Starting from Bhubaneshwar in the morning on February 5, Satgurudev arrived in a village in Orissa, where the local residents welcomed their Satguru with great enthusiasm by blowing conch shells as per their tradition.  A congregation had also been organised there.  Addressing the devotees, Satgurudev said:

This wealth of divine name is indeed the greatest wealth.  Whosoever links himself with this treasure, attains all kinds of happiness beyond limit.   In order to keep linked with this wealth of divine name, one must keep linked with the company of saints (Sadh Sangat).

After a long journey from here Satgurudev reached Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal.  The 10th Regional Sant Samagam of West Bengal was held on February 6 in this city of the devotees known for their love of music and poetry.  Satgurudev Hardev Ji Maharaj, Mata Sawinder Ji (Satgurudev's gracious spouse) and Rev. Rajmata Kulwant Kaur Ji graced the occasion with their holy presence and blessed the devotees.

Addressing the thousands of Nirankari devotees and other people who were present on the occasion, His Holiness said:

The one who is keen to have devotion to God must first know this pure and sublime Almighty and thus remove the dirt of his mind.  Man may adopt any outward appearance, but if the mind carries the dirt in the form of hatred, envy and slander, then he cannot attain the real bliss of devotion.  A person might speak lofty words but if his actions do not match his words, then he is only pretending and pretension can never lead one to true devotion nor to the attainment of real bliss of devotion.

Highlighting the eminence of the sacred land of Bengal, Gurudev added:

The people of Bengal were always in the fore front during the struggle for freedom.  Great patriots like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose were born on this great land.  This land has the privilege of giving birth to the great poet and the man of literature - Rabindra Nath Tagore.   A great spiritual revolutionary Thakur Rama Krishna Param Hansa and his devoted disciple Vivekanad Ji were also born here.  It is our duty to follow the foot-prints of these noble and great people and realize what true religion is and thus make ourselves happy here and hereafter.

From Calcutta, Gurudev reached Titagarh.  Most of the devotees present here were those who had just returned from Calcutta Samagam.  Therefore, commending their enthusiasm and the spirit of devotion, Satgurudev stated:

Blessed are you saints.  I am very happy to see your zeal and the spirit of devotion.  I saw you during the Samagam at Calcutta a few days back.  Today once again the spirit of dedication with which you have organised this huge congregation shows that you will definitely succeed in adopting this Truth in your own life and taking it to the world.

Alerting the audience, Gurudev added:

Man feels proud to worship the idols made by himself but when it comes to the images created by God, not that he does not show any respect to them, but we find he is trampling them under his feet mercilessly.   This, of course, does not please God.  If we want to please God, we shall have to love and respect His creation-the mankind.

From here Satgurudev reached Khadagpur.  Addressing the devotees assembled in a hall belonging to a Dharmshala here, he said:

Man today is busy looking after himself.  Whether others live or die, he is not bothered at all.  But saints like you keep on thinking of new means for the welfare of others even while they themselves may have to bear with all kinds of suffering.  The feelings of discrimination, whether someone is their own or a stranger, do not ever enter their mind.  They stay miles away from the discrimination on the basis of caste and creed.  They consider it their religion to see the image of God in all, to love and respect all.

From Khadagpur, Gurudev reached Jamshedpur.  The local families were overwhelmed with joy to find His Holiness amongst themselves.  I heard many of them saying that it seemed as if Lord Rama had come to the Bhilani�s house.   Gurudev stressed one thing here and said:

It is good that we show respect to the great spiritual masters of the past and the holy books written by them.  But this is not sufficient to emancipate ourselves.  For this we must adopt the teachings of these divine personages in our actions.

While Gurudev was taking a walk at night, an eminent leader of the town came to meet him at the behest of our head of the branch (Mukhi).  The moment he got a chance, he said in a polite but shrewd manner, "Baba Ji, when the people of a country are poverty-stricken and can not even make their both ends meet, how can they find time for God and devotion to Him?"

While strolling, Gurudev stated in very simple words, "You know our Mahapurushas.  Like other citizens, they too work hard to look after their families.  But you must have never heard such words from them.  It is because they have been told that there is no need to take out specific time to express their devotion to God.  Since every deed they do is in the name of God, anything they do assumes the form of devotion."

