WEBVTT 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Sangat ji, when I think about a woman who has become a change, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or has brought change to womanhood in the Sikh Panth 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I think about Mata Khivi Ji. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Mata Khivi Ji is the Mehl of Guru Angad Dev Ji Maharaj 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Mehl here means wife. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 In her life Sangat ji Mata Khivi Ji has shown so much of strength. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 When I say strength I don't just mean physical strength, but mental strength. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Her ability to go against the stigma set by society. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And what was that which we face even now? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 That is 'what will people say?' 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's true Sangat ji, it was then back in her time and it is also happening now in out time as well. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We are so concerned about what people would say. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We are so concerned about making people happy, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 about doing what people, all society, thinks is acceptable. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But Mata Khivi Ji was not like that. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 For her, it was not important to make people happy. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It was not important to make or do what people want her to do - what was accepted 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the eyes of society. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But it was important to her to do what was good, what made Guru Sahib happy. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 What was accepted in the eyes of the Guru. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 When Guru Angad Ji Maharaj, then their name was Bhai Lehna Ji 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 told their wife that they wanted to go to Kartarpur Sahib to stay with Guru Nanak Dev Ji, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to serve them, to learn from them on how one can do Bhagti while being a Grihst, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Mata Khivi Ji never said no. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Normally, now at this point of time if a husband or a wife, or any family member decides to 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 perhaps leave the household and go to search for his life purpose, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 many parents or many family members would say no, why are you leaving? Who is going to earn money? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 How are you going to survive? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But, at that time Sangat ji, Mata Khivi Ji said do as you wish, do what makes you happy. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 If this makes you happy to go and serve the Guru and to learn the ways of doing Bhagti 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 whilst being a Grihst, do so. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But, oh dear husband, this is my Benti that when you come back 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I would like you to teach me the ways as well. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Teach me on how I too can do Bhagti as a wife 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and how both of us, as husband and wife could do Bhagti together in this house. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 See how positive the reponse of Mata Khivi Ji was. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Another quality of hers was acceptance. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 She accepted Hukam, which we call Bhana Manna/Hukam Manna 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Gurbani Says, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 To be able to obtain or get - Khasam here means Maharaj, Guru Sahib, Parmatma - 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 When you Mann, when you accept the Hukam, then you are accepted as well. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You are accepted in the palace of Parmatma, you are accepted in the house of the Guru. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Just like I mentioned earlier, Khasmai Bhaavai - what is accepted in the eyes of Parmatma, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So Kare - do so. Do that which is accepted in the house of the Guru. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Then one, a soul bride, who does that, then all her wishes are fulfilled. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And that is what Mata Khivi Ji practised in her life. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now Sangat Ji, Guru Angad Dev Ji, Bha Lehna Ji has left to Kartarpur, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 who is going to take care of the house? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Who is going to feed the 4 children? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Who is going to make sure that there is food on the table? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 All that responsibility went on the shoulders of Mata Khivi Ji. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Not even once Mata Khivi Ji said oh no or what has happened? Why has this happened? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Not even once. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Her whole life she learned to accept the Bhana, that whatever is happening is 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 happening in the Hukam of Parmatma. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But Sangat Ji, remember I mentioned about society? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The place that she was staying in and the village, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 there was some woman who, I would say, tried to give fake sympathy, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 who would come and say 'what's happened here?', 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 your husband has left you, all the responsibilities are on your shoulders. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Even now people do so as well - fake sympathy. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And Mata Khivi Ji would not pay any heed to what this woman would say, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because she knows that they are trying to break her spirit. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 She would just smile and 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 She would do that. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Which Sangat Ji, is something that we should practise as well. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We can't stop people from talking, but one thing we can do is whatever is being put in one ear 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 just take it out from the other. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So that we do not dwell upon it, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because then we start thinking about it, we start stressing about it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Mata Khivi Ji's condition was 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 That even if Parmatma gives me Sukh, I will still remember Parmatma. