Spirtual Awareness

Bhagat Dhanna

Bhagat Dhanna ji was born at a place called Tonk district in Dhuan village, Rajasthan. His father’s name was Panna and mother’s name was Rekha. He was a jaat by caste. Since childhood he had great devotion (Bhakti) for God.

SaligramShilaOnce a Brahmin, a devotee of Lord Vishnu came to visit Dhanna Bhagat’s house. Dhanna Bhagat’s father ‘Panna’ considered him as his Guru. At that time Dhanna Bhagat was 5 years old. When little Dhanna saw the Brahmin performing the beautiful rituals while worshiping God, he also got inspired to worship the Lord himself. “I also want to worship the Lord”, said little Dhanna. The Brahmin refused the child as he was very small. But the stubborn child started crying and insisted on worshiping the Lord himself. Brahmin thought that it would be wrong if the little child is unable to carry out the rituals. Thus, he planned something for pacifying the child.

He bought a round shape stone and kept it on the top shelf and named it the King Lord and placed his Shaligram Lord on the bottom shelf and named it Soldier Lord. The Brahmin asked Dhanna to choose which ever Lord he liked. Instantly, little Dhanna chose the King Lord. The Brahmin taught him the sequence and method of worshiping the Lord. He was so excited to serve his Lord that he could not sleep the whole night.

He got up early in the morning, worshiped the Lord and offered food to him. But the Lord did not eat it. Dhanna became sad and fear that he might have done something wrong.

Dhanna started praying to the Lord to have the food. “If you won’t have food, then I will also not eat anything,” said the child. Dhanna tried to please the Lord with all his efforts. Still, God did not eat anything. But Dhanna’s purity, innocence and persistence, compelled the Lord to appear and have the food offered to him by his beloved child.

God’s glimpse to the Brahmin

lord-shaligram-pujaDhanna Bhagat’s work was to graze the cattle in the fields. There he used to serve the food to the Lord with love and devotion.Once Lord said to Dhanna, “One should serve the person from whom he gets his food. So from tomorrow onwards, I will graze your cattle in the fields.”

After one year when Guru ji returned to Dhanna’s house, he could not find God’s idol (round shaped stone) anywhere. When Dhanna Bhagat told the whole story to Guruji he was surprised. Guru ji thought to himself, “I have spent all my life worshiping the Lord but never did I got a sight of Him. But look at this boy. The Lord eats the food served by this boy and grazes his cattle.” Now Guruji’s heart longed for a glimpse of God and started praying to him.

Dhanna Bhagat took the Brahmin to the fields where God himself was grazing the cattle. But to the Brahmins disappointment, he could not get the sight of the Lord. Then Dhanna Bhagat prayed to the Lord to give him darshan to the Brahmin. The Lord listens to his loving devotees. Thus, God gives darshan to the Brahmin.

God’s concern for Dhanna’s fields

One day Dhanna Bhagat took his plough, ox and seeds and went to the fields to sow the seeds. On the way, he met a few saints. Dhanna Bhagat took the saints along with him. All the saints sat under a tree. Dhanna Bhagat went to the market and sold his seeds in order to buy food items for God and the saints. Out of fear of his parents, he pretended to sow the seeds in the field by ploughing and watering it. By the grace of God and to Dhanna Bhagat’s surprise the seedless field flowed with a green healthy crop of wheat. Seeing God’s grace, Dhanna Bhagat felt deep gratitude and love for God.

The fields produced a lot of wheat but Dhanna Bhagat never worried that the crop being eaten by birds and animals. He was always engaged in the service of saints and singing God’s glory.

Seeing his disinterest in the fields, God became concerned for him. God takes care of his loving devotees. God worried, “If the fields will not be taken care of then how will Dhanna serve the saints. How will he take care of his family and how will he serve food to me?”

The next day a villager carrying a stick came to Dhanna Bhagat and said Radhey Shyam, Sita Ram!! Can you give me a job? I can do all kinds of work but I am best at guarding.”

Dhanna Bhagat said, “I have no treasures, possession or money to be guarded. My only possessions are dholak, jhanjh and kartaal.”

The villager said, “I can guard your fields”. Dhanna Bhagat agreed to it. The villager said, “I will guard your fields with great care. How much wages will I be paid?”

Dhanna Bhagat said, “How much will you take?”

The villager said, “I will take one third of your field, clothes and food.” But I will have food here in the fields itself.

Dhanna Bhagat said, “The seeds are mine, the fields are mine, all hard work is mine. You are asking too much from me.”

The villager said, “The fields are yours, ox are yours, plough are yours and hard work is yours.  But one thing which is not yours is the seeds. Dhaana Bhagat felt embarrassed and thought how he came to know about the seed.

Therefore, Dhanna Bhagat agreed to his demands. But after meeting the villager Dhanna Bhagat was mesmerized. The villager addressed himself as ‘Saunjhiya’. Dhanna Bhagat used to first give food to Saunjhiya and then eat himself. Saunjhiya used to take care of his fields too.

dhanna bhagat got the divine sight of lordDarshan to Dhanna

Once it so happened that a group of Saints came to Dhanna Bhagat’s place to have food. Dhanna Bhagat was offering food to them and so he was late to reach home and offer food to Saunjhiya. Saunjhiya at that time was sleeping with a sheet over him. Dhanna Bhagat decided to wake him up and offer him food as Saunjhiya would be hungry.

As soon as Dhanna Bhagat removed his covering sheet, he was amazed to get sight of Lord Rama, with blue coloured skin hue. He kept staring at his Lord and got his Darshan to his heart’s desire. He was completely mesmerized by his Lord’s sight and started singing the glory of God. The Lord took a turn and took the form of Saunjhiya again. Dhanna Bhagat said, “Lord, I have recognized you. You are my beloved God, By your grace I have received your Darshan. I ask you for forgiveness as I made you guard the fields. Dhanna pleased and prayed to the Lord with tear in his eyes, asking for forgiveness.

The Lord was happy with Dhanna Bhagat’s love and devotion. Thus, in the end he gave his Darshan again to his beloved devotee ‘Dhanna’. Dhanna Jat had so much love with God that fields produce food grain without sowing seeds. He received the grace of his Lord and became blissful.

धन्ना जाट का हरिसों हेत,
बिना बीज के निपजा खेत।