That gentleman wanted to say something more but Gurudev said very lovingly to him, "You may also meet these saints and learn this kind of devotion from them.  You will find an answer to your question automatically."

With these words, Gurudev proceeded towards his room.

Next morning in Jamshedpur Gurudev visited 'TELCO'.  Thereafter, His Holiness left for Ranchi, a famous city of Bihar.  There is a big Kriya Yoga institute.  By the side of this institute there are preaching centres of many other religious sects.  A congregation was organised in a vast open ground in the city so that people belonging to all faiths could attend it without hesitation.

Addressing the gathering, Gurudev stated:

The greatest specialty as well as achievement of this country is that all great people here have always seen unity in diversity.  Here also, one may find people having different views that might lead to some tension and create conflicts.  But these tensions and conflicts have failed to alienate them from each other permanently.   Once they come to know or they are told that one and the same Supreme Entity pervades all and that this universe is the manifestation of this Entity alone, all their tensions and conflicts come to an end automatically.  Even today, like the great men of the past, Nirankari Mission is making every individual realize the Truth which is the One (God) and thus knitting all with the cord of unity.  Nirankari Mission is not creating a new religion or sect.

The audience felt extremely delighted to hear such meaningful words.  But as at  other places, here also some gentlemen who were probably not fully satisfied by this illustration, approached Baba Ji and asked him in their quivering voice, "Baba Ji, in your discourse you made no mention about meditation.  Yoga, which is the crown subject of knowledge, was not even touched upon by you.  We want to know as to how can the Truth be realized without contemplation and Yoga?"

Gurudev first asked them to come to the place where he was going to take his food.  But then, all of a sudden, he said, "My elders taught me only the devotion based on love (Prema Bhakti).  It is my personal experience also that this Eternal Truth can be known from the one who knows it.  There is no need of any deep meditation or penance for the same."

Those gentlemen wanted to say something more but continuing with his words, Gurudev said, "I have understood only this much that Yoga is the name given to �union� and when we get linked with somebody, we automatically start contemplating or remembering him quite naturally."

While speaking thus, Gurudev moved towards his vehicle and those gentlemen proceeded towards their homes, fully satisfied.

Next day, Gurudev Hardev accompanied by his devotees in the entourage started from Ranchi in the morning and reached Patna, the capital of Bihar.  The culture of Bihar can be seen here in full bloom. Many sects have their strong base here also.  The programme had been organised in a Community Hall so that the eminent people of the city could be seated on chairs while having Baba Ji's holy glimpse and enjoying the holy discourse.

Expounding the significance of life, Gurudev stated here:

Human birth is the loftiest.  Though man eats, drinks, sleeps and wakes like any animal or bird, yet he is blessed with the wisdom to know his source - God.  If we lose this opportunity, then the saints say that we might not get it again before countless births.

In the end Gurudev stated:

We must learn from experiences of the past.  We must build our present in such a manner that our future becomes bright.

Starting from Patna in the morning on February 11, Satgurudev reached Varanasi, a famous place of pilgrimage.  The city is a great center of worship based on ritual, and that of reading and reciting holy scriptures.  The compound of the Satsang Bhawan here is quite spacious. The ground, however, was proving insufficient to accommodate the huge number of devotees coming from Varanasi and the surrounding rural areas.  In his discourse here, Satgurudev said:

Bhole Bhav Mile Raghurai (The innocent, and not the clever ones, meet the Lord).  It is these innocent devotees� lot that they have found the all-pervading God.  These guile-less people are simple and pure at heart.  The saints and sages declare: 'Jin Prem Kiyo, Tin Hi Prabh Payo� (Those who love God, find Him).  And love does not arise from the memorizing of religious books or repeating certain rituals.   Until the divine light of God-knowledge dawns in our mind, we cannot feel the presence of God in it.  Kabir Ji, who once wandered the streets of this city and caused the Ganges (stream) of love flow here, also said: 'Pothi Padh Padh Jag Mua, Pandit Bhaya Na Koy; Dhai Aakhar Prem Ka Padhe So Pandit Hoy.' (The reading of religious books has made the world exhausted, none has become enlightened; only the one who learns this small word LOVE, becomes enlightened.)

What it means is that the reading and reciting of scriptures does not help us in our devotion, rather the ones who read and recite scriptures are often found becoming egoistic.  Through rites and rituals also we may achieve certain things, but not the salvation.  Salvation becomes possible by merging the drop of 'I' into the sea of 'Thou' only.  Such a state can be attained by the grace of saints only.

Next day, on February 12, 1983 Satgurudev started from Varanasi in the morning and reached Jaunpur. Here the congregation had been organised in an open ground.  Along with the followers of the Mission, the other residents of the place also took part in it with great enthusiasm.  Satgurudev said in his discourse here:

When we mention the name of an object, we find that it exists also.  Today we utter the name of God and also declare that He pervades each and every particle of the universe, but when it comes to knowing Him, we point towards somewhere far off.  Actually God is not far from us.  This distance is only because of our ignorance.  The moment this ignorance is removed, we start perceiving God everywhere.

In the afternoon Gurudev left Jaunpur for Azamgarh.  On the way, some devotees from a village stopped Gurudev on the road itself and he had to go to their village inside.  They welcomed Satgurudev in their own pure and holy way.  Satgurudev felt extremely delighted to see their enthusiasm, their faith and devotion.  He blessed them profusely and proceeded for Azamgarh. 

The congregation in Azamgarh had been organised in the spacious compound of the local Sant Nirankari Bhawan.  The compound was fully packed with devotees.  Thousands of devotees had come from surrounding villages to have a holy glimpse of their Satguru.  In his discourse here, Satgurudev said:

Though all of you who are enlightened are living in this world as such, yet a big change has taken place in your lives because God-knowledge changes the very way of thinking of a man.  From outward appearance, an enlightened person looks like ordinary people, but the grace of God-knowledge makes him rise above all kinds of delusions.  Worldly people spend all their lives in superstition.  If someone sneezes or a cat crosses the way, they stop their work.  Out of fear, they start worshipping places of cremation. They start relying on trees and rivers.   In this way, they waste their precious life.  You saints will have to take a pledge that you will not rest till you liberate this world from these bondages.  A devotee does not feel contented sitting lonely, rather he shares the woes of others and considers it a part of his devotion:

Kabira Soi Peer Hai, Jo Jane Par Peer
Jo Par Peer Na Janhi, Te Kafir Be-Peer.'

(Kabir Ji says, holy man is the one who understands the woes of others.  The one who does not understand the woes of others, he is an infidel, he does not have a holy man to guide.)  

To relieve the woes of others, we will have to consider them our own, treat everybody as a reflection of our own self.  This is what you do and this is what you may keep doing in future.

While strolling at night or during whatever spare time he has, His Holiness is generally found solving local problems.  Here also, Ram Prasad Ji Mishra, the untiring functionary of that area, was trying to talk to Gurudev with folded hands for the solutions of several problems.  Gurudev Hardev was quick to discern it.  So, he listened to each and every problem he had and offered the solutions instantly.  Out of these I would like to mention one which I consider the readers must know. 

It is like this that people in that area were living under a constant fear created by caste prejudices.  Mishra Ji wanted to know as to how could these people be salvaged from this fear so that they rise above the considerations of caste and feel free to make a contribution towards the welfare of humanity.

Speaking quite solemnly, Gurudev Hardev explained, "This problem does not belong to a particular State but to the whole of India.  There is only one solution to get rid of this devil of caste and that is to spread this message of Truth as widely as possible.  It must reach every home.  When people realize that one and the same God indwells each and every being, this problem will die its own death."

Next day, starting from Azamgarh in the morning, Satgurudev reached Tindauli, a very important village in Uttar Pradesh from the point of view of preaching the message of Nirankari Mission.  It is necessary to tell the readers here that this whole region is indebted to Rev. Pradhan Labh Singh Ji because he preached the message of Truth in this area even while he had to travel by bullock-carts.  Gurudev Hardev was all praise for the devotion as well as the missionary zeal of the villagers of this area.  Addressing the massive gathering present in the tents surrounded by farms and trees, Gurudev Hardev stated:

True devotion is to know God and then to love everyone by seeing His divine spark in every being.  Devotion is not the name given to any particular kind of costumes or appearance.  You saints have known God.  So you see His image in all.  This is the real devotion.

