II / (iv)

The Soldier Saint

From Agra the regiment moved to Delhi. Jaimal Singh, deprived of his Master’s company, began looking for some Spiritual Seeker with whom he could associate. He soon discovered one Baba Karam Singh, also in the army, who was a great devotee of the Lord. He began visiting him frequently and would sit at his quarters enjoying the elder’s company. When one day Baba Karam Singh asked Jaimal Singh what attracted him to his place, he very simply replied,

I come here because since my childhood I have loved sitting at the feet of the lovers of the Lord.

Baba Karam Singh was delighted to find a fellow spirit, so young in years, and a lively discussion on Spirituality ensued.

It turned out that Baba Karam Singh, like Baba Balak Singh of Hazro, mistook the pranic rhythm for the principle of Naam sung of in the Granth Sahib. The young soldier, who had not yet attained his majority, began with great humility to correct his error. He quoted relevant passages from the Sikh scriptures to show that the Divine Shabd was the prime energy activating everything, even prana, but was not to be identified with prana. He dwelt on the fact that all great exponents of Sant Mat or the Path of the Masters had clearly and unequivocally declared that in our times pranayama and other such practices could not bring Inner Emancipation. He then spoke of his Great Teacher at Agra and of His inspiring teachings, and helped Baba Karam Singh to get on to the right Path to God.

After the great Rebellion of 1857, the regiment in which Jaimal Singh was employed was disbanded. He had not met his family for a long time and proceeded straight home. His mother’s joy at seeing him again knew no bounds. But he was not destined to be with her for long.

On receiving the news that a 24^th Sikh Regiment had been formed at Peshawar, he bade his family farewell and proceeded to join it. After some time in the Northwest Frontier Province, the regiment was transferred in January 1858 to Ambala. In September of the following year it was transferred to Sagar, a city on the banks of a large lake in central India. By now Jaimal Singh’s fellow soldiers had got used to his rigorous Spiritual Discipline; but during the days the regiment would be marching, they were surprised to find him excavate a small dugout in which he would then sit in a reclining posture, his back resting against the earthy embankment, and pass the entire night in meditation.

While stationed at Sagar, Jaimal Singh one night requested Swami Ji in meditation that the regiment be transferred next to Agra so that he could have the benefit of sitting at His Holy Feet. A man of God-realization can work strange miracles, being at one with the will of God; and a Guru’s Love for a True Disciple is so great that He denies him nothing.¹

Jaimal Singh’s prayer was granted; and next morning he casually observed to Bhagwan Singh, his mate and a devoted admirer, that as and when the regiment would be transferred it would be moved to Agra. On that occasion Bhagwan Singh took little notice of what was said, but when the news of its next stationing was received, the story of the prophetic soldier spread through the regiment like wildfire.

The orders for moving to Agra had not yet been received when Jaimal Singh applied for annual leave. The leave was granted but when he reported before departure, his superior informed him that he had to rejoin, not at Sagar, but at Agra. The sepoy was so overcome with the news that instead of going home he went straight to Agra.

Swami Ji received him with great affection and Radha Ji especially prepared halwa to mark the occasion. The Great Guru regarded him as a puran Gurumukh, a True Disciple, and recited to him some of the mystical poems He had composed during Jaimal Singh’s absence from Agra and which were later collected by Rai Saligram Ji, another noted and distinguished disciple, along with many of his own compositions, in the volume entitled Sar Bachan.

One of the verses He read referred directly to His disciple:

Yeh dhun hai dhur lok adhur ki koyi pukre Sant sepahi.

This music streams from a transcendent plane within and is caught by a soldier Saint.

Sar Bachan, Shabd 9, p. 94

Jaimal Singh made the most of his time with the Master. He attended the Satsang regularly and often chanted the verses on which Swami Ji later discoursed. Meanwhile, the 24^th Sikh Regiment moved into town, but he continued to stay at Punni Gali for he still had some leave to his credit.

One night Swami Ji asked him to carry a number of sheets and clothes and accompany Him to a poor locality. There He personally distributed to the needy according to their wants the gifts He had brought for them. 

The recipients were full of gratitude and enthusiastically thanked and blessed the magnanimous stranger. But Swami Ji was not the man to draw praise for Himself even when it was His rightful due.

Oh,

He exclaimed to those who flocked around Him,

do not thus burden me with thanks. I am only an agent of my generous Master. It is to Him that all credit is due.

When the nocturnal mission was over, the Great Teacher turned to His disciple and said,

Jaimal, my son, always serve the poor in this way, never claiming anything as your due.

