customs of that time. As the time went on, he continued his Nam Sadhna and kept himself busy most of the time in religious affairs and kirtan etc.
He was hardly 17 years old when his mother took him to Rara Sahib to introduce him to Sant Isher Singh Ji. At the very first sight of the Holy Saint, he surrendered himself totally. He felt the abode of God in him and started listening the cosmic music within him. The Holy Saint went into deep meditation for 40 minutes after hearing his answer to the question. "Who are you and where do you come from?" The Holy Saint remarked "For the first time ever, my wedded soul has met another wedded soul, so far I have been meeting widows. You have to take just one step to completely merge with the super cosmic energy." These remarks had a great impact on him as mentioned in Gurbani
"Kabir satgur sooreme vahiya ban jo ek. Lagat hi bhuein gir para paya kaleje shek."
He decided to fully concentrate and practice the real spiritual experiences. He got away from home and went to Mastuana, Kamalpur, where Sant Shamsher Singh lived. He reached Khara and then Jwahar ki Kothi. He selected a thick jungle of "capparis" trees nearby, where he used to sit in samadhi (posture of meditation) for nearly 22 hours everyday. Jiledar Harcharan Singh used to serve him food only once a day as instructed by him.
In the year 1936 when Sant Ishar Singh Ji Rarewale was holding diwan (congregation) in his native village of Dhamot. Sant Ji went to grace their family’s house and inquired about his whereabouts from his wife Bibi Ranjit Kaur. She replied that he has been away from home since long and might be practicing his Bhagti. Sant Ji gave him a telepathic message to return home through his eternal spiritual power. He reached directly at diwan within a few days and looking at him Sant Ji signaled him to sit in the front row. At the end of the congregation Sant Ji asked him of his welfare and shared the experiences of spiritual stages in samadhi. With Sant Ji’s inspiration and blessings he continued his efforts to practice Nam Jap and to understand more deeply the bliss and cosmic music within his body and soul. He always liked the lonely places to meditate, where no body would disturb him. He joined his family and helped parents in domestic and agricultural tasks but never bypassed his daily routine of Nam Jap and deep meditation.
In the year 1937, he set out to Nawabshah (Sind province now in Pakistan) in search of a job. He got a job offer in police but declined it. During his stay at this place, he experienced unusual miracles. Once he decided neither to cook food nor to eat food, thinking of a passage from gurbani.
"Sail pather mein jant upaey ta ka rizak aage kar dharia"
A week passed without him having anything to eat, even the idea of food never struck his mind. Suddenly someone knocked his door and as soon as he opened the door he found a middle-aged lady from the neighborhood holding a food plate (two chapattis and saag) and asking him to eat it. On inquiring from the lady she told him that some unseen spirit was forcing her to immediately give you food by spelling your name. Within a week, two more wealthy families came to his house with an offer of free food and free lodging. He accepted one of the invitations with a condition that they would not inform anyone about the fact that he was meditating and eating very little food only once a day. He left soon after the owner of the house broke this promise.
He traveled from place to place and taught the lesson of Gurmat to the families and people to who came into his contact. He helped many people to give up social evils and taught them gurmukhi and gurbani. He was stopped at Goth Chanda Singh by an old woman by calling him her own son in an affectionate manner. He stayed there for quite a long time and preached the people of thirty miles area the fundamentals of Sikhisim and principles of Guru Granth Sahib. He brought thousands of peoples into the sikh fold by baptizing them with Amritpan. He would sit in Samadhi for a long time in a basement. When this news reached his wife Bibi Ranjit Kaur, she reached there immediately after seeking the permission of his parents. This was for the first time she ever talked to him since they were married. With her strong and logical arguments, she convinced him to come back home. She reminded him of Sant Ji Rarewale’s words to enter the gristh ashram (to live in family) and advocated that it is better to serve saints than to become a saint, it is better to give than to take from someone. He returned back leaving thousands of his followers in tears.
He directly reached Rara Sahib and paid his obeisance to Sant Ji. He served for six months as a manager at Sardar Mohan Singh Coca Cola’s furnishing company at Delhi as per Sant Ji ‘s wishes. From 1941 to 1951 he served the army in cavalry brigade at Patiala. A contractor Hukam Chand tried to bribe him to seek a huge defense order and asked him to take leave for one day so that the things could be manipulated. He didn’t agree to that rather the order was given to a genuine person and by doing so, he saved lot of Govt. money. He served in the Punjab Civil Secretariat till 1966, in the Natural Calamity Dept. Mr Fletcher, the then Financial Commissioner of Punjab honored him by giving him an appreciation letter for hard work, dedication and honesty. He continued his satsang and interaction with the followers of other faiths and had long discussion on the subject " What is Naam?" During the time when he was in Chandigarh, he used to invite Sant Ji Rarewale every year for preaching satsang in various gurdwaras. Sant Ji Maharaj was so beloved to him and his family that every care was taken to make the stay comfortable. He would even borrow money and spend lavishly for the service of sadh-sangat. Bibi Ranjit Kaur would always stand by him and prepare free kitchen for everyone and take care of the children. Sant Ji Maharaj was well aware of his financial situation and had high praise for his service, devotion and dedication. One day when he was leaving, he gave him these blessing " My dear, money never diminishes by charity, it multiples." He ordered him to leave the service and setout for U.P. for the cultivation of his farmland and he did so without loosing any time.