Starting from Tindauli, Satgurudev visited the large agricultural farm belonging to the Nirankari Mission on the Lucknow - Bara Banki Road.  Thereafter he proceeded for Lucknow.

In Lucknow, a massive congregation had been organised in the local Sant Nirankari Satsang Bhawan.  Devotees were eagerly waiting for His Holiness.  Speaking over here, Satgurudev said:

Worldly wealth, status or praise does not produce true happiness.  True happiness lies in linking oneself with this One Supreme God because He is the Power which is the centre of real joy.  Worldly phenomena keep on changing but this Supreme Power is immutable.  The one who links himself with this Supreme Power becomes equi-poised.

Next day, Gurudev Hardev started from Lucknow in the morning and reached Sitapur.  Like Jaunpur, Azamgarh and Varanasi, here too loud speakers had been installed in the entire market area so that the residents could also benefit from Satgurudev's discourse.  Addressing the saints gathered in a vast school ground, Satgurudev said:

Saints always own each and every human being and love them.  They never shun them.  This is what we call true religion.  Religion does not divide people, rather it unties man with man.  If we also act in this manner, only then can we be called religious in real sense.

Starting from Sitapur in the afternoon, His Holiness reached Bareilly in the evening, where congregation had been organised in Nirankari Bhawan.  Saints from surrounding areas were also present to receive Satguru's blessings.  Mostly Nirankari devotees had assembled at the Satsang Bhawan.  In his discourse, Satgurudev said:

Saints always respect each other.  They imbibe in them only the virtues of others.  They do not expose the faults of others.  The one who keeps collecting virtues, becomes a repository of virtues one day, and those who keep exposing the defects of others, get filled with defects one day.  Saints always assimilate the virtues of others.

Next day, Satgurudev left Bareilly in the morning and reached Bajpur.  Though Bajpur is situated in the foot-hill region of Uttar Pradesh, yet going by the agricultural farms in and around Bajpur one may refuse to believe it.  It seems as if the people of Punjab have turned this barren land into lush green fields.  We must admit that hard labour always pays.  The credit for giving a new look to the plot of land Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji got for the construction of a Bhawan here, must also go to the hard working saints who led by Bhai Sahib Gurdayal Singh Ji, put in their hard labour.

A large number of devotees here welcomed their Satguru with great enthusiasm.  Many saints from the surrounding rural areas had also come to Bajpur to receive blessings from His Holiness.  Besides the followers of the Mission, many other seekers of Truth were also present.

Addressing the gathering of such hardworking people, Gurudev praised their spirit of labour and stressed that others should also work hard to earn their livelihood.  Expressing his feelings, Gurudev Hardev said:

If we are keen that our country may progress, our society may progress, our families may enjoy all kinds of comforts, then we have to work hard.  Some people define hard work as an entanglement in materialism.  They go to the extent of calling it an obstacle in the path of devotion, but history is witness to the fact that great spiritual masters never shirked hard labour.  Hard work and the spirit of sacrifice have always been the key to their success.

Addressing those in the gathering who considered the reading and reciting of holy scriptures as a sacred act, Gurudev Hardev pointed out:

Today we worship the holy scriptures, we read them, but we do not act upon their teachings.  By doing so, we are not showing any reverence either to the holy scriptures or to the saints and sages of the past.  Our real reverence towards them lies in following the path they have shown and leading our lives according to their teachings.  This is the only means to make life fruitful.

Starting from Bajpur at 4.00 p.m., Satgurudev reached Delhi at night.  The devotees here were simply overwhelmed to find Satgurudev amidst them after such a long interval.  Thus ended this month-long and extremely hectic spiritual tour of His Holiness.  During this tour Gurudev had blessed the people of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

During the fifteen or twenty days that Gurudev spent in Delhi, he not only blessed the saints coming from across the world, with his holy glimpse, but also listened to those in distress and offered solutions to enable them to get rid of their physical and mental problems.

Gurudev used to spend lot of time in listening to the visiting saints with patience.  Many were seen recovering from their health problems by his listening to them only. 

