PACHMI PARKASH - Global Sikh Studies

Money serves at the feet of Saints
The Hoti camp finances were always taken care of by Bhai Saen Ditta and Ishar Das,
so what ever was needed for the camp, Baba Ji would ask them to attend to it.
Now the money that came from the regular contributions from the congregation
through out the month was used for everyday use, but the money that was given by
congregation on the first day of each month (Sangrand) was always used to pay off
the monthly cost for the food rations.
How this worked was that at the end of each month Baba Ji would call all the
storekeepers from who they would buy the rations. They would arrive with their
finance books in which the current months rations were recorded, they would tally up
in front of Baba Ji then it would be paid for in full. The money for this was always
gathered on that very same day.
Now whilst the storekeepers would tally up, Baba Ji would sit in the presence of the
congregation fulfilling their wishes, which was for a period of usually one hour. As
the devotees would come they would give gifts of money donations and to everyone’s
amazement no matter what the total cost for the months rations would be, it would
always be covered with the money given by the devotees within that one hour.
Now for quite a while the storekeepers kept an eye on this, even as the expenditure
increased and whilst Baba Ji would be sitting talking with the devotees, the amount
needed would some how always be reached. Bhai Saen Ditta Ji and Ishar Das would
continue to collect it but only for that one hour after which they would inform Baba Ji
at which point Baba Ji would return back to their hut.
The storekeepers thought of testing Baba Ji and decided not to come for three or four
months and so in turn would collect the whole of that periods cost on that one day.
Even though Baba Ji knew what they had planned, every now and then Baba Ji would
ask Saen Ditta Ji why they hadn’t come. But when the message was relayed on to the
storekeepers they would say, it’s ok, it’s not as if they were strangers that when they
would come to see Baba Ji they would collect the money then. Now in this way six
months passed by and until finally Baba Ji called for them to come, by now the cost
for rations had reached 60,000 rupees.
As they came and bowed at Baba Ji’s feet, Baba Ji knowingly laughed and asked,
“What’s the matter you left it for so long?”
They replied, “Maharaj! We don’t worry, if the money is here, it’s the same as if it’s
in our pockets, there’s no difference!” Baba Ji smiled and said “Alright Bhai! As you
wish, but one should not test a Holy man, now open your finance books and tally up
and once you receive all your money tell me.”
Baba Ji closed his eyes and sat on his chair in the congregation whilst the storekeepers
sat quietly tallying up waiting to see the outcome, thinking were would such a large
quantity of money come from. But in front of their eyes money was pouring down at
the feet of this Lords beloved as if rain from the heavens. The devotees kept placing
bundles of money as they paid their respects not even Saen Ditta Ji and Ishar Das
could keep up counting it. Now on previous occasions the months cost would be
gathered in about a hour of sitting in Baba Ji’s presence, which was normally around
2,500 to 3000 rupees as that was all that was need to pay the storekeepers. But on this
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