Jaimal Singh went back to duty when his annual holiday was over. But he made it a point not to miss any opportunity of visiting his Master. He would often arrive at Punni Gali at noon and stay on till late in the evening.

One day, lost in Satsang and Bhajan, he forgot completely that he was on duty at night. It was early in the morning that he reached the army quarters and went straight to his mate.

Have you completed your duty?

asked Bhagwan Singh.

Why, was I on duty last night?

ventured Jaimal Singh.

Oh, you think you’re being funny? As if I did not see you going out dressed for duty last night.

Jaimal Singh made no further reply. He was musing on the unfailing care of his Master and wondering what exactly had happened. If he still had any doubts about the miracle, they were soon dispelled. The Havildar above him, on meeting him shortly after, also referred to his night duty and that his attendance had been duly marked in the night register. As soon as he could get away, he hastened to Punni Gali and fell at his Master’s feet.

How little we erring mortals deserve the Grace You shower on us!

he exclaimed, and related the strange happenings of the preceding night.

I hope you have not spoken of them to any of your army friends.

– Oh Sir, I was too dumbfounded to utter a word.

Excellent! Excellent! Now keep it to yourself. And mark if any such thing ever happens in the future, remember to restrain yourself and not make a public fuss about it.

This miracle was to be repeated when a similar situation arose not long after.

The year and a half that the 24^th Sikh Regiment spent at Agra passed off like a happy dream. Before the regiment departed, Jaimal Singh spent three days with Swami Ji. On the last day when he had to bid farewell, he humbly fell at his Master’s feet. Swami Ji raised him from His feet, pressed him fondly to Himself, and observed,

There is no difference between us whatsoever for we are alike permeated with the power of Naam.

From Agra, the regiment proceeded to Peshawar as is the wont in army life. The 24^th Sikh Regiment kept moving from one cantonment to another every two or three years. Among various places at which it was stationed, the most important were Rawalpindi, Abbottabad, Mianmir near Lahore, and Jhansi. While at the last mentioned station, Jaimal Singh was promoted to the rank of a Naik (corporal).

In October, two years later, he was once again on his way to Agra to spend the annual leave with his Guru. Who can describe the beatitude to be experienced at the feet of a Divine Teacher! The time slipped by and before he could even realize it, Jaimal Singh’s day of parting arrived. He went to Swami Ji for blessings and to bid Him farewell.

This is going to be our last meeting,

observed the Master.

My mission on earth is almost over. I need hardly repeat that I have cast you in my own mold and you are of my very essence.

When Chanda Singh, who was also at Punni Gali at that time, heard that Swami Ji intended to leave the world in a short while, he exclaimed,

What will become of us?

and begged Him to leave someone behind to carry on His work in the Punjab.

Swami Ji smiled and replied,

Your prayers have already been granted by the Almighty, and Jaimal, Whom I have already given authority for initiation, has been deputed for the task.

Then turning back to Jaimal, He said,

Put all seekers that come to you on the Path of Naam; but see that you steer clear of sects and creeds. Ours is the Path of Nanak and Kabir. Whosoever is fired by Spiritual Zeal, whether of this faith or of that, has a right to it. Carry on in all humility, and whatever you do, do it as a servant of the Saints.

He then turned to Radha Ji and, placing His hand on Jaimal’s back, declared,

He is indeed our Gurumukh son,

and taking a saropa or head-dress He lovingly bestowed it as a parting gift to His apt and faithful disciple. This great Love and honour was too much for the humble Gurumukh and, overwhelmed, His eyes were filled with tears. His heart was heavy as He left, thinking of the approaching end of His Master’s earthly sojourn and the difficult burden that was being placed on His shoulders.

From Agra, Jaimal Singh returned to His regiment at Jhansi. The rest of His story as a soldier is simply told. It is unnecessary to enumerate the many places at which the 24^th Sikh Regiment was stationed from time to time. Whatever happened, wherever He went, Jaimal Singh let nothing interrupt the routine of His Spiritual Sadhans. Like a lover in the frenzy of love, He was forever centred in the joy of the Inner Life.

Even when His regiment was in action in the North-Western Frontier during the Anglo-Afghan War in 1879, He would leave His quarters at night, go into the wilderness, dig a pit and, with His rifle tucked under His knees, get lost in meditation. Enemy snipers would often spot Him, but seeing His radiant figure make out that He was no ordinary soldier but some great fakir, and leave Him untouched. At times when He arose from His sadhan, they would even bow before Him in reverence.