He had to work hard to make this land worth of cultivation as it was a jungle. He proved to be a successful farmer and did intensive cultivation. He was distressed to see the condition of the sikh people who had settled here after the partition. They were known to be alcoholics, cattle stealers and hit men. Police would pull them from their headgear and insult them in public, when they were drunk. He went from village to village to preach them the lesson of Gurmat, taking the people on his tractor trolley and driving his car at his own expenses. By and large, he helped people to get rid of their social evils and brought them back to the sikh fold. With the result now that Trai area is fully in sikh fold. Hundreds of truckloads of people reach Ratwara Sahib (HQ of VGRM) on the occasion of annual congregation every year.
He used to visit Rara Sahib and would discuss and share his views and spiritual experiences with Sant Ji Maharaj. Once when Sant Ji was on a visit to U.P, he applauded his efforts to bring the people of this area to right path. Sant Ji added that from now onwards you take care of them and guide them spiritually as well. At this when he showed his helplessness and then Sant Ji remarked "We can make an arrangement that while doing so, you will surrender your body to me and leave the rest upon me". He immediately replied that "My body, soul and everything belongs to you". It was then in 1973, when Sant Ji asked him to prepare videocassettes of kirtan vikhiyan (narration). Sant Ji offered him one hundred thousand rupees for this purpose to purchase the required equipment and a jeep but he didn’t replied and kept quiet. Next morning Sant Ji repeated his offer, then he replied that in that case, he would stay at Rara Sahib and would not return home. When Sant Ji didn’t accept that, he offered that I would be happy to do this work at my own expense and please bless me for that. At this Sant Ji felt happy and blessed him for the success of his benefaction. Sant Ji mentions this instance in his personal diary as "Asceticism".
In the year 1978, he sold his land and property and moved to Chandigarh. He didn’t sit idle, he started surveying the villages of Ropar Dist. and surrounding villages of Chandigarh. He found that people of this area are addicts of tobacco and also cultivating it. They worshiped snakes, Mata Rani (small pox) and other fictitious gods and were far away from the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib. He took a map of all villages and planned his preaching programs. He conducted religious congregations from village to village and made people aware of the path shown by the Sikh Gurus. He taught the people to give up social evils and bad habits of indulging in alcohol, tobacco and meat etc. With this effort, a large number of people followed his teachings and joined the Sikh stream. It is worthwhile to note that during this campaign, he used his car, own light and sound systems to hold these congregations.
In the year 1974, Sant Maharaj Ji Rarewale merged his soul with almighty and Sant Baba Kishan Singh Ji took care of the sangat. He would often visit Rara Sahib with the offerings of the sangat. Sant Kishan Singh ji would always bless him and the sangat. Sant Ji instructed him that now onwards he should take care of the sangat of that area. Sant Ajit Singh Ji Nathalpur had also blessed him in vision to take care of the sangat of Ropar, Patiala, Rajpura, Ambala and Fatehgarh Sahib districts. The sangat of these areas regularly visits Ratwara Sahib on annual functions.
In 1986 he established a permanent parchar kendra (missionary center) at Ratwara Sahib which is hardly 11 kilometers away from Chandigarh and founded Vishav Gurmat Roohani Mission for the purpose of Gurmat parchar. Besides this he opened mission’s sub-centers at Shalapur and Khubia Nangal (U.P.), Rajpura, Banur in Patiala Dist., Hirdeypur in Ropar Dist., Mehli in Doaba region and Faridkot in Malwa region. Ratwara Sahib has become a place of pilgrimage as the sangat throngs in hundreds of thousands from distant places to attend the annual congregation ( Samagam ). This samagam is held under his able guidance and leadership generally in the month of October every year. Prominent scholars and saints are invited to address the audience on this occasion to high light the principles of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and Sikh spiritual values.
He had applied the modern electronic media and pioneered it for the purpose of spreading the message of Guru Granth Sahib and spiritual heritage of the Sikhs. He started making videocassettes of Gurbani kirtan and scientific explanation of Guru Granth Sahib’s principles. So far 800 video cassettes have been made which are duly dubbed with the quotations from gurbani in english, gurmukhi and hindi and includes photographs from the history and religion. These video film have become very popular among the sangat in India and foreign countries. These are now being multiplied by the devotees and distributed to sangat for free. More than 2000 audiocassettes have also been prepared for these purpose. Centers has been set up in USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Greece, Holland, Australia and Arab countries for the distribution of these cassettes.
Apart from the above media, literature was also being prepared to spread the universal message of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Atam Marg magazine was started in April, 1995 with a initial circulation of 4000 copies but now its circulation has touched to 50000. It has more 2000 foreign members and 4000 hindi members. Sant Waryam Singh ji is the Chairman of the editorial board and author of more than 20 books which are being published by Vishav Gurmat Roohani Mission Charitable Trust. These books are also being translated in to english and hindi. With his able guidance Atam Marg has also been started with an english section, especially for the children of Sikhs abroad to make them aware of the Sikh heritage.
After doing all this, Sant Waryam Singh ji, laid off his body in Chandigarh, India on October 31 2001.
Article taken with courtesy from
http://www.atammargonline.org/babawaryamji.htm
