The Boy Who Picked Up Stones: A Story of Bhagat Puran Singh

A Boy Called Ramji

A long time ago, in a small village in Punjab, a baby boy was born. His mother, Mata Mehtab Kaur, named him Ramji Das. He was a quiet boy with bright, curious eyes. He loved to walk with his mother through the village lanes.

Mata Mehtab Kaur was not rich. She worked very hard to feed her son. She was full of love, and she taught Ramji something important every day.

The Sharp Stone

One morning, Ramji and his mother were walking to the market. The road was dusty and full of pebbles. Ramji's mother suddenly stopped. She bent down and picked up a sharp stone from the path.

"What are you doing, Ma?" asked Ramji.

"Look at this stone," she said. "If someone walks here without shoes, this could hurt their feet. If I pick it up, maybe someone will not get hurt today."

She tossed the stone into the grass by the side of the road.

Ramji looked at the path ahead. He saw another sharp stone. He bent down and picked it up too.

His mother smiled. "That's it, Ramji. When you see something that might hurt someone, do something about it."

From that day, Ramji picked up sharp stones whenever he walked anywhere. It was a small thing. But it taught him something big: we can all take care of each other.

A New Name

As Ramji grew older, he spent more and more time at the Gurdwara. He loved the Langar — the free kitchen where everyone sat together and ate the same food, rich or poor.

He helped serve water. He cleaned the floors. He made rotis. He loved doing seva — helping others without wanting anything in return.

The people at the Gurdwara gave him a new name: Puran Singh. And because of his deep love for seva, people began calling him Bhagat Puran Singh. Bhagat means someone who loves Waheguru with all their heart.

The Garland Around His Neck

One night, someone left a small boy at the door of a Gurdwara. The boy was very sick. He could not walk. He could not speak. No one knew who his parents were.

Many people walked past. But Bhagat Puran Singh did not walk past. He picked the boy up — just like he used to pick up those sharp stones from the road. He held the boy close.

He named the boy Piara Singh. Piara means "beloved."

Bhagat Puran Singh carried Piara on his back everywhere he went. He fed him, bathed him, and cared for him every single day. When people asked, "Isn't it very hard to carry him all the time?" Bhagat Puran Singh would smile and say:

"He is like a garland around my neck."

A Home for Everyone

Bhagat Puran Singh did not stop with Piara. He started a home in Amritsar called Pingalwara. It was a place for people who had no one to look after them — people who were sick, hurt, or alone.

He spent his whole life caring for those who needed help the most. He also planted trees and told everyone to take care of the earth.

It all started with a sharp stone on a dusty road, and a mother who taught her son to care.

Discussion Questions

Let's Talk About It: Bhagat Puran Singh's mother taught him to pick up sharp stones so others would not get hurt. What is something small you can do every day to help someone else?

Let's Try It: Go for a walk with someone in your family. See if you can find three things to pick up or fix that might help someone — a stone on the path, a piece of litter, a toy someone dropped. How does it feel to make things a little better?

Word Meanings

About This Story

Bhagat Puran Singh (1904–1992) was born Ramji Das in village Rajewal, Punjab. His mother, Mata Mehtab Kaur, inspired his lifelong devotion to seva. In 1934, he took an abandoned, disabled child named Piara Singh into his care and carried him on his back for 14 years. He went on to found Pingalwara in Amritsar — a home for the sick, disabled, and abandoned that continues to serve thousands to this day. He was also an early advocate for environmental conservation. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1981, which he returned in 1984 on principle.