The Rani’s Love: Rana Surat Singh

Join us as we delve into Bhai Vir Singh’s epic poem “Rana Surat Singh.” The poem unveils mystical love’s mysteries via 14,270 lines in thirty-five cantos. Mystical love is helical and circular in its workings. The poem artistically presents a passionate vision of a world beyond the divisions of time and space. It is a lustrous recollection written by the one who has gazed upon the mystical experience.

The poem begins with the hero’s death, Rana (King) Surat Singh, and its profound and shattering effect on his young widow, the Rani (Queen) Raj Kaur. At the onset of the poem, the poet makes us aware that the Rani’s love for the Rana was at a physical level. So immersed was the Rani in her love for the Rana that it blinded her to his illuminated and enlightened self. As much as the Rana wanted her to be a part of his spiritual journey, the Rani could not see him beyond his physical self.

As we become immersed in the poem, we witness the transformation of her physical yearnings into spiritual ones. We journey with her through the various stages of her inner development, from the Realm of Principle to the Realms of Knowledge, Effort, Grace, and Eternity—the final abode. Guided by a Guru-inspired being, the Rani is introduced to the “Love Path.”

In the first podcast, we discuss:
What is longing?
What is satsang (company of inspired beings)?
What is seva (service)?