He was born to a very pious family in a hamlet of Punjab. The prayers and chants resonated in his house. When he was born, his mother called him ‘Budah’, in a lullaby and was then called Budah by all the people. As he was growing in a village which was a relay centre for several pilgrims, he used to serve all of them. One day, Baba Nanak and Mardaana Ji arrived in his village. They halted in the refugee asylum, and were busy in prayers. Budah Ji saw them and ran to his mother, asked her to make special goodies for majestic guests. Mother prepared the prasaadi and he served them deeply. Baba Nanak was very pleased and even stayed in his village for several days. Budah Ji wish to stay with him day and night. One day, he asked Baba about his purpose of life. Baba said that he was only a juvenile, and should play on the streets with our boys. But, Budah Ji said that he could die, and if continued to take several births like that one, he suspected his life to be like that of an animal. He continued that few days before that day, his father’s fields were robbed by the King and the remaining crops were trampled under horses’ feet. He said that he could die, despite he was a juvenile. Baba was amazed and asked his name. Listening the name, Baba said that Budah Ji would be called Budah Sahab form that moment, as his thinking had reached geriatric maturity (budah means old man). When Baba Nanak and Mardaana were about to leave the hamlet, the boy pleaded to go with them. His parents tried to stop him, but Baba Nanak consoled them and asked them not to be anxious about the boy, as life would be expand beyond the cent age, that is, he would leave for about one forty years. Parents rejoiced and Budah Ji left with Baba. He used to go with them to all the places. And, as he grew bit older, at twelve years of his age, he was initiated by Baba Nanak. Finally, Budah Sahab Ji attained the grand spiritual heights. When Baba Nanak was about to leave his physical abode, he gave the responsibilities of coronation of the successor in the reign of Gurus. And, Budah Sahab did that. In the similar way, he was destined to coronate six Gurus, who are revered in Sikhism.
When Guru Arjun Dev was coronated as a Guru, he was married to a lady, named Ganga. Several years passed by, they didn’t yield a child. She was upset. She asked Guru Arjun Dev Ji to bless her as well, for she could conceive a child. He said that blessings were not under his governance. He asked her to go Budah Sahab Ji and ask for blessings. She prepared lots of royal goodies and left on the royal palanquin to Budah Sahab Ji’s place. He was busy in the fields. She appeared with the pomp and show and asked for the blessings, arrogantly. He replied humbly, asked her to seek help from her husband. She was very upset, and returned back in grief. She inquired about the solutions to Guru Arjuna Dev Ji. He asked her the ways she could have asked for the priceless wishes to any person. He continued that she should have bowed before him and asked for the blessings, as if she was asking for alms, with humility. She realized her mistake. Next day, she left her home, barefoot and with some bland rather rich prasaadi, two cereal roti, piece of onion and buttermilk. She reached Baba Budah Ji’s fields and prostrated before him. She asked for the blessings with deep humility. Baba Budah Sahab blessed her with a child, who would be the priceless fragment of Lord’s Eternity. A baby boy was born, he was rendered to Baba Budah Sahab, who named him ‘Haragobind’. The boy grew up as a majestic being, with all skills and talents, manifested, and even blossomed with the knowledge of thousand-petalled flower. The boy was taught and initiated by Baba Budah Sahab. The time for the coronation of Hargobind Ji as a Guru arrived. He was coronated by Baba Budah Sahab. He blessed him, told him that his life would be more turbulent than those of his predecessors, but asked him to fix faith in Almighty. Guru Hargobind Ji was an enlightened one, he was free.
As the proclamation had asserted, Guru Hargobind Ji was captured by King Jahangir. When Baba Budah Sahab became aware about the imprisonment, he reached the city of Gwalior with few disciples and circumambulated around the Gwalior fort, seven times. The prayers forced King Jahangir to free Guru Hargobind Ji. Listening the announcement of King for freeing Guru Hargobind Ji, he told the King that he would not leave until he freed the other prisoner kings along with him. King Jahangir grinned and asked Guru Hargobind Ji to wear a kurta whose folds (kalis) should be held by the kings, and the number of kings who could hold the folds would be freed. Jahangir thought that only handful could gather limited folds in an ordinary tunic. Guru Hargobind Ji agreed and that very night, Baba Budah Sahab ordered a fifty-two folded tunic. Next morning, he gathered the attire and the other fifty-two prisoners held the folds and were freed. Baba Budah Sahab welcomed Guru Hargobind Ji with grand celebrations. The day of freedom of Guru Hargobind Ji from prison, came to be known as Bandi chor diwas. The day was that of festival of lights, according to Hindu mythology, day of Diwali. The Sikhs too lighted the lamps in their houses to welcome the return of their Guru.
The foundation stone for Harmandir Sahab Gurudwara was also fixed by Baba Budah Sahab. He was the one who enunciated the first hukumnaama at the site of Harmandir Sahab Gurudwara. Baba Budah Sahab was the one who initiated and carved majestic Gurus who are revered today, but he is not included in the strata of Gurus. When he was surpassing his last breathes at the age of about one-forty, people asked him the same question. He was sitting under a beilly tree (still present Harmandir Sahab Gurudwara). He answered that the hukumnaama always asked him to perform the duties, and he considered himself as a servant of Baba Nanak. Finally, he attained Mahanirvana (final merging with the Infinity), under the Beilly tree.
Even today, the same prasaadi of two roti, onion and buttermilk is distributed at that place, to commemorate the personality of humility. The fifty-two prisoners and fifty-two folds of the tunic denotes that the Guru can only free us from all the fifty-two bondages, we acquire in life.
