Siri Guru jee states in Gurbani that if you want to have your work done, ask Vaheguru for it and Vaheguru in return gets your tasks done, this is the witness of the true Guru. There is however only one condition. Meet Sant Gursikhs and in their sangat taste the treasure Naam Amrit. Once you are done with that, Siri Guru jee states that destroyer of fear, kind and benevolent Vaheguru will certainly keep the honour of his servant. Then when one’s desires are fulfilled, sing the praises of Vaheguru (i.e. do kirtan of Gurbani) and this way comprehend the incomprehensible Vaheguru (Alakh Prabh Laakhiye). Below is the Shabad that proves the above written:
ਪਉੜੀ ॥ ਕੀਤਾ ਲੋੜੀਐ ਕੰਮੁ ਸੁ ਹਰਿ ਪਹਿ ਆਖੀਐ ॥
ਕਾਰਜੁ ਦੇਇ ਸਵਾਰਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸਚੁ ਸਾਖੀਐ ॥
ਸੰਤਾ ਸੰਗਿ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਚਾਖੀਐ ॥
ਭੈ ਭੰਜਨ ਮਿਹਰਵਾਨ ਦਾਸ ਕੀ ਰਾਖੀਐ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ਅਲਖੁ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਲਾਖੀਐ ॥20॥Whatever kind of relationship we develop with Vaheguru, that is how we get treated back. If we think of Vaheguru as a friend, then he’s our friend. If we want to be his son, then rights and responsibilities of son have to be carried on by us. The only exemption is that if we take him to be our enemy, he does not become our enemy. Vaheguru knows not evil. He does not harbour ill feelings.
Before asking for a boon from Vaheguru or asking to fulfill our desire, it is foremost to establish that the wish we seek to be granted is in accordance to Gurmat. It must be a fair desire. If we were to ask for sinful luxury, then it will not be fulfilled. Second thing to believe is that Vaheguru IS there ( he exists) and will listen to our Ardaas, The third thing that not only does he exist and listen to our ardaas but he is also capable of fulfilling our wish. The last but not least important thing is to have faith in our ardaas. Faith in Vaheguru is an amazing quality that acts as a catalyst in fulfilling our ardaas. These conditions can come in full potency only if we japp Naam and recite Gurbani. More Naam we japp and more paath we do, greater our faith will be in Vaheguru.
Many times, the impediment in fulfilling our desire is our bad karma from past. In such case, it’s important to do paath and simran to burn or eradicate this bad karma. If there is no bad karma, there is nothing stopping us from getting our fair desire fulfilled. It’s written in Gurbani that ‘ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥’ The Shabad of Guru i.e. Naam obtained from Guru eradicates millions of Karma. Once the hurdle of bad karma is cleared through Naam, the desire of our heart is fulfilled.
Getting the sangat to do an ardaas for can be very beneficial. The parents of Hira Harbachan Singh were very worried because their son had become an atheist. They requested Gursikhs to do ardaas for their son and they themselves too did ardaas all the time. Sooner than later, the time came when their son was hit by the arrows of Gurbani and he just lay there, unable to move. One can't help remembering this Salok of Bhagat Kabir jee when thinking of the condition of Hira Harbachan Singh jee when he heard Gurbani kirtan while walking outside the house where Kirtan Samagam was going on:
ਕਬੀਰ ਸਾਚਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮੈ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਸਬਦੁ ਜੁ ਬਾਹਿਆ ਏਕੁ ॥
ਲਾਗਤ ਹੀ ਭੁਇ ਮਿਲਿ ਗਇਆ ਪਰਿਆ ਕਲੇਜੇ ਛੇਕੁ ॥157॥He heard Gurbani while walking outside on the road. The arrows of Gurbani, coming from the mouth of Ranglay Sajjans associated with Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee were unbearable and they pierced into his heart. He could not move. He got totally absorbed in Gurbani. He just sat there on the road and instantly went into smadhi. Gursikhs took notice of him and lifted him up and he was brought inside the sangat and he was so engrossed in Gurbani Kirtan that he lost consciousness of the world. In this condition an Amrit Sinchaar samagam was planned there and then. Hira Harbachan Singh took amrit and with first shot of amrit drops in his mouth, he attained the darshan of Vaheguru. In case of Hira Harbachan Singh, his past life’s bhagti must have been immense but certainly, the ardaas by his parents and other Gursikhs affected him and he was changed from an atheist to a Mahapurakh Gursikh.
There are countless examples in history when Ardaas changed people’s lives. All Gursikhs can vouch for this. They experience miracles on regular basis in their lives. This makes them even more thankful and they with increased vigour japp more Naam and do more paath. Eventually, the life of Gursikhs becomes one dimensional. They just want to please Vaheguru and just japp Naam.
Here are some pankitis that tell us how our wishes can be fulfilled by Naam and Gurbani:
ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੈ ਸਿਮਰਨਿ ਕਾਰਜ ਪੂਰੇ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੈ ਸਿਮਰਨਿ ਕਬਹੁ ਨ ਝੂਰੇ ॥(through simran of Prabhu jee, all tasks or works are fulfilled. Through simran one never has to suffer disappointment).
ਜਹ ਮੁਸਕਲ ਹੋਵੈ ਅਤਿ ਭਾਰੀ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਖਿਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਉਧਾਰੀ ॥(Where there is a problem that is very big, Naam of Hari can fix it in a moment)
ਸੰਤਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਆਰਾਧਹੁ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਆਰਾਧਿ ਸਭੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਕਾਰਜ ਸਗਲੇ ਸਾਧਹੁ ॥(O Gursikh Santo, worship him through Naam (Har Har Har). By worshipping him obtain everything from him and have all your tasks fulfilled).
ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਸੁ ਰਾਮ ਰਸਾਇਣੁ ਹਰਿ ਸੇਵਹੁ ਸੰਤ ਜਨਹੁ ॥
ਚਾਰਿ ਪਦਾਰਥ ਚਾਰੇ ਪਾਏ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਭਜਹੁ ॥(O Sant Jano, Raam’s Naam is sweet, it’s the house of all delicious Rass (tastes, pleasures), therefore do sewa of such Naam i.e. Japp Such Naam. There are four basis essential substances and by japping Naam through the true Guru, you can obtain all of them.)
All that’s needed is kamaayee of Naam and Gurbani. There is nothing that one cannot obtain through Naam. All things are possible to God.
Some premis say that ardaas is not always fulfilled; therefore what's the point of doing ardaas. Just let things happen. All I know is that there is nothing that cannot be done through Naam. Yes, it is ultimately the vadd-kataakh i.e. graceful gaze of Vaheguru that will do that task but the way to get his graceful gaze is through Naam. As the matter of fact, the fact that a Gursikh is involved in japping Naam means that this Gursikh has that eye of grace of Guru Sahib. Otherwise, one would not have been blessed with Naam abhyaas. Many times it so happens that just before the fulfillment of the wish, a period comes when one is tested. Things become worse for a short period of time. Most give up during this period. One's who persevere are rewarded grandly. When Bhagat Naamdev jee was imprisoned by the Sultan and given ultimatem to either make alive a dead cow or face death, he went into deep meditation of Naam. When he continued in smadhi for 7 Gharees (about 2.5 hours) and nothing happened, he cried out:
ਸਾਤ ਘੜੀ ਜਬ ਬੀਤੀ ਸੁਣੀ॥ਅਜਹੁ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਧਣੀ॥14॥He meditated more vigourously and then in the next moment Gobind was there. All his wishes were granted and plus he got darshan of Gobind.
If we stick to Naam in this period, our wish is sure to be fulfilled. Again, what this daas has written is very general and broad in perspective. There can be a million scenarios and what Guru Sahib does in those scenarios is known only by Guru Sahib but what we know are general guidelines based on Gurbani. If we japp Naam, then our wish that is not contrary to Gurmat must be fulfilled. We have been given hukam to japp like Bhagat Dhru who japped for 6 months and then did Raaj for 36000 years. He too went through a lot of testing and hardship before his wish was granted. He did ghor-tapasiya. The key is Naam Abhyaas. This insect who is writing this article has failed the test so many times. May Guru Sahib enable us to have full faith on Guru Sahib's Gurbani and Naam.
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