Bani Bhagat Jaidev Ji

Bhagat Jaidev Ji was a resident of western Bengal (India). He was a renowned poet of the 12th-13th century. Jaidev Ji was one of the court poets of the ruler of Bengal, Lakshman Sen (1178-1205 CE). He was a learned scholar of Sanskrit and Prakrit. His composition, Gita Govinda, is a famous work of Sanskrit poetry. It depicts Krishna’s divine plays (ras-lila) with cow-maidens. Initially, being a follower of the Vaishnava tradition, he worshipped Krishna. However, due to the influence of saintly individuals devoted to the Formless Divine (Nirankar Braham), he gave up the Vaishnav tradition and became a devotee of the Formless Divine.

The prominence of Bhagat Jaidev Ji is evident from the fact that Guru Ramdas Sahib and Guru Arjan Sahib mention him in their own compositions recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib, alongside other renowned Bhagats such as Bhagat Dhanna Ji, Bhagat Trilochan Ji, Bhagat Beni Ji, and Bhagat Sain Ji. Just as these Bhagats remembered the Divine in their own unique ways, Bhagat Jaidev Ji also shed his ego and meditated on the Divine.

For example, consider these lines from Guru Ramdas Sahib and Guru Arjan Sahib, respectively:
nāmā jaideu kambīru trilocanu aüjāti ravidāsu camiāru camaīā.jo jo milai sādhū jan saṅgati dhanu dhannā jaṭu saiṇu miliā hari daīā.7. -Guru Granth Sahib 835.

dhannai seviā bāl budhi. trilocan gur mili bhaī sidhi.
beṇī kaü guri kīo pragāsu. re man tū bhī hohi dāsu.5.
jaidev tiāgio ahammev. nāī udhrio sainu sev. -Guru Granth Sahib 1192.

Apart from the Gurus, Bhagat Kabir Ji, Bhatt Jalya Ji, Bhatt Balya Ji, and Bhai Gurdas Ji have also honored and mentioned him with great respect. Bhagat Kabir Ji has stated that in Kaliyug, Bhagat Namdev Ji and Bhagat Jaidev Ji are awakened and filled with Divine-light:
jāgai sukdeu aru akūru. haṇvantu jāgai dhari laṅkūru.
saṅkaru jāgai caran sev. kali jāge nāmā jaidev.2. -Guru Granth Sahib 1194.

gur parsādī jaideu nāmāṁ.bhagati kai premi in hī hai jānāṁ.5. -Guru Granth Sahib 330.

Similarly, Bhatt Jalya Ji and Bhatt Balya Ji have honored and mentioned Bhagat Jaidev Ji, along with devotees like Narad, Dhruv, Prahlad, Bhagat Namdev Ji, Bhagat Trilochan Ji, and Bhagat Kabir Ji:
ji mati gahī jaidevi ji mati nāmai sammāṇī.
ji mati trilocan citi bhagat kambīrahi jāṇī. -Guru Granth Sahib 1394.

nāradu dhrū prahlādu sudāmā pub bhagat hari ke ju gaṇaṅ.
ambrīku jayadev trilocanu nāmā avaru kabīru bhaṇaṅ. -Guru Granth Sahib 1405.

Bhai Gurdas Ji places Bhagat Jaidev Ji alongside the sons of Brahma, like Sanak and others, the sage Valmiki, and Bhagats such as Beni Ji, Trilochan Ji, Namdev Ji, Dhanna Ji, and Sadhna Ji, who, through the company of virtuous beings, crossed the world-ocean and were honored as bhagats:
sankādik jaideu jagi bālmīku satisaṅg tarāe.
beṇu tilocanu nāmdeu dhannā sadhnā bhagat sadāe. -Bhai Gurdas Ji, Var 23, Pauri 15.

Historical Timeline of Bhagat Jaidev Ji
The exact dates of birth and death of Bhagat Jaidev Ji are not known. Piara Singh Padam has suggested that Bhagat Jaidev lived during 1201-1245 CE. However, he did not provide any information about the sources of this claim. Hence, this cannot be considered entirely accurate or reliable.

As previously mentioned, Bhagat Jaidev Ji is believed to have been a court poet of King Lakshman Sen of Bengal. This fact is supported by the inscriptions on stone plaques at the entrance of King Lakshman Sen’s assembly hall. Additionally, the poetic composition Gita Govinda offers details about King Lakshman Sen’s reign. However, there is no information available regarding the exact duration of Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s stay at the royal court. But from this fact, one can easily learn about his lifetime (12th-13th century).