Without caring for his meals or rest, Gurudev would often go to the office of the Mandal, to Langar (kitchen), Workshop or to the Sarovar and see the work in progress.  During these days, an old colleague of mine, Bhagwan Das from Kalka Ji Colony, heard about the Mission and came to Gurudev's residence.  Besides being eminent scholar of Hindi and Sanskrit, he had deep knowledge of Vedic literature also.  He was quite proud of being a worshipper of gods and goddesses and his immense faith in idol-worship.  He said to me, "Jai Ram Ji, let me meet your Guru, I would like to ask some questions."

I conveyed this to Gurudev.  Gurudev smiled and said, "You may bring him in.  There may be no harm in meeting him.  After all, he is your friend, he will say something good only."

Anyway, my friend was simply spell-bound on seeing Gurudev. His Holiness said, "Please ask, whatever you want.  I will try to answer your queries to the extent I know."

In a staggering voice my friend said, "I am simply overwhelmed by your holy glimpse.  There is nothing left to be asked."

I shook him and said, "You will never get a better chance to ask questions than this."

Gathering his wits, my friend started saying, "Maharaj Ji, we are ordinary human beings engrossed in worldly activities.  I believe that we should wake up early in the morning, take a bath and then offer Puja i.e., worship or prayer for five to seven minutes.  If possible, we should sit in a separate (quiet) room in our house and contemplate the deity we worship.  Baba Ji, with the grace of God I never let complacence come near me while doing so and I try my best the whole day to lead a pure and pious life as written in the holy books."  He was going on speaking without a pause and Gurudev was also listening to him attentively.  Interrupting him, I said, "Bhagwan Das, you came to ask something and now you have started only telling your own story."

Bhagwan Das realized this and said, "I wanted to ask Maharaj that his followers do not perform any such act. How would it be possible then for them to transcend the ocean of materialism?"

For his satisfaction, Gurudev explained in brief, "I have been told that you have a good knowledge of religious books.   I have studied very little.  But with the grace of my Satguru, I know this much that without knowing some one, how can we contemplate Him? How can we worship Him?"

My friend was simply perplexed to hear this.  Then, trying to hold himself, he asked, "As you know, God pervades each and every particle of the universe.  The same God is present in the idol.  I worship the same and contemplate the same."

Putting his hands on his shoulders, Gurudev said, "My brother, give it a thought yourself and tell me if you really know this all-pervading power or you are speaking all this on the basis of what you have heard or read only?"

My friend was an honest person.  He was quick to reply, "I do not know it at all."

In his sweet words, Gurudev said, "You may know this from your friend (myself) and thereafter you will find an unusual joy in the act of worship or contemplation you perform."

With these words, Gurudev became busy with some other work.

In this manner, the days passed and on March 8 Gurudev once again started for another salvation tour which began from Ambala City.  The congregation had been organised in the local Satsang Bhawan.  Most of those who attended were Nirankari devotees.  Therefore, Gurudev stated in his discourse:

Saints sing the glory of the Formless - God, under all circumstances.  What people call sufferings, they came in the life of the saints in the past also.  But they never faltered from their path of Truth because of those sufferings.  This is because saints learn the art of feeling happy even in sufferings.  They stay equi-poised.  It is only they who have the courage to say - 'Lok Salahe Taan Teri Wadiayee, Je Ninde Taan Chhor Na Jayee'.  (If people praise me then it is your grace, if they slander then too I would not leave you.)  It means that devotees stay above the state of praise and slander.

From Ambala City, Gurudev reached Chandigarh.  As usual, a huge gathering was overwhelmed with joy as they had Baba Ji�s holy glimpse.  Next day, i.e., on March 9, devotees desirous of meeting Baba Ji kept pouring in the whole day.  The congregation was held in the evening in an open ground.  A large number of eminent persons of the city and senior officials also attended the congregation.

Blessing the congregation with his holy words, Gurudev said:

Those who climb a mountain or scale the heights, always bend while moving, but when they climb down, they have to be stiff.  In other words, when somebody bends down, we may understand that he is moving higher and when he remains unbending, we may understand that he is moving down, going towards downfall.  It is good to be important but it is more important to be good.

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