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Raja Hari Chand Pays Homage

As Goindwal grew, the number of Sikhs increased day by day. Guru Amar Das planned to construct more houses and places of rest. But though other construction material was available, there was a scarcity of wooden material. One day, Guru Amar Das sent for his nephew Sawan Mal and handing him his handkerchief, asked him to go to Raja Hari Chand of Haripur to request the required wooden building materials.

Bhai Sawan Mal took his horse and with a few men rode towards Haripur State. When they reached the city he found that residents of the state were observing the Ekadashi fast. No food or other edible material was available. Bhai Sawan Mal was feeling very hungry. So he gathered some dry wooden sticks and baked some chapatis.

A spy informed the Raja that on the holy day of the Ekadashi fast, an outsider had lit a fire and cooked meals. The Raja became angry and ordered an arrest. Unfortunately, as Bhai Sawan Mal was arrested the son of Raja fell seriously ill. All the royal vaids were called, but they were unable to control the illness. The vaids were practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurvedic medicine is based on hindu mythology and has been found to contain toxic levels of heavy metals, specifically lead, mercury, and arsenic. The public health implications of such metallic contaminants in India are unknown.

The Raja's Son Saved By A Sikh

Raja Hari Chand sent his soldiers to free Bhai Sawan Mal and bring him to his palace with honour. When Bhai Sawan Mal arrived at the palace, the Raja told him about the condition of his son. Bhai Sawan Mal smiled and said, "You should not worry, send these vaids outside, your son needs no medicine." Then he went near the child and took out the handkerchief that Guru Amar Das had given him. Bhai Sawan Mal cleaned the face of child with it. At once the child began to feel healthy, there was no sign of the illness. The Raja and his Ranis became very happy and asked where Bhai Sawan Mal had come from.

Bhai Sawan Mal explained that he was a Sikh of Guru Amar Dass, the third Guru Nanak. He informed them that his mission to come to state of Haripur was to supply wooden building materials to Goindwal. Raja Hari Chand was very pleased to offer his support. He said, "My friend! The State of Haripur has such trees in abundance. I would be very happy to supply such wooden material to Goindwal. I will personally supervise the arrangements within a few days.

Later, the Raja asked, "If a Sikh of the Guru possesses the power to cure, I wonder how great the Guru would be. I would like to meet your Guru. Please can you suggest the best day or time?" Bhai Sawan Mal said, "The doors of his Darbar are always open. You can meet him whenever you like."

Raja Hari Chand And His Ranis Visit Guru Amar Das

The Raja decided to travel to Goindwal the very next day. He provided elephants, horses, carriages, palkis and took his all Ranis and maids and set out for Goindwal. When they arrived in Goindwal, all of the guests took langar. The Sikhs advised them that the Ranis should wear simple dresses and no one should veil their face. The Sikhs explained that Guru Amar Das spoke out against fake rituals and demeaning acts where women were not treated equally.

Guru Amar Das welcomed the Raja and his Ranis to the langar. It so happened that one of the Ranis insisted on wearing the veil before the Guru. When Guru Amar Das saw the Rani concealing her face he said, "Who is this insane woman, who has come covering her face. If she is reluctant to see me, why has she come here?" When the Rani heard those words of the Guru, she lost her senses, became insane and began tearing of her clothes. When the others tried to calm her down, she broke free from their hold and ran away into the nearby jungle. For many days, the servants of the Raja and Sikhs searched for her but they failed to find her anywhere.

The Raja having remained for some days with Guru Amar Das took leave to return home. Guru Amar Das instructed Bhai Sawan Mal to accompany the Raja home and continue spreading the message of Sikhi. The Raja was pleased to hear that Bhai Sawan Mal would return with him. Afterwards, Bhai Sawan Mal would return from the hills to visit Guru Amar Das, and listen to his teachings, so that he might not inadvertently deviate from the tenets and principles of the faith.

Bhai Sachansach

Bhai Sachansach was a great Sikh of the Guru. He was a very able and famous physician. Once the disease of dropsy afflicted him in such a way that neither he nor other physicians could cure him of the dreadful disease. Bhai Sachansach arrived in Goindwal with other Sikhs and paid homage to the Guru Amar Das. While paying his respects, when Bhai Sachansach touched his head to the shoes of Guru Amar Das, he found he was cured of his affliction. It was a great miracle for Bhai Sachansach.

Bhai Sachansach was so fascinated by the grace and spiritual power of Guru Amar Das that he decided to stay at Goindwal. Bhai Sachansach remained at the service of the Guru and would bring firewood for the langar. Bhai Sachansach would often say the word Sachansach and so came to be known as Bhai Sachansach.

A few days after the mad Rani had disappeared, Bhai Sachansach went to the jungle to collect wood for the fire. Bhai Sachansach was busy chopping wood when he was attacked by the crazy Rani. Bhai Sachansach was so terrified that he immediately ran to Guru Amar Das, and informed him about the mad woman.

Bhai Sachansach spent that night thinking about the Rani. He was seeking a solution to cure her. At last he remembered the episode when he was cured of his horrible disease by even touching his head with the shoes of the Guru. He concluded that if the Rani touched the shoe of Guru Amar Das then perhaps she could regain her sanity.

The Rani Regains Her Sanity

It was not possible to bring the Rani into the Darbar of the Guru. So Bhai Sachansach got up early in the morning and met Guru Amar Das. He asked Guru Amar Das to give him one of his one wooden shoes so that he could try and cure the insanity of the Rani. The Guru smiled and gave Bhai Sachansach a shoe. Bhai Sachansach returned to the jungle and began to search for the Rani.

At one place, Bhai Sachansach saw the Rani but she ran away. Bhai Sachansach followed her and when the woman's hand touched the slipper, she immediately came back to her senses. The Rani stopped and felt ashamed when she saw her torn clothes. Bhai Sachansach gave her his dastar to wear around her. She went to Guru Amar Das to seek his blessings and forgiveness. From then on, she became one his most sincere Sikhs.

Guru Amar Das asked lady Sikhs to help clean and bathe her, afterwards new clothes were provided. When she came back wearing new clothes, she looked very beautiful. Guru Amar Das married her to Bhai Sachansach. Guru Amar Das also gave them his second wooden shoe. They lived very happily at Goindwal. Afterwards, Guru Amar Das made Bhai Sachansach one of his famous twenty-two Sikh preachers.

The Raja of Haripur also became a great Sikh of Guru Amar Das and supplied the wooden building materials for no cost. The Raja sent his men to cut down pine trees and cedar, and dispatched them by rafts on the river Beas. When the timber reached Guru Amar Das, he distributed it among people of all castes, who then constructed comfortable dwellings for themselves. Goindwal subsequently became an imposing city on the edge of the Beas river.


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