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Even in Dukh and times like this where I have to take care of my whole family, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I am alone with my children and all this society, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the people are tying to provoke me, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but even in Dukh I will still do Your Simran, I will still remember You. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Guru Angad Dev Ji Maharaj, they say about woman in their Bani, they say 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Whenever there is Sukh there is happiness, joy, there is peace, enjoy your husband, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but even in Dukh always remember your husband Lord, always remember Parmatma. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 O' wise woman, this is the way you can be one with Vaheguru, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The way you can unite with Parmatma. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So Mata Khivi Ji kept on taking care of the family 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and time to time Bhai Lehna Ji would come back 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and they would share what Guru Nanak Dev Ji had taught them 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and they would share those teachings with Mata Khivi Ji 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and Mata Khivi Ji would practise Simran, Seva, Hukam Mann'na and all of the things 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Bhai Lehna Ji would come and tell her about Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Both of them had so much love for Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The time came Sangat Ji when Bhai Lehna Ji has been give the Guru Gaddi. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They have become Guru Angad Dev Ji 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and Guru Nanak Dev Ji tells them to move to Khadoor Sahib 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to shift there and to start a Dharamsala there. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And now Guru Angad Dev Ji comes to Khadoor Sahib 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now imagine Sangat Ji, where it used to only be you, your husband and your 4 children, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 now your house has been transformed into a Dharamsala where Sangat come daily 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to have Darshan of Guru Angad Dev Ji 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and you can't leave this Sangat on their own. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You can't make this Sangat go back empty-handed, empty stomach. You have to feed them. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Mata Khivi Ji took the responsibility of cooking Langar for these Sangat. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And Sangat Ji, what was the quantity at that time? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 10, 20, 30 and on some days even up to 100s. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Maybe a group of Sadhus would come. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And she was always on her toes. She accepted the Hukam that now my husband has become the Guru, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the second Guru of the Sikhs. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Her daily routine changed. Now she serves her husband, she takes care of the children, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but she also takes care of the Sangat. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 She feeds the Sangat, she starts cooking langar for the Sangat. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 At that time Sangat Ji again the society, at that point the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the time of Guru Angad Dev Ji, the woman they used to cover their faces. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They used to cover their faces with their Dupatta, whenever they go out, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or even in their house. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But Mata Khivi Ji, now that her house has become a Dharamsala, she has to use both her hands to work 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and she has to be on her toes at all times, whenever Sangat comes, she has to serve them. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So there is no time to cover her face. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It was all about practicality. She took off the scarf and now she is doing seva alongside men. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And cooking Langar. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 She takes these men as her brothers, as her sons and she's working together hand in hand to cook Langar 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in bulk amount for Sangat. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The women in the village, at first they started talking about it, 'What has Khivi Ji done here?' 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now she's removed her veil as well, now she's working with men, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but Mata Khivi Ji again she did not pay any heed to what these people were saying, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because for her what was more important was doing Seva of the Sangat, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 just as Guru Nanak Dev Ji has told. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And making sure that these Sangat were comfortable and that Guru Angad Dev Ji could focus on the Sangat, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 whilst she could focus on the food, on the Langar part. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 She served her husband in the morning, because Guru Angad Dev Ji would not eat 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 form the Langar served for the Sangat. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Their food was very simple and Mata Khivi Ji would serve her husband in the morning 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and then go to to cook Langar for the whole day. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And in the afternoon when Guru Angad Dev Ji would be teaching Gurmukhi to the children 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Mata Khivi Ji would also do the same with Baba Buddha Ji, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 they would also teach Gurmukhi to the children. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This was the life of Mata Khivi Ji. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Slowly, slowly, because she kept on doing - this is where Sangat Ji actions speak louder than words 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 these women, they other people, the other ladies in the Village they started seeing that there is so much 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Seva going on, there's so many Sangat coming to have Darshan of Guru Angad Dev Ji. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Mata Khivi Ji, with so much dedication, is doing Seva for the Sangat. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Why don't we too join her? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This was the first legacy of Mata Khivi Ji.