Kulbir Singh Wrote:
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> A Gursikh of Bhai Sahib's times narrated a joke to
> us, many years ago. Once a simple guy from the
> countryside came to a city. He got off the station
> and was looking for a rickshaw or a tonga to get
> to his destination. The tonga-wala who was waiting
> for his customers saw the villager and said,
> "Mahapurkho, aayo jee, aayo jee. Please be seated
> and I will take you to your destination" (Come O
> Mahapurakh...).
>
> The villager was very pleased since the tonga-wala
> had called him a "Mahapurakh". In villages they
> talk pretty tough and rude. No one had called him
> a Mahapurakh before. The words sounded like honey
> to his ears and they kept ringing in his ears. He
> was so happy that even though he was charged more
> than he wanted, he sat in the tonga. In the
> meantime, the tonga-wala was waiting for more
> customers.
>
> Soon another customer came and the tonga-wala
> addressed him, "aajo Mahapurko, baitho jee" (Come
> Mahapurakh jee, be seated).
>
> The villager was a bit upset that the tonga-wala
> had called another person also a Mahapurakh. His
> Anand subsided a bit.
>
> Soon he noticed that he was calling all his
> customers Mahapurakh. Now all his Anand of being
> addressed as a Mahapurakh vanished. He was now
> regretting sitting in this tonga.
>
> Just as the tonga was about to move, the
> tonga-wala addressed his horse, "Oye Mahapurkha,
> chal chaliye" (let's go, O Mahapurakh). Now the
> villager was quite angry as the tonga-wala had
> called his horse a Mahapurakh. He found it
> insulting that the tongawala had called him a
> Mahapurakh.
>
> As they were travelling, a donkey came in the
> middle of the road from no where and blocked the
> road. The irritated tongawala said to the donkey,
> "Oye Mahapurkha tu saada rasta kyo rokiya hai?"
> (why are you blocking our way, O Mahapurakh) The
> villager was obviously now fuming in rage. He felt
> like beating up the tonga-wala.
>
> On his way, he called every person and a moving
> thing a Mahapurakh. He saw a dirty stray dog and
> even called it Mahapurakh.
>
> By now the villager reached his destination. The
> tonga-wala was about to say something but before
> he could, the villager burst in anger,
> "Khabardaar, je mainu Mahapurakh kiha taan. Main
> teriyaan lataan vadh deyoonga" (Khabardaar if you
> call me a Mahapurakh. I will chop down your
> legs.)
>
> The tongawala was surprised and could not
> understand what he had done. The villager went his
> way, a bit satisfied for getting back at the
> tongawala.
>
> Kulbir Singh
Now I understand why you used to refer to me as "ramamandi dey mahapurkh"