Bhagat Maalaa ~ The Story of Sukdev Muni - Part XVII

Introduction to the short stories

 

The short stories are a collection of stories taken from the Aadh Guru Granth Bhagat Mala, which have been translated into simple English. The purpose of translating these stories is to provide understanding and the significance of these stories when reciting Gurbaani.

The Sikh Gurus and other Bhagats within Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji have made references to the various saints and disciples who existed at the time of the Hindu deities. By no means are these stories a form of praise or worship of the Hindu deities, but they are used as a reference to purely develop the meaning of Gurbaani.

The stories taken from Hindu mythology provide examples from the lives of the disciples and saints as parallels to understand the power and greatness of the One Lord, the righteous practise of faith and Dharma and how one is emancipated from sin and misfortune through meditating upon the Primal Lord.

~ Harjinder Singh Khalsa

 

The Story of Sukdev Muni

 

The meaning of Sukdev is ‘parrot’. Sukdev was the son of Biaas Ji. The story of Sukdev is somewhat strange.

 

Both Shiva and Pārbati were very affectionate and could not live without one another. One day in the Kailash Mountains they were sitting alone. Pārbati put her hands together and said to Shiva, “Dear Husband Lord, it is in your command that a woman ages and becomes physically old. When a woman becomes old she is unable to enjoy the pleasures of life. You are my unbreakable love. You are a great deity and will never age, but someone like me will age and physically change. I make a humble request before you that I do not fall into old age and physically change, but to remain young forever. This is my supplication unto you.”

Shiva replied, “Before I can answer your prayer, let me tell you a story.” This story that Shiva was going to tell Pārbati was a deep secret and no-one else knew this story because the one who hears this story will gain supernatural powers. He told Pārbati this story in confidence and at that time there was no-one present in the Kailash Mountains. However, there was one; a parrot sitting on the perch of a tree. This parrot sat and listened to the whole story.

After some time, Pārbati fell asleep. Shiva did not realise that Pārbati fell asleep and he carried on telling this story and the parrot continued to listen. The parrot let out a sigh. When he finished the story he looked over at Pārbati and saw that she was asleep. Shiva thought to himself, if Pārbati was asleep then who let out a sigh? When Shiva looked around he saw the parrot in the tree. Shiva was so enraged he chased the parrot. The parrot flew away, but Shiva continued to chase the parrot.

 

A Rishi called Biaas lived nearby. The parrot headed towards this house and saw the Rishi’s wife, Ritu-Ashnaan. Due to listening to this story, the parrot gained those supernatural powers and he transformed himself into wind and entered into Ritu-Ashnaan’s womb. Shiva saw this and thought that when the parrot takes birth as a However, twelve years had passed by and the child was not born. Rishi Biaas’ wife became extremely uncomfortable and agitated, as she had become very weak and old. Both husband and wife prayed to God to help them. The Lord heard their supplication and He spoke, “Sukdev I can see you praying inside your mother’s womb. Come out now, Shiva will not kill you; I will make sure of this.”

Sukdev replied, “O Lord, if I come out then I will be attached to worldly things. Let me stay here and meditate upon Your name. Shiva will not leave me alone.” The Lord spoke, “You cannot expect to stay in the womb; you are causing your mother a lot of distress. Come out at once!”

Sukdev listened to the Lord and came out his mother’s womb. He went to the jungles and meditated upon the Lord’s name. However, he had not made anyone a guru. Without a guru, no-one can reach salvation and achieve spiritual bliss. 

Some years went by and Sukdev was still in complete meditation. His hair became matted and birds began to form nests in his hair.

One bird said to the other, “We should not have made a nest here.”

The other asked, “Why?”

“Well firstly this Rishi is definitely meditating but he is without a guru. We should never go near a person who has no guru. Due to this, we will fall into hell. We have done a very bad thing coming here.”

“Okay let’s fly away. Staying here is no good for us.”

After some time, Sukdev went to see his father. He said to him, “O father, some birds were saying that I am without a guru and that one who does not have a guru is a sinner. Tell me, where can I find a guru?”

“Dear son! There is no other guru than Raja Janak. Make him your guru. Go to his kingdom and see him.”

Sukdev listened to his father and made his way to see Raja Janak. When Sukdev entered Raja Janak’s palace, he saw that he was standing with one of his legs in a tray and the other leg was on a naked woman’s chest. Sukdev could not understand what he saw and thought, “How can I make this man my guru.”

Another strange thing happened. Sukdev heard that there was a great fire in many villages and that they had all burnt down. The fire had reached Singh Paurai. Sukdev had just returned from there, where he had hung a water container of gourd shell. He became concerned that it will burn. He ran outside and Raja Janak was standing there.

He called Sukdev and spoke in an angry tone, “…bravo! O son of the Rishi. For twelve years you remained in your mother’s womb and meditated upon the Lord. For 24 years you meditated, 36 years have passed now and yet you cannot give up worldly things? If a village burns, why do you need to worry? Are you worried that your water container will turn to dust? And you are telling me you cannot get hold of these things? Get away from me; I do not want an attached disciple!”

Raja Janak had Sukdev thrown out of his palace. Sukdev felt his ego raging and he was angered with Raja Janak. He went to his father and told him what happened. His father did not believe him and he told him that Raja Janak was simply testing him. His father explained to him that when a father shouts at his son and tells him to get out of the house, the anger that the father has is a momentary thing. After some time, both regret their actions and the father brings his son back home. In the same way, this is the same situation between a guru and his disciple.

His father advised Sukdev to go back to Raja Janak’s palace, but stay on the west side. There he will see a window. There Raja Janak will throw the garbage to one side and clean the dishes, which he has used to feed the Sadhu’s. Stay below the window and watch your guru.

Sukdev listened to his father and did as his father had said. Sukdev stayed there for twelve years watching Raja Janak cleaning these dishes and having the left-over’s and garbage being thrown all over him.

 

ਜਾਤ ਨਜਾਤਿ ਦੇਖਿ ਮਤ ਭਰਮਹੁ ਸੁਕ ਜਨਕ ਪਗੀਂ ਲਗਿ ਧਿਆਵੈਗੋ ॥

'Jaat Nujaat Dekh Muth Bharmuhee, Sukh Janak Pugee Lag Dhiaavehgo.'

One day, Raja Janak felt pity and called Sukdev to his palace. He told him to have a bath. Raja Janak had many tests that he had installed for Sukdev. He wanted to see whether the beauty of a woman would have an affect on Sukdev. He filled a steel tray with oil. Sukdev placed his hand beneath this tray. This matter of this test was to see if Sukdev spilled this when seeing the beautiful woman and had he conquered his lustful thoughts. Raja Janak advised Sukdev, “Walk with this tray, but do not drop it or spill any of the oil. You will walk with this tray and go round the whole village.”

Sukdev made his way around the village. He came across beautiful women, but Sukdev’s concentration remained on the oil and he did not spill one drop of the oil. On seeing this, Raja Janak was pleased that he had passed the test and made him as his disciple. Sukdev became a great saint and a great disciple of Raja Janak, who found his guru and remained detached from worldly things. He conquered the five evil sins (lust, anger, attachment, greed and ego). Even the Lord tested Sukdev. Sukdev went to have a bath at the Ganges. There were many naked women bathing there too; one woman came and began dancing in front of Sukdev. Sukdev ignored her and carried on reciting the name of Lord, Ram.  

Bhai Gurdas Ji also mentions Sukdev in Vaar 12, Pauri 11

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