Based on the reign of King Lakshman Sen, Sukhdev Singh Shant has estimated that Bhagat Jaidev Ji was born around 1150 CE. According to him, Bhagat Jaidev Ji would have likely joined the court of King Lakshman Sen as a court poet at the age of 25-30 years. Furthermore, referring to an article by Principal Satbir Singh, who estimated Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s age to be around 72 years, Sukhdev Singh Shant concludes that Bhagat Jaidev Ji passed away around 1222 CE.

Birthplace of Bhagat Jaidev Ji
Bhagat Jaidev Ji was born in the village ‘Kindubilwa’ (now known as Kendali), which is mentioned in his work, Gita Govinda. This village is situated on the banks of the Ajay River in the Birbhum district of Bengal. Every year, on Magh Sankranti, a grand fair is held, where thousands of Vaishnavas gather to sing poems and other devotional songs from the Gita Govinda. Additionally, some traditions link Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s birthplace to the Bogura (or Bogra) district in North-Eastern Bengal, which is now part of Bangladesh, although this belief is not widely supported. To honor his memory, another fair is held in the village of Bhairav, located about 21 kilometers from Kendali, at a pond named after ‘Jaidev Thakur.’

According to some scholars, the birthplace of Bhagat Jaidev Ji is the village of Kendali Sasan, located near Puri in Odisha (India), along the banks of the Prachi River. As evidence, it is said that the people from that region are well acquainted with him. According to this view, Bhagat Jaidev Ji was a contemporary of King Kamaranav (1119-1213 CE) and King Purushottam Dev (1227-1237 CE). However, most scholars consider the village of Kendali in West Bengal to be his birthplace. This view is further supported by Bhagat Jaidev Ji himself, who mentioned his birthplace as Kenduli in his work, the Gita Govinda.

Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s Family
Some scholars mention the name of Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s mother as Ramadevi, Vamadevi, etc. But at the end of the Gita Govinda, Bhagat Jaidev Ji himself writes his mother’s name as Radha Devi and his father’s name as Bhoj Dev. Bhagat Jaidev Ji lost his parents at a very young age. Later, he was married to a woman named Padmavati. However, there is no detailed information available regarding his children.

Stories Associated with Bhagat Jaidev Ji
A biographical account of Bhagat Jaidev Ji can be found on pages 388-396 of ‘Sri Bhagat Mal,’ authored by Naba Das Ji. This account reveals his life of renunciation and deep devotion. Due to this, a man named Niranjan from his village conspired to seize Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s house and property. Niranjan had to collect some money from Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s father. He prepared a document, based on which he asked Jaidev Ji to leave the house. As soon as Bhagat Jaidev Ji stepped out of his house, Niranjan’s daughter came running to tell her father that their house had caught fire. Because of his selfless nature, Bhagat Jaidev Ji ran to Niranjan’s house with him. As soon as Bhagat Jaidev Ji entered their house, the fire got extinguished. Niranjan considered this a miracle, Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s divine power. Seeking forgiveness for his mistake, he fell at Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s feet.

After this, Bhagat Jaidev Ji, accompanied by a Brahmin from his village named Parashar, traveled to Puri. Bhagat Jaidev Ji spent significant time there, dedicating himself to singing the praises of Krishna. It was during this time that he composed his famous work, the Gita Govinda. It is said that he also had a divine vision of Krishna there. While residing there, he met Pandit Sudev and later married his daughter.

Pandit Sudev had prayed to Jagannath to grant him a child and promised that his firstborn would be offered to the Divine. It was during this time, when he was visiting Puri to offer his firstborn, Padmavati, to the Divine, that he met Bhagat Jaidev Ji. The Divine commanded that she should be married to Bhagat Jaidev Ji. Pandit Sudev then proposed that Bhagat Jaidev Ji marry his daughter. Though Bhagat Jaidev Ji initially hesitated, he eventually agreed to Pandit Sudev’s persistence.

Both Bhagat Jaidev Ji and his wife were devoted to Krishna. While composing the Gita Govinda, there came a moment when he had to write a description of Radha but could not find the right words. He went for a bath, singing praises of Krishna. Upon his return, he found that everything he had intended to write was already written. When he spoke to his wife, she told him it was Bhagat Jaidev Ji who returned, wrote the verses, and then left again. Hearing this, Bhagat Jaidev Ji was wonder-struck and in this exalted state of bliss, told his wife that Krishna himself had come in his form and completed the work. This narrative account is recorded by Bhai Gurdas Ji:
prem bhagati jaideu kari gīt govind sahaj dhuni gāvai.
līlhā calit vakhāṇadā antarjāmī ṭhākur bhāvai.
akhar iku na āvaṛai pustaku bannhi sandhiā kari āvai.
guṇ nidhān ghari āi kai bhagati rūpi likhi lekhu baṇāvai.
akhar paṛhi partīti kari hoi vismādu na aṅgi samāvai.
vekhai jāi ujāṛi vici birakhu iku ācaraj suhāvai.
gīt govind sampūraṇo pati pati likhiā antu na pāvai.
bhagati heti pargāsu kari hoi daïālu milai gali lāvai.
sant anant na bhed gaṇāvai.10. -Bhai Gurdas Ji, Var 10, Pauri 10.

