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Hazur Maharaj Baba Sawan Singh Ji (1858 - 1948)

Baba Sawan Singh was born on July 27, 1858, also known as “The Great Master” or “Bade Maharaji” was an Indian Saint. He was the second Satguru of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) from the death of Baba Jaimal Singh in 1903 until his own death on April 2, 1948.

The Great Master, Huzur Maharaj Baba Sawan Singh ji, has been one of the greatest exponents of the teachings of the Sant Mat, that the world ever produced. Born in 1858 in a highly respectable Jat family of Punjab, He showed signs of great Spiritual Understanding from early childhood. As a boy he could repeat by heart the Japji Sahib of Guru Nanak and Jap Sahib of Guru Gobind Singh. His great spiritual hunger and thirst for Knowledge of Truth and Reality brought him in contact with Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, in 1894, who at the time of initiating Him remarked that He had been holding something for Him in trust from the Lord, which he had discharged that day.

Disciples of his who after his death have formed separate spiritual missions include Sant Kirpal Singh, Baba Somanath, Pritam Das, Shah Mastana Ji and Ishwar Puri. Ishwar Puri Ji was instructed by Hazur to be the beacon for the disciples in the west. Hazur prophesized that Axis of Spirituality will shift to the West and localize in a big way in the United States of America.

Sawan Singh Grewal was born into a Sikh family on 27 July 1858 in village Jatala, District Ludhiana. His father was Subedar Major Kabul Singh and his mother was Mata Jiwani. He was married to Mata Kishan Kaur and together they had three children. He passed Engineering from Thomson College, Roorkee and joined the Military Engineering Service.

He studied scriptures of various religions but retained a strong connection with the Gurbani of the Sikh religion. He had contact with a mystic of Peshawar named Baba Kahan who he hoped to get initiation from but was refused: “I associated with him for several months and during that time he showed supernatural powers on several occasions. When I asked him if he would shower grace upon me by initiating me, he answered: ‘No, he is somebody else; I do not have your share.’ I then asked him to tell me who that person was so that I could contact him. He replied: ‘When the time comes, he will himself find you.’”

Later when Sawan Singh Ji was stationed at Murree, he met Baba Jaimal Singh, who said to his companion that he had come to initiate Sawan. After much arguing and discussion and several conferences with Baba Jaimal Singh, Sawan became thoroughly convinced and received Initiation from Jaimal Singh Ji on the 15th day of October, 1894.

Sawan Singh retired in 1911 and developed Dera Baba Jaimal Singh (Beas) –the “camp of Baba Jaimal Singh” where Baba Jaimal had settled in 1891– and built houses, bungalows and a Satsang Hall. Sawan sheltered victims of the communal holocaust of the Partition of India. His following included Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and for the first time, thousands from abroad, the US, UK, Switzerland, Germany, including Julian Johnson and Pierre Schmidt.

Baba Sawan Singh also known as “The Great Master” or “Bade Maharaj Ji” was an Indian Saint. He was the second Satguru of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) from the death of Baba Jaimal Singh in 1903 until his own death on April 2, 1948.

In 1911, He retired prematurely on pension from the Military Engineering Service, to attend to his real task for which He was commissioned by the Lord. He preached and taught the practice of Surat Shabd Yoga at the Radha Soami Colony, Beas (Punjab), which He named Dera Baba Jaimal Singh after the name of His Master. Millions flocked to hear his spiritual discourses. He initiated more than 125,000 Souls into this Mystic Path, the largest number in the history of the world to be ever initiated by any Saint, Sage or Prophet. He spread the Light of Sant Mat, not only in every nook and corner of India, but carried its torch to distant lands of Europe, America, Canada and South Africa.

The Spiritual practices taught by Him for God- Realization are the same as taught by Christ, Kabir,. Nanak, Paltu, Dadu, Jagjiwan, Tulsi, Maulana Rum, Shamas Tabriz, Hafiz, Mujadid Alf Sani, and other Saints of the world. These practices are mentioned in the Vedasas”AnhadMarg,”by the Mohammedan Mystics as”Sultan-ul-Azkar,”and in the Bible as the”Word”or the “Logos”. The followers of the Great Master included people of all religions, countries and nationalities. When He started His work, the Light of Sant Mat was slowly fading out. People under the influence of priestly classes had taken to rites and rituals and had forgotten the teachings of the Saints. Nobody knew what the Surat Shabd Yoga was. Now, by His grace, there are established big Sat Sang Centers, not only in the length and breadth of India, but throughout Europe, America, Canada, South Africa and other countries.

His famous book, “Gurmat Sidhant”, “Philosophy of the Masters” consisting of two big volumes of 1000 pages each, and His “Discourses” in two volumes, have been translated into English and many other languages.

He had contact with a mystic of Peshawar named Baba Kahan who he hoped to get initiation from but was refused:

“I associated with him for several months and during that time he showed supernatural powers on several occasions. When I asked him if he would shower grace upon me by initiating me, he answered: ‘No, he is somebody else; I do not have your share.’ I then asked him to tell me who that person was so that I could contact him. He replied: ‘When the time comes, he will himself find you.’”

Later when Sawan Singh was stationed at Murree, he met Jaimal Singh, who said to his companion that he had come to initiate Sawan. After much arguing and discussion and several conferences with Jaimal Singh, Sawan became thoroughly convinced and received Initiation from Jaimal Singh on the 15th day of October, 1894.

Sawan Singh retired in 1911 and developed Dera Baba Jaimal Singh (Beas) –the “camp of Baba Jaimal Singh” where Baba Jaimal had settled in 1891 — and built houses, bungalows and a Satsang Hall. Sawan sheltered victims of the communal holocaust of the Partition of India. His following included Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and for the first time, thousands from abroad, the US, UK, Switzerland, Germany, including Julian Johnson and Pierre Schmidt.

Huzur Maharaj Baba Sawan Singh Ji
In His 90th year on the morning of 2nd April, 1948 at 8:30 this brilliant Sun of Spirituality, after diffusing His light in the hearts of millions of masses, disappeared to rest below the horizon at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh.

 

His disciples felt  His untimely passing away of our as an irreparable loss and a soul-stirring event. They were left to lament the heavy loss and to remember, one by one, His unmatched qualities, unparalleled love, wit and wisdom and above all the spiritual charity which enveloped all of us in the mysterious fold and attracted us towards Him, and…to bring forth tears of blood.

Those, who during His lifetime had the good luck to meet Him on inner planes while he was existing in physical body are comparatively in less torments, for, at will, they can even now rise to that Mightiest of the Mightiest—the Master—and seek solace by talking to Him. Blessed indeed are such souls because through them are still communicated the requests and messages of other disciples and abbhyasis to Hazur and in response Hazur’s orders to them.

Though Hazur has separated from his loving disciples physically, yet in reality He is still not far away. That Power is immortal and indestructible and is still supervising the actions and guiding those initiated by Him.