As Jaimal Singh, Who had been 18 when He had first entered the army at Agra, grew into a mature man and passed from youth to middle age, He slowly but steadily won the hearts of all around Him. At first, some of His companions might have sportively dismissed Him as an orthodox non-entity who did not know the art of enjoying life, but was lost in the reading of scriptures and  practising tedious Spiritual Sadhans. But as the years passed by, they realized that they had among them no ordinary mortal. His prediction to Bhagwan Singh at Sagar of their regiment’s next posting got wide currency and won Him many admirers. While stationed at Jamrud during the Afghan War, his mate Bhagwan Singh, who had gone with a convoy, suddenly fell ill and died. At the very moment his spirit was leaving its physical frame, Jaimal Singh, many miles away, abruptly exclaimed,

Wah wah nipat gaye.

Well, well, it is at last over.

Inder Singh, who had joined the regiment at Jhansi, and had developed an intimate attachment for his revered senior, becoming His first initiate, was sitting with Him. He was not a little surprised by this dramatic outburst, and asked his teacher what it meant. Jaimal Singh was reluctant to declare Himself.

Why bother about that which does not concern you?

He said.

But when Inder Singh persisted He told him that Bhagwan Singh had passed away. The young soldier noted the time and date and when the news of his colleague’s death arrived, he found it to be correct.

Such strange happenings were not infrequent where Jaimal Singh was concerned, and with the passage of time He became an institution in the regiment. Everyone respected Him, and even the English officers held Him in great veneration, calling Him 'Lord Bishop.'

All those spiritually inclined sought His company, and no less than those who suffered from some worldly affliction. Thus, Subedar Kharak Singh, who had been married for many years without issue, begged Him for the blessing of a child. Jaimal Singh observed that he was not destined to have a child, but when Kharak Singh continued to press Him, his prayer was granted. The child was born, but the happy father failed to give away in charity the sum of Rs. 500 which Jaimal Singh had strictly enjoined him to distribute. Not long after, the Subedar fell seriously ill. Jaimal Singh was called, but He said that it was too late now and the evil was past any remedy. A few days later, Kharak Singh passed away.

Was it mere chance or was it because of Jaimal Singh that the members of the 24^th Sikh Regiment showed an extraordinary interest in Spiritual Matters? It is not an unusual phenomenon that the True Holy Men spread an aura of peace wherever They are, drawing the devotees of the Lord towards themselves and influencing those around Them. This regiment became known for its religious inclinations and many a sadhu would pay it a visit wherever it was stationed.

Jaimal Singh was always invited whenever any sadhu paid a visit to the regimental centre or when any of its members went forth to meet them. When once some of the young Sikh soldiers had to be baptised as adults into their faith, He was unhesitatingly chosen to conduct the ceremony and gave an illuminating discourse on the Inner Spiritual Significance of the ritual. His recitations from scriptures began gradually to be attended by more and more people, and in later years, Jaimal Singh, Who by then had come to be popularly addressed as Baba Ji, Bhai Ji, or Sant Sepahi, often discoursed briefly on their True Import.

His magnetic personality, His impeccable character, His Spiritual Mastery and His growing fame gradually drew around Him a small circle of very devoted followers from the regiment, men like Inder Singh, Bagga Singh, Bhagwan Singh, etc., who became His earliest initiates.

But Baba Jaimal Singh’s military career was conspicuous not only for its rigid adherence to a high Spiritual Ideal, but also for its equally remarkable performance in the field of army duties. True to His Master’s behest, Jaimal Singh was extremely regular in His official routine. Nothing could keep Him away from His work except, perhaps, His absorption in the Divine, on which occasions Swami Ji miraculously filled up the gap. He was known for His honesty and impartiality and, though a strict vegetarian Himself, did not hesitate to have meat distributed to His fellows as duty bound when once He was called upon to do so. Once an officer asserted that His vegetarianism was in all probability undermining His capacities as a soldier and suggested that He should take to non-vegetarian food to develop more stamina and muscle. Jaimal Singh was unconvinced and challenged any 'meat-eating toughs' to surpass Him on the field.

He was later requested to explain the grounds for His abstinence, and gave a full discourse to the entire regiment developing at length the reasons why meat should be avoided and exploding the popular myth that vegetarian food is in any way deficient in vitality. His service roll, covering 34 years of active service, proves the truth of His assertion. It records not a single instance of hospitalization.

