Jai Baba Shere Shah ji | Jai Baba Murad Shah ji | Jai Baba Laadi Shah ji
On the fateful day when the accident took place, the car overturned thrice, killing the driver, Tejpal. Some people took Gurdas ji out of the car and rushed him to the hospital. Gurdas ji says that he had felt as if his time to leave this world had come, but Sai ji had saved his life. After a few days, he began to recover and even started to walk around. Then on the 26th of January, he was returning after singing at Rurka kalan. Rurka is near Jandiyala, where the shrine of Baba Chinta bhagat ji and Baba Ammi chand ji are located. Like Sai ji, Baba Ammi chand ji was also a great saint who also came to Bapu Brahmjogi ji for his spiritual learning. Every year, on 26th January, a fair is held at Rurkakalan, where since 1988 Gurdas Maan ji has been coming regularly to sing. At that time, Gurdas ji had not fully recovered after the accident; yet he came there for a short time to mark his presence.
The second accident took place on Jan 20, 2007, near Karnal and this time, his driver, Ganesh was driving the car. The accident happened in Karnal; while Sai ji was getting himself massaged at Nakodar. Kala, on seeing the blue marks on Sai ji’s body, asked “Sai ji, how come, overnight your body has developed these bruises?” Sai ji said: “I will just tell you. You keep doing the massage.” He then said “Now switch on the TV.” Kala did so and the news on the TV was reading “Gurdas Maan has met with an accident”. The guru always takes on the misfortunes and sufferings of his disciple onto himself. Just two days after the accident, Gurdas ji came to the dera to meet Sai ji, and tried to sit near him. But, being very badly bruised on the knees and legs, he was unable to sit properly. And even as Gurdas ji tried to sit, Sai ji said to him: “Gurdas, fetch me a glass of water.” Gurdas ji did so; but again, each time when he tried to sit, Sai ji had asked him to go and fetch one thing or another. The onlookers found it all very strange; but Gurdas ji later told them that by making him get up again and again, Sai ji had straightened out all the twisted limbs and sprains of his body. When Gurdas ji finally got up to take leave, Sai ji said: “Tomorrow is the Rurkakalan mela; if you wish, go and sing a little – but do go and pay your homage there. Gurdas ji recounts that he had gone there with the intention that he will sing only for ten minutes; but his guru’s blessings transported him into such a trance that despite the hurts and bandages, he sang for over an hour and a half!
When Sai ji became very old, he came to the fair only once or twice, to give darshan to the devotees who thronged to the mela. Once, Sai ji was climbing the stairs with a very bent back when a sevadar (volunteer) with folded hands, requested him saying: “Sai ji walk a little upright.” Sai ji answered: “Beta, whatsoever we have gained, we have gained only because we bowed down.” In a single sentence, he had said it all!. At every bend, Sai ji imparted some words of wisdom. Many came to test this fakir and each one bowed down before him. On one occasion, a man questioned Sai ji, asking him “Baba Ji what is the ‘matlab’ (meaning) of love?” Sai ji said “where there is ‘matlab’ (implying motive), there is no love!”
Gurdas Maan ji became the most favourite disciple of Sai ji. In 2006, Sai ji took-off his pagri (turban) at the fair and placed it on the head of Gurdas Maan ji. To give the pagri thus to the mureed (disciple) means that the guru is offering his all to his disciple and is making him his very own for all times to come. Before leaving his body, Sai ji had dug his place inside the earth. Ordinary people go on building their houses upwards; it is only a satguru who can make his place inside the earth. He knew he was to leave and Sai ji was heard saying “Whenever I look, every day, only this comes to the mind – ‘let us go, the remembrance comes, let us go, the remembrance comes.’” Leaving aside the attachments of this world; awaiting the moment to meet the beloved; and yearning to meet his Guru, on Thursday, the first of May 2008, Sai ji left his body. His shrine was also made inside Dera Baba Murad Shah. “Mera likh le ghulaman vich naam” – was Sai ji’s favourite qawwali. Sai ji always signed his name as ‘ghulam’ (slave). Each year, Sai ji’s anniversary is celebrated on 1st-2nd May with great fanfare, where lakhs of devotees reach in large groups, to bow down their heads on the holy shrines of Sai ji and Baba Murad Shah ji. Each one brings his murad; each one’s murad is fulfilled; each one carries back the blessings of Two Murad Shahs!.