Background

One day the Divine Darbar of Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee Maharaj was going on at Siri Amritsar Sahib. Bhai Triloka who was a soldier in the Mughal army in Ghazni city of Afghanistan, came for Darshan of Guru Sahib. He placed his head on the Charan Kamal of Guru Sahib and humbly requested Guru Sahib to free him from the bonds of Maya and give him such spiritual lesson so that he may swim across this terrible ocean to Sachkhand.

Guru jee's Nirmal Updesh to Triloka jee

Guru Sahib blessed Triloka with Gurmat Naam and gave him the following Updesh:

ਸੁਨਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਰਿ ਦਯਾ ਸੁਨਾਈ।
ਸਤਿਨਾਮ ਸੋ ਰਹੋ ਲਿਵਲਾਈ।
ਊਠਤਿ ਬੈਠਤਿ ਆਵਤਿ ਜਾਂ ਤੇ।
ਨਹਿਂ ਸਿਮਰਨ ਤਿਆਗਹੁ ਦਿਨ ਰਾਤੇ।
ਪਰਮੇਸੁਰ ਭਾਣੇ ਕੋ ਮਾਨਿ।
ਹਰਖਹੁ ਭਲੀ ਕਰਹਿ ਇਮ ਜਾਨਿ।
ਦੋਸ਼ ਅਰੋਪਹੁ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਮੈਂ।
ਜੋ ਬਯਾਪਕ ਨਭ ਕੀ ਸਮ ਸਭਿ ਮੈ।
ਤਨ ਹੰਤਾ ਕੋ ਤਜਿ ਅਭਯਾਸ।
ਸਨੈ ਸਨੈ ਲਖਿ ਰੂਪ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼।
ਰਹੁ ਅਹਿੰਸ ਕਰਿ ਸਭ ਪਰ ਦਯਾ।
ਕਿਸ ਕੋ ਨਹੀਂ ਦੁਖਾਵਹੁ ਹਿਯਾ।
ਜਥਾ ਲਾਭ ਕੀਜਹਿ ਸੰਤੋਸ਼ਾ।
ਤਜਹੁ ਬਿਕਾਰ ਆਦਿ ਜੇ ਰੋਸਾ।

Siri Guru jee’s Updesh above captured beautifully by Mahakavi Bhai Sahib Santokh Singh jee Chooramani (I wish I could kiss his hands that wrote such beautiful, inspirational and faith-invoking praise of Guru Sahib), can be summarized as follows:

1. Always keep your concentration in true Naam.

2. Don’t give up Simran ever during the day and night; continue doing it while sitting, standing and walking.

3. Accept the Will of Vaheguru; then Vaheguru would get pleased and bless you.

4. Never blame Vaheguru for anything; he is present in everything.

5. Give up the sensation of the body and slowly recognize the illuminated form of Vaheguru everywhere. Giving up sensation of the body means to give up Haume and pleasures of the body.

6. Stay non-violent towards creatures and have mercy and compassion on everyone.

7. Don’t hurt anyone’s heart.

8. Stay contented in whatever you have.

9. Give up the 5 evils including anger (Krodh).


Bhai Triloka took the teachings of Guru Sahib and carved them in stone, on his heart. He came back to Ghazni where he was employed as a soldier with the Mughals. He was a very able soldier, fully skilled in warfare. He was one of the favourite of the king (governor) and worked in the group that was responsible for the personal security of the king.

Bhai Triloka commits a Great Sin

One day the king went for hunting and Triloka accompanied him since he was part of his personal security. In the jungle, they spotted a female deer and the king asked Triloka to chase her. Triloka’s horse swiftly got close to the deer. Triloka as part of his natural impulse, struck the deer with his sword. The deer got hurt on the stomach area and fell on the ground. She was pregnant and was in great pain. Then out of her stomach came two deer calves. All three stayed in pain for some time and then died in front of Triloka’s eyes.

Bhai Triloka was devastated. He cursed himself for committing such a sin just for the sake of entertainment. He remembered Guru Sahib’s hukam to have mercy and compassion for all creatures. He felt that he had disobeyed Guru Sahib’s Hukam and committed a great sin. He lost his appetite and went into depression.

After doing deep thinking, he came to the conclusion that he was not going to commit such a sin again. He thought that if he did not have sword, he could have avoided killing the deer. That day he got a special sword made out of wood with handle that of Sarbloh. He started wearing this sword of wood from that day. Only he knew about his wooden sword.

Bhai Triloka in trouble

One day, someone who did not like him, somehow found out that Triloka jee had started wearing a wooden sword. He complained to the king. The king was very fond of Triloka jee and did not believe a single word of the Nindak (slanderer). At this the Nindak said that he was willing to undergo any punishment if his information was found to be false. This way with constant cajoling he sowed the seed of suspicion in the mind of the king.

The king did not want to ask Bhai Triloka directly if he was wearing a wooden sword. So he called an assembly of all his elite soldiers and told all of them that he was going to test their weapons. He first took out his own sword and showed it to all. This way he started checking swords of all soldiers.

Bhai Triloka was terrified at the thought of getting caught with a wooden sword. The embarrassment would have been too much for him to sustain. He started doing Gupt Ardaas before Guru Sahib to save his honour. He pleaded before Guru Sahib to keep his honour in the same way he had kept the honour of Panchaali and saved her from getting naked. His mind in a matter of seconds attained full concentration and right at that point Guru Sahib decided to keep his honour.

Bhai Triloka jee's Honour is kept

The king arrived near Bhai Triloka and smilingly asked him to show his sword so that he may see what stamp his sword had. Triloka said that his sword had the stamp of his Guru and saying “Vaheguru” and he confidently took out his Siri Sahib (sword). When he took out his sword, it was as if lightening had fallen on the assembly. The shine of the sword was breathtaking and the edge of the sword was so sharp that no one had seen such edge before. Everyone who saw the sword was stunned.

The Mughal was extremely pleased and right on the spot doubled his salary. The Nindak who had complained to the king had his face blackened and kicked out of the court.

Bhai Triloka’s Rom-Rom (every cell) was filled with gratitude for Guru Sahib. Guru Sahib had kept his honour in such way that his faith in Guru Sahib increased manifold. After few months he personally came to Siri Amritsar and narrated his story in the Darbar of Guru Sahib. Everyone who heard this Saakhi were saying Dhan Guru! Dhan Guru!

May Guru Sahib bless us with the faith required to please Guru Sahib.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Adapted from Gurpratap Sooraj Prakash and Sikha di Bhagatmala.