Guru Ladho Re, Guru Ladho Re !!
apunae saevak kee aapae raakhai aapae naam japaavai || jeh jeh kaaj kirath saevak kee thehaa thehaa out(h) dhhaavai ||1||
The Lord Himself protects His own servant and sustains his devotion to Naam. In response to the plight of His servant, the Lord rushes to his rescue. And manifests His immediate presence there.
saevak ko nikattee ho e dhikhaavai || j o jo kehai t(h)aakur pehi saevak thathakaal hoe aavai ||1|| rehaao ||
The Lord appears near at hand to His servant. Whatever the servant asks of his Lord and Master, immediately comes to pass. ||1||Pause||
(Guru Granth Sahib ji – pg 403)
M akhan Shah Lubana was a devout sikh and a rich merchant who used to bring merchandise from far away lands. Once, while he was returning home with his ships loaded with valuable cargo, there was a furious storm at sea and his vessels got caught in it. In the rising fury of the storm, disaster was imminent. When all hope of survival of men and of safety of the cargo had vanished, a pathetic cry arose from the depths of Makhan Shah’s heart to the Lotus Feet of Guru Har Krishan, the Eighth Guru Nanak, to save him and his cargo. Scarcely had the prayer been made when the storm subsided and the ships of the devout follower cruised ashore.
When the prayer for his safety had escaped Makhan Shah’s lips, his sinking heart had simultaneously pledged to offer 500 Mohurs (gold coins) as ‘shukrana’ at the Guru’s holy feet on his safe arrival. On reaching Delhi, Makhan Shah learnt about Guru Har Krishan Sahib’s parting words ‘Baba Bakale’ meaning that the next Guru was to be found in Bakala. He then immediately left for Bakala.
There Makhan Shah found that there were many impostors staking their claim to the holy throne of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib. Though he was anguished he did not give up hope as he yet had the ultimate test of truth with him.
He thought of a plan to trace the real Guru. He planned to offer two gold mohars to each self proclaimed Guru. The false would readily accept them, whereas the true Guru (knower of the hearts) would definitely ask for what had actually been promised.
Makhan shah went to each of the self proclaimed gurus and offered them two gold mohars. They were all pleased at the sight of gold coins. Everyone praised himself to the skies, but no one asked for what had actually been promised.
Makhan Shah Lubana recalls the following hymns from Sukhmani Sahib:
As long as a man deems himself good
no goodness can approach him
He who deems himself as of the lowly
Shall be esteemed as the highest of the High.
He was confident that non of them was the real Guru. Finally when all the impostors had been tried, he enquired if there were any other holy men in Bakala. He was then informed about Bhai Tegha (son of Guru Har Gobind sahib ji). His full name was Tegh Bahadur, who lived in silence and makes no claims to the Guruship.
Makhan Shah went to test this holy man also and as usual placed two gold coins and bowed in reverence. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Knower of all Hearts and the Supreme Saviour, opened his eyes and life giving Nectar flowed from His holy lips, “Makhan Shah, Guru does not need your money but having pledged 500, why are you offering only two”. The mystery was unravelled.
Wonderstruck by the Eternal Glory of Guru Nanak, he fell head long at the holy feet of his Beloved Guru, the Ninth Guru Nanak, the Eternal “Jaagdi Jot” and thereafter rushed to the top of the House and started calling at the top of his voice in rapturous ecstasy “Guru Ladho Re, Guru Ladho Re”. I have discovered the Holy Guru, I have found the Holy Guru. Thus was the Saviour discovered.
Acknowledgement: http://tuhitu.blogspot.com/