Ghatam Das Meena was taught to steal from birth. Stealing, robbing and looting was Ghatam Ji’s family profession. Once, Ghatam Ji was roaming in a forest searching for someone to rob. He saw a saint sitting under a tree, shedding tears. That saint was engrossed in the meditation of God. Sins are destroyed instantly just by looking at such saints. The benefits of pilgrimages are received after a long time, but the benefit of seeing saints is received at that very moment. When Ghatam Ji went to him, he felt very happy. He felt like bowing down, so he bowed his head and offered respect. He bowed before someone for the first time in his life.
The saint saw that someone was bowing down before him. The saint felt very happy that God had blessed this person. Ghatam Ji wondered what kind of happiness made him shed tears even without any material arrangement for enjoyment in that secluded forest. He felt that he must have some great source of happiness.
The saint said, sit down, are you in a hurry? Ghatam ji sat near him. The saint said, look, son, life is very precious. This life should always be spent at the feet of God, and no wrongdoing should be done. The saint asked Ghatam ji about his work. Ghatam Ji said I steal, rob, and loot others for survival. The saint said that this was a very condemnable work. By stealing the wealth of others and giving them pain, everything gets destroyed in this world and the next. God has blessed you. Take a vow that you will never steal after today.
Ghatam Ji folded his hands and said that this could never happen. This is my livelihood; our ancestors have taught us to steal since childhood. My respected people have given me a rule that I should never leave this business of stealing. I have a special respect for you; my heart is drawn towards you. You can give me any other advice you want. If I promise you, then I will do whatever you say throughout my life.
Ghatam Ji Got Four Instructions
The saint said, follow my four instructions if you cannot stop stealing. First thing, always speak the truth. The second thing is to take an interest in serving saints. When you see a saint, bow to and talk to him respectfully and humbly. If a saint ever comes to your house, do not let him go hungry. Give him water, feed, and serve him. From today onwards, do not drink or eat without offering it to God. And fourth thing, if God’s worship is being performed anywhere, do not leave from there without seeing the lord. Ghatam ji bowed to the saint and promised to follow those four things throughout his life.
Miracle Of Serving Saints
Ghatam Ji used to loot and bring money, serve saints with that money, and then feed his family whatever was left. One day, when a group of saints came to his house, he immediately got up, bowed down to the saints, and gave beautiful mats to everyone to sit on. He saw that there was nothing to eat in the house, so he went to the market and tried to ask shopkeepers for money on credit. But the shopkeepers refused him. At that time, the wheat crop was being harvested. He saw that the farmers were sleeping. He took a big bedsheet, quickly brought wheat, and arranged food for the saints. Ghatam Ji was healthy and well-built, so his footprints were visible in the field.
While feeding the saints, he thought he would get caught because when the farmers would wake up and see the footprints, they would understand that these were Ghatam ji’s footprints. As the saints were eating, a dust storm started, and it started raining. His footprints were erased. Seeing this, Ghatam ji became more confident that service to saints would never let him get trapped. He felt great joy in his heart, and his devotion to service to saints increased.
God Changed The Colour Of The Horse
Once, there was a festival, so Ghatam ji thought about what to take to his Guru as a gift. He thought that since it was a festival, some service should reach his guru, but he did not have even a penny. He decided to steal at night, and whatever he got, he would give it to his guru in the morning.
Ghatam Ji disguised himself as a soldier and entered a king’s stable. At night, the guard called out who it was. Obeying the Guru’s command to speak the truth, Ghatam ji said, I am a thief. The guard thought that if he was a thief, how could he say he was a thief? The guard thought he was a special man of the king, so he was jokingly saying that he was a thief. Disguised as a soldier, Ghatam ji took a horse from the king’s horses and rode away.
Seeing his attire, the guards did not stop him again. After leaving there, he thought that he would sell the horse somewhere. On the way, the worship of the lord was going on in the morning. He thought that Guruji had ordered that one must see the lord if worship was happening. He tied the horse and went to see the lord. When the guards thought that everyone would have been informed if it were a man of the king, they understood that he was indeed a thief. The royal soldiers followed and came to where Ghatam ji had gone to see the lord after tying the horse to a tree. The horse was the same when the soldiers saw it, but its colour had changed.
The black horse had now turned white. The soldiers stood there and thought that this is the horse, but it was black, how did it become white. Meanwhile, Ghatam ji came out of the temple after seeing the Aarti. The soldiers asked if this was the same horse he had stolen at night. He had to tell the truth, so Ghatam ji said, yes, I am the same thief who had stolen the horse. The soldiers asked how did the horse become white. Ghatam ji said that only the lord knows this. My Guruji had said that when worship is happening, you should see the Lord, so I had gone to see the lord and offer obeisances. Meanwhile, the horse turned white. This must be some miracle of my Guruji. All the soldiers were surprised to hear this.
Mercy Of Guru: Ghatam Ji Got respect and wealth even after stealing
The soldiers took Ghatam ji and the horse with them, went to the king, and told him everything. The king was impressed to see Ghatam ji’s truthfulness and firm devotion to his Guru’s words. He said you are a thief, but you speak the truth and follow the orders of the saints; that is why the horse’s colour changed. The king said that the God who can do this for his people must have mercy on me, and he will have mercy only when I respect you. The king transferred a lot of property to Ghatam ji. Taking the property, Ghatam ji went to see the feet of the Guru. Ghatam Ji’s faith in his Guru increased further, and a thief like me, whom the king should have punished, got respect there. He presented gifts to Guru Ji and participated in the celebration.
He decided and said to Gurudev that Guru ji, you had forbidden me from stealing the first time, from today I take a vow that I will never steal again. By your grace, I have realized I am doing something very wrong. He decided that he would never steal again.
Ghatam Ji Met The Lord
It had been many days since Ghatam ji was listening to Satsang and serving the saints. Now, it came to his mind how Thakur Ji looked. He should meet Him some time. Thakur Ji did not come to meet him for many days, so he got angry. He said to Thakur Ji, I used to eat without bathing; now, I eat after bathing and after offering it to you. I never used to wear Kanthi Mala and Tilak, but now I wear Kanthi around my neck for you and apply Tilak on my forehead, only for you. Lord, I am doing so much for you; what are you doing for me? Will you give me darshan? Lord appeared immediately after hearing this.
Conclusion
The Lord is always ready to make the words of the saints true. Due to the influence of Satsang, Ghatam Ji’s life completely changed. Earlier, he used to think about where to go to steal, and now he used to think about which saint would come and when and how to serve him. When he used to steal, the soldiers used to roam around with handcuffs to arrest him, and when the saints met, people started applying his foot dust on their foreheads.
Ghatam Ji took refuge in a saint and followed his words, and because of that, he became a great devotee and got the darshan of God. No matter how evil a person is, meeting God and devotion to God is not difficult for him if a saint blesses him. That is why Satsang is paramount; even a very evil person becomes a sage in the company of saints.
Guidance By: Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj
