Bibi Bholan Rani

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O couple of blessed souls have, in particular, inspired me to start writing these books. The first one is my younger sister Bibi Bholan Rani. I acknowledge with deep gratitude her valued contribution and inspiration.

She was blessed with the boon of Kirtan by Mahan Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj Himself. He had personally instructed our respected father to make suitable arrangements for her to learn Kirtan. Services of a very noble and pious Ragi Jatha of Bhai Atma Singh Ji of Samadh Bhai were requisitioned and utilised for this purpose. She soon picked up and seated at the holy feet of Sri Guru Granth Sahib started singing the glory and praises of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib in exalted ecstasy.

She first passed Giani and then M.A. in Punjabi. Her clear understanding of Gurbani and in-depth concept of the holy events in the lives of the Great Gurus was wonderfully enlightening.

A beloved and an extremely obedient daughter of her worshipful father, a devotee par excellence of Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj she incessantly served and worshipped Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the holy footsteps of her venerable father. She had been the most blessed child in the family and intense divine love of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib, of Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj and of her worshipful father, was writ large on her broad forehead and inspired everyone who came in contact with her.

In the year 1942 I was studying in college and she was studying in school. Whenever we visited the Thaath with respected father, she would in total devotion prepare food for Baba Ji. We used to hand over the same to Baba Isher Singh Ji. It was purely due to her divine love that most compassionate Baba Ji always accepted the food prepared by her and our mother. Though Baba Ji departed in 1943, she continued serving the Lord Guru Nanak and Mahan Babaji through Sri Guru Granth Sahib with the same devotion and earnestness. Daily she prepared Parshad and meals for Baba Ji. She was invariably blessed with acknowledgement of her humble service by the Lord. She never forgot Baba Ji and Baba Ji never left her. Doing her daily Kirtan she invariably sang this hymn also:

Guru Meray Sang Sada Hai Nalay Simar Simar Tis Sada Samalay

Sri Guru Arjan Sahib says:

The Guru is eternally present with me.
Always immersed in deep devotion to Guru, I meditate on Him.

Purity of mind, heart and soul and power of pure love are most essential attributes of a devotee for the kind acceptance of parshad and meals by the Lord. She did all this with such burning faith and in such a wonderful spirit of humility as to defy description.

Kirtan had been her regular Nit-Nem besides Nam Simran, recitation of Gurbani and personal service of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. She did Kirtan for hours, totally clothed in expression of love. She did kirtan with fervent devotion and in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib only. On very rare auspicious occasions, she did this in the presence of congregations. When she sang in a state of total madness of love, blissful presence of the Lord Guru Nanak was felt, experienced or envisioned by many members of the congregation. Listeners felt transported to the higher regions of bliss.

Soul-Stirring Kirtan by Bibi Bholan Rani

As a child cries in intense agony for the mother and mother comes running for the child, so arose in her kirtan the agonising cry of her soul and instant was the loving response by the Lord of Lords Sri Guru Nanak Sahib and Mahan Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj.

Always established in the holy vision of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib, she cared little for the sorrows and miseries of family life.

In proud inheritance, she had been bequeathed the lion’s share of Divine Vairaag, Virha, Prem, love-divine by her godly father. Her most beloved father had intuited his holy departure only to his most beloved daughter Bibi Bholan Rani and had quietly advised her to bear his physical separation with fortitude.

Unable to bear the pangs of physical separation for long, she had physically become very weak. Diabetes and heart-attack further aggravated her health. Her holy father then graced her with a vision reassuring her, “Tainu Maha Kaal De Darshan Kra Ditey Han, Hun Kaal Nahin Aa Sakda.” You have been blessed with the vision of Maha Kaal, now Kaal cannot come near you. He further advised her as follows:

  1. In Exclusive Love-Divine, there is no place for any worldly attachment, because any physical love and attachment is binding. Father wanted her to rise far above body consciousness and get completely immersed in Guru consciousness.
  2. Whomsoever the Lord loves the most, he gives a boon of sufferings. There is nothing more purifying than the sufferings. There is nothing spiritually more rewarding than undergoing sufferings in His sweet Will..

That is how her beloved father kept on guiding and leading his beloved daughter to the realms of eternity, to the lotus feet of Mahan Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj and Sri Guru Nanak Sahib.