Like His Great Guru, Jaimal Singh was unassailable both in swartha and parmartha – worldliness and godliness. His exemplary regularity, sobriety and courage, His readiness to shoulder responsibilities, and His honest discharge of all His duties – for all His quietness and unobtrusiveness – did not go unnoticed.

In January 1869 He was awarded a medal for the rank of a Naik, corporal, while at Jhansi. In Mianmir on the same day, three years later, He became a Havildar, sergeant; and when the 24^th Sikhs were at Multan from 1880 onward for three years, He received a second medal for loyal and meritorious service.

He retired on l5^th August, 1889, after full 34 years of faithful and creditable service. When He bade His regiment farewell, the hearts of all were heavy – juniors, colleagues and seniors – for they lost in Him not just a steady, hard-working comrade, but a friend, a teacher – He taught Gurumukhi to the officers – and what is far rarer, an unfailing and inspiring moral and Spiritual Guide.

The accounts of Baba Ji left by His army colleagues and others are of a piece with the rest of His life and character. Reading through them we learn of a man Who, while lost in the Divine mysteries, was yet not lost to the world.

A fellow-soldier who happened to be placed under Him while He was a Havildar was surprised that in all the three years they were together, he did not once notice or hear of His being out of temper. He was always sweet-spoken and refrained from harshness and vulgarities. All His life He remained a strict vegetarian and an equally strict teetotaller. And to these we may add His rigid brahmacharya, chastity, for He remained a celibate all His years. Wedded to devotion to God, He never experienced the urge to marry, and stoutly resisted any attempt to cajole Him into matrimony.

When His youngest brother Jiwan Singh also entered the army and expressed his desire to marry, Jaimal Singh did not object, but only said,

Why enter into this web when our family is not destined to continue?

Jiwan Singh was married and a year later a son was born who died shortly, followed by his mother. Dan Singh, the second brother, who managed the farm, also had no issue, and Jaimal’s prediction was thus fulfilled.

Other qualities that marked Jaimal Singh out of the general run of men included an inexhaustible capacity for service, charity and generosity. Like Swami Ji, He often distributed clothes and other necessities to the needy and the wretched. He had no enemies and looked upon all as His friends. His Love, however, was especially directed to the poor, and even more so to sadhus and devotees of the Lord. While others were idling or busy with sport, He sought out the company of such devotees, ministering to their needs or discussing Spiritual Problems. Neither in His army life nor even afterwards did He distinguish between creed and creed, but treated all – Muslims, Christians, Sikhs or Hindus – on an equal footing.

While ever ready to help materially or spiritually, He always avoided the limelight. Even as a child He had been known for His modesty; His shyness being sometimes made a subject of ridicule. If He met sadhus, He contented Himself with listening to what they said and He rarely contradicted or criticized. If He met a Genuine Seeker, He was ready enough to discuss and explain, but He attributed whatever He knew not to any virtue in Himself, but to the Grace of His peerless Master.

His dress and appearance were as simple yet elegant as the man Himself. Of medium height, some five feet and six inches, He was sturdily built. He had a knotty protrusion on His forehead above the right eye and a lotus mark,  padam rheka, symbolic of True Spirituality, on the sole of His right foot. He had fine features, wheatish complexion and a glowing face whose ruddy colour was set off by a rich freely flowing beard which retained its lustrous blackness to the very end, except for a few straggling streaks of white. When not in army uniform, He wore a white turban in Jat style, a white muslin kurta (loose shirt), and tight-fitting pyjamas of the same colour. While in His quarters informally among His fellows, He would usually wrap a khadi sheet about Himself, tucking it on the left side, cover His hair – which when unloosed fell to His waist – with a towel, and move about in kharaon (wooden sandals) or jooti (Indian shoes). He was simple in His habits and frugal in His needs. Milk was His favourite item of food and He was particularly fond of goat’s milk. He spent little upon Himself and His earnings were mostly spent in charity or in sending allowances to His brother.

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Explanation: 1) What we cannot explain in terms of what we know, we normally term as a 'miracle.' Thus the first witnesses of locomotion looked upon what they saw as a wonder; yet today hardly anyone would take it as such. In like manner, he who has mastered the Inner Science knows that what people take as miracles are not miracles as such, but are based on the higher laws of creation, accessible only to the scientists of the Spirit who have explored the mysteries of the Inner Path.

See in this connection the chapter, 'The Law of Miracles,' in 'The Autobiography of a Yogi' by Paramhansa Yogananda.