Besides these stories associated with Bhagat Jaidev Ji, many other narratives about him are also found. These stories beautifully illustrate his love and devotion towards the Divine in the form of Krishna.

Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s Compositions
Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s most famous work is the Gita Govinda. Two of Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s compositions are also recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib. In addition to this, G.B. Singh has recognized ‘Lalit Viniyas’ and ‘Shravan Manohar Anu Praschati’ as works of Bhagat Jaidev Ji. According to Suniti Kumar Chatterji, Saduktikarnamrita—a Sanskrit anthology compiled by Sridhardas, a contemporary of Bhagat Jaidev Ji—includes thirty-one verses attributed to Bhagat Jaidev Ji.

Bhagat Jaidev Ji: The Composer of the Sabads in Guru Granth Sahib
Many scholars do not consider Bhagat Jaidev Ji, the author of Gita Govinda, to be the composer of the Sabads recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib. Giani Gurdit Singh emphasizes this argument strongly in his article ‘Bhagat Jaidev Atey Unah Di Rachna’ (Bhagat Jaidev and his compositions) in the book ‘Itihas Shri Guru Granth Sahib’ (Bhagat Bani Part). He has also provided references from scholars on this topic. Among these, some of the prominent names are Govind Trigunayat, Ramkhelawan Pandey, and Chandrakant Bali.

Govind Trigunayat has mentioned five personalities named Jaidev:

1. Pakshadhar Jaidev, the author of the Manyalok (Tattavlok), a text on Indian logic.
   His other name was Jaidev Mishra. He was born in the 13th century Vikrami (circa 1257-1357 CE). He was a philosopher of the Nyaya school, and the author of a commentary called ‘Tattvalok’, which was written on Gangesh Upadhyaya's ‘Tattvachintamani.’ -Dr. Rajbali Pandey, Hindu Dharm Kosh, page 276.
2. Piyush Jaidev, author of Chandra Lok.
   He was from Kundaniyapur or Kundanpur (Maharashtra, India). In his work ‘Chandralok,’ he mentioned his parents' names as Sumitra and Mahadev. His time period is believed to be between 1200 and 1300 CE. -Pandit Gaurinath Sramana (commentator), Sri Jayadeva Kavipraneet, Chandralok, pages 1-3.
3. Jaidev, the writer of the drama titled Prasantaradh.
4. Jaidev, the author of Geet Govind.
5. Bhagat Jaidev Ji, whose Sabads are recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Some scholars consider the first three personalities to be the same individual. However, there is a difference of opinion regarding the last two. Govind Trigunayat, too, believes that the last two are distinct from each other. Without providing historical evidence to support this view, Govind Trigunayat observes a significant difference in language and style between the two, which suggests they are two distinct personalities. The Bhagat Jaidev Ji, who is reverently remembered by the poets devoted to the transcendent Divine (Nirgun), must certainly have been a great saintly personality. Such people could not have been so deeply drawn toward an ornate poet, Jaidev (the one known for the Gita Govinda). If they had been admirers of a poet devoted to the manifest form of the Divine (Sargun), they would have also shown reverence towards the contemporary great devotional poet Vidyapati. Vidyapati is considered one of the nine saints of the Vaishnav Sahajya tradition. Bhagat Mal mentions Jaidev, but it is not a reference to Bhagat or Saint Jaidev. Bhagat Mal praises the poet Jaidev, who is the author of the Gita Govinda. Therefore, the poet Jaidev cannot be regarded as Bhagat Jaidev Ji. Bhagat Jaidev Ji was undoubtedly a great saintly personality, revered by saints like Bhagat Kabir Ji, who considers Bhagat Jaidev Ji as one who truly understands the essence of devotion and love for the Divine. Unfortunately, there is limited historical evidence available regarding Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s life and compositions. However, with continued research, further insights into his contributions may emerge. For now, it can be concluded that he was a distinguished devotee of the transcendent form (Nirgun) of the Divine, and a saint of the highest order, who must have inspired other Nirgun poets, such as Bhagat Kabir Ji, with his devotion.

