Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj is most revered as the founder of the Beas Satsang, which he founded in the year 1891. Though the Beas Satsang was inaugurated as one of the branches of Radhasoami satsang, today it stands as an autonomous body with one of the highest followings which supersedes all other Satsangs combined.
Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj, popularly known as Babaji Maharaj, hailed from a conservative Punjabi Sikh family. During his younger days, he got tremendously inspired from the word of Soamiji Maharaj and became his disciple. After the death of his guru, Jaimal Singh Ji set up dera near Baba Bakala town, located at the northern bank of River Bear River. Eventually, the place became famous as ‘Dera Baba Jaimal Singh’ and today it stands as a heart of the Radhasoami sect in Punjab.
Baba Jaimal Singh’s place was succeeded by Baba Sawan Singh, a Sikh from Narangwal village in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Early Life
Baba Jaimal Singh was born in the year 1838 at Ghuman in Gurdaspur District, Punjab. His family held the tradition of cultivation. The place Ghuman was already a famous religious Sikh hub because of the shrine called Dera Baba Namdev belonging to Sage Namdev who had spent last few days of his life here.
Baba Jaimal Singh was born to Bhai Jodh Singh and Bibi Daya Kaur, and it is said that before the birth of Jaimal, Namdev had appeared before Bibi Daya and informed her that her prayers to bear a saintly son were granted.
As a child he was given the name ‘Bal-Sadhu’ (Child-Saint) because of his unbelievable abilities in reciting verses heard at spiritual discourses. His divine talents compelled his parents and other elderly to provide him an opportunity for education.
The young Jaimal, at the age of five, was kept under the spiritual heritage of Bhai Khem Das, an extremely learned Vedantist. The young boy showed keen aptitude for learning and quickly mastered the Gurumukhi script, following which he completed understanding Punj Granthi or five basic Sikh scriptures including Raho Ras, Sukhmani Sahib, and Jap Ji. At the age of seven he had acquired a professional mastery over scriptures and became a brilliant Pathi. Soon, before reaching the age of ten, Jaimal completed reading the Dasam Granth. Bhai Khem Das initiated Jaimal into the Japa of Sohang, as practiced by 
the former regularly.
Guru of the Guru
Beas Satsang tradition as started by Baba Jaimal Singh Ji was one of the branches of Radhasoami satsang established under the aegis of Swami Shiv Dayal Singh, also known as Soamiji Maharaj.
The spiritual concept of Soamiji Maharaj was quite simple. The mystic man used to visualize the human soul as Radha striving to merge with her Soami – the eternal truth. Hence his Satsang was given the name Radhasoami satsang. Radhasoami tradition has great resemblance to the Vaishnav tradition as it lays great emphasis on vegetarianism and abstaining from alcohol. Soamiji Maharaj insisted upon his disciples to strictly adhere to the practice of shabd yoga meditation, 2 hours per day.
Published works
- A great saint – Baba Jaimal Singh
- Baba Jaimal Singh
- Baba Jaimal Singh – Life and Teachings
Message of Baba Jaimal Singh
Baba Jaimal Singh’s universal Message is: ‘To know God and to get release from the cycle of births and deaths. The founding of new religious creeds and sects has never been the purpose of their teachings. Creeds and sects breed passions which unnecessarily lead to quarrels and conflicts while the essence of the saint’s teaching is love and harmony among the people of world.’
These are the words of sat Guru Charan Singh, spiritual head of the Radha Soami Center, known as Dera Baba Jaimal Singh
Later Years
Baba Jaimal Singh left this world on Dec 29, 1903. After the death of Jaimal Singh, Sawan Singh took over his position as the spiritual master of the Beas Satsang tradition. Jaimal Singh and Sawan Singh shared a very vibrant spiritual wave with each other and there are many letters preserved which had been written by Jaimal Singh to Sawan Singh exchanging the spiritual discourse of the highest intellect. Written both in Punjabi and Urdu languages, the letters are the clear manifestations of Jaimal Singh’s predisposition towards Sawan Singh as his spiritual successor.
Dera Baba at Radha Soami Ashram
