One time Sant Kartar Singh ‘Premi’ asked Sant Gurbachan Singh Ji that if we give any line from Guru Granth Sahib, he can automatically tell us which Ang it is on. He asked, “How did your abhyaas of Gurbani reach this extraordinary stage?” Sant Ji said that before coming to Sant Baba Sundar Singh Ji, he had done over 500 Sehaj Paats. This is something we all need to incorporate into our lives, doing Sehaj Paat of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji daily. If we ask any random Sikh, even many Amritdharis, we see that many people have not even done Darshan under the Raagmala Sahibs of Guru Ji, let alone completing the full Darshan of Guru Ji (Sehaj Paat).

One time, when Sant Ji was a bit younger, they went to Singhawale Pind to do Akhand Paat Raul. After completing their Raul, Sant Ji went to his Aasan, lay down, and went to sleep. From the exact Pangti/Ang where they had left their Raul, they started doing Paat from memory in their sleep.

One time, Sant Ji went to Pind Rode to do Sri Akhand Paat Sahib. Baba Hazara Singh, the elder brother of Sant Ji, was also with them. Sant Ji did Raul from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. and then went to rest. Sant Ji had left his Raul at this Pangti:

ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਅਪਾਹੁ ॥

My Beloved Lord Himself pervades and permeates all; He Himself is, all by Himself.

While sleeping, he started Paat from this exact Pangti where he had left off. They read many Angs. Bhai Hazara Singh brought all the other Paati Singhs, and they were all left shocked at how advanced Sant Ji’s abhyaas of Gurbani was. When Sant Ji was around seven years of age, they had already become a very good Paathi. Nowadays, many people undermine Paathis, but being a proper Paathi is quite an accomplishment. Only such a person can be called an Akhand Paathi who can do at least 60 Angs in 2 hours, i.e., one Ang in 2 minutes. There is no easy way to become a Paathi. To be a Paathi, one either has to have Kamaayee from previous Janams, the pure Kirpa of Guru Sahib, or do it the regular way – through hard work.

Before coming to Sant Baba Sundar Singh Ji, Sant Gurbachan Singh Ji used to do 5 Nitnems every day. Sant Sundar Singh Ji told them to do 1 themselves and listen to another from any Singh. When asked why they did so many Nitnems, their reply was: “Any Nitnem I missed from childhood, or when I was ill, etc., I am doing now.”

Sant Ji’s life was Gurbani:

ਮੈ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਆਧਾਰੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਲਾਗਿ ਰਹਾਉ ॥੮॥

I have the support of the Word of the Guru’s Bani. Attached to Gurbani, I survive. 8