According to Ramkhelawan Pandey, the author of the Gita Govinda and the author of the Sabads recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib appear to be different individuals. The language of the former is Sanskritized (resembling Sanskrit or influenced by it) Hindi, while the latter’s language is Hindi influenced by Panjabi. Bhagat Jaidev Ji, who was part of King Lachhman Sen’s court, lived during the 12th century. Was Hindi so widespread at that time that a poet like Bhagat Jaidev Ji, who was known as ‘Piyukh Varkhi’ (dispenser of divine nectar), would compose in this language? There is a significant difference between the languages of these two personalities.

Giani Gurdit Singh, based on the writings of Ramkhelawan Pandey, concludes the following:

1. The Sabads recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib show an influence of Hindi.
2. The language does not correspond to the enchanting style of Krishna Lila (divine plays of Krishna); the language is rather modern.
3. Based on the language, these Sabads cannot be attributed to Jaidev Ji, the author of Gita Govinda.
   Giani Gurdit Singh, Itihas Shri Guru Granth Sahib (Bhagat Bani Part), page 372.

Chandra Kant Bali writes that Bhagat Jaidev Ji from Panjab, whose compositions are included in the Adi Granth, has been identified as the same person as Jaidev, the author of the Gita Govinda. But why are they considered to be the same individual? To this day, no critic has offered a clear answer.

According to Giani Gurdit Singh, based on Chandra Kant Bali’s reference, the time of Bhagat Jaidev Ji, whose Sabads are recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib, is considered to be the end of the 15th century. He also suggested the possibility of a meeting between Bhagat Jaidev Ji and Guru Nanak Sahib. In support of this, Giani Gurdit Singh highlighted a Sabad from Guru Nanak Sahib that conveys a message similar to the Sabad of Bhagat Jaidev Ji:
bhagati prem ārādhitaṅ sacu piās param hitaṅ. billāp bilal binantīā sukh bhāi cit hitaṅ.1.
japi man nāmu hari sarṇī. sansār sāgar tāri tāraṇ ram nām kari karṇī.1. rahāu.
e man mirat subh cintaṅ gur sabadi hari ramṇaṅ. mati tatu giānaṅ kaliāṇ nidhānaṅ hari nām mani ramṇaṅ.2.
cal cit vit bhramā bhramaṅ jagu moh magan hitaṅ. thiru nāmu bhagati diṛaṅ matī gur vāki sabad rataṅ.3.
bharmāti bharamu na cūkaī jagu janami biādhi khapaṅ. asthānu hari nihkevalaṅ sati matī nām tapaṅ.4.
ihu jagu moh het biāpitaṅ dukhu adhik janam marṇaṅ. bhaju saraṇi satigur ūbrahi hari nāmu rid ramṇaṅ.5
gurmati nihcal mani manu manaṅ sahaj bīcāraṅ. so manu nirmalu jitu sācu antari giān ratanu sāraṅ.6.
bhai bhāi bhagati taru bhavjalu manā citu lāi hari carṇī. hari nāmu hirdai pavitru pāvanu ihu sarīru taü sarṇī.7.
lab lobh lahari nivāraṇaṅ hari nām rāsi manaṅ. manu māri tuhī niranjanā kahu nānakā sarnaṅ.8.1.5. -Guru Granth Sahib 506.

Apart from the above-mentioned authors, Pashaura Singh has also referred to an American scholar, Barbara Stoler Miller (1940-1993). Based on the language of Bhagat Ji’s compositions, which blends Prakrit and Apabhramsha, she doubts that the Jaidev of the Gita Govinda and the Jaidev in the Guru Granth Sahib are the same person. Additionally, the compositions in the Guru Granth Sahib contain glimpses of devotion to the Formless Divine (nirgun bhakti), which are not found in the Gita Govinda. While engaging in theoretical discussion, Pashaura Singh challenged this view by referring to both Western and Eastern perspectives. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s suggested parameters—such as standards of quality, theoretical or ideological unity, style, and historical context—he pointed out that Western scholars generally determine the authenticity of a text by applying such criteria. If some of these parameters do not align within the works attributed to a particular author, those works are often rejected as inauthentic. However, in South Asian traditions, the issue of authenticity is approached differently. Referring to John S. Hawley’s essay ‘Author and Authority in Bhakti Poetry,’ Pashaura Singh noted that in bhakti (devotional) poetry, the poet’s signature as identification, called bhanita (literally meