World on Fire

Subhaan!

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If we were all to jap Naam,
Our surrounding would become calm.
Who would be out there to cause any harm?

So true.

ਦੇਹੀ ਕਿਸ ਕੀ ਬਾਪੁਰੀ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰੁ ਹੋਇਗੋ ਗ੍ਰਾਮੁ ॥੧੧੦॥
(What to talk about the body in which the Jeev chants Naam but the whole town gets purified.)

Yes, Naam is chanted, the surroundings get purified and indeed if more people were engaged in Naam Abhyaas, the world would become a better place.

Kulbir Singh

while on this topic, I once heard of a Saakhi from a Katha about a Mahapursh from long ago(maybe from a previous Yug) who did a lot of Bhagti. Once he went to Narak and all the Paapi Jeevs who were being tortured and burned felt calm and even had their punishment cut. Does anyone know the name of that Mahapursh.

I think you are talking about Raja Janak.

This is what I have heard:

Raja Janak was passing to the next world after physical death. And he heard screams and asked where are they coming from? He was told they were screams from hell and of people being punished for their sins.

Raja Janak asked for 1 shin of his kamayee to be used to take out as many people that can be taken out of the hells. 1 shin of his kamayee infact took every single soul/being out from all of the hells. Showing how superior the amount of kamayee he had done was.

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Raja Janak asked for 1 shin of his kamayee to be used to take out as many people that can be taken out of the hells. 1 shin of his kamayee infact took every single soul/being out from all of the hells. Showing how superior the amount of kamayee he had done was.

I think it was not in chhin but one ghaRi. One GhaRi is equal to approximately 22 minutes. I can't find the exact quote. I could be wrong. In any case, here is the actual prasang in words of Bhai Gurdaas jee:

ਭਗਤੁ ਵਡਾ ਰਾਜਾ ਜਨਕੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਵਿਚਿ ਉਦਾਸੀ॥
ਦੇਵ ਲੋਕ ਨੋ ਚਲਿਆ ਗਣ ਗੰਧਰਬ ਸਭਾ ਸੁਖਵਾਸੀ॥
ਜਮਪੁਰਿ ਗਇਆ ਪੁਕਾਰ ਸੁਣਿ ਵਿਲਲਾਵਨਿ ਜੀਅ ਨਰਕ ਨਿਵਾਸੀ॥
ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਨੋ ਆਖਿਓਨੁ ਸਭਨਾ ਦੀ ਕਰਿ ਬੰਦ ਖਲਾਸੀ॥
ਕਰੇ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਧਰਮਰਾਇ ਹਉ ਸੇਵਕੁ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ॥
ਗਹਿਣੇ ਧਰਿਓਨੁ ਇਕੁ ਨਾਉ ਪਾਪਾ ਨਾਲਿ ਕਰੈ ਨਿਰਜਾਸੀ॥
ਪਾਸੰਗਿ ਪਾਪੁ ਨ ਪੁਜਨੀ, ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਉ ਅਤੁਲ, ਨ ਤੁਲਾਸੀ॥
ਨਰਕਹੁ ਛੁਟੇ ਜੀਆ ਜੰਤ, ਕਟੀ ਗਲਹੁੰ ਸਿਲਕ ਜਮ ਫਾਸੀ॥
ਮੁਕਤਿ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਨਾਵੈ ਦੀ ਦਾਸੀ ॥5॥

Kulbir Singh

You are possibly correct as I wasn's sure if it was ik shinn or ik gharee. The Vaar by Bhai Gurdas Ji doesn't mention how much either.
Here is the translation of the Vaar.

King Janak was a great saint who amidst Maya remained indifferent to it.
Along with gans and gandharvs (celestial musicians) he went to the abode of the Gods.
From there, he, hearing the cries of inhabitants of hell, went to them.
He asked the God of death, Dharamrai, to relieve all their suffering.
Hearing this, the God of death told him he was a mere servant of the eternal Lord (and without His orders he could not liberate them).
Janak offered a part of his Devotion and remembrance of the name of the Lord. All the sins of hell were found not equal even to the counterweight of balance
In fact no balance can weigh the fruits of recitation and remembrance of the Lords name by the Gurmukh
All the creatures got liberated from hell and the noose of death was cut.
Liberation and the technique of attaining it are the servants of the name of the Lord.(5)


Raja Janak is mentioned quite a few times in Gurbani. It's mentioned that as well as being a king, he was a yogi. And also refers to hath yoga. As well as being a Gurmukh.

Also what does the following mean? It's by Bhai Gurdas Jee.

ਪੈਰ ਕੜਾ ਹੇ ਜਨਕ ਦਾ ਕਰਿ ਪਾਖੰਡੁ ਧਰਮ ਧਿਙਤਾਣਾ||
Janak by keeping one leg into the soft bedding and another into the boiling cauldron showed his power of hath Yoga and let down the real dharma.

The poem, by Gupt poet Ji is really fantastic in many ways. The words are simple & in rhyme, the idea simple and divine. It dares to share rather own the responsibility of problems around us. Well done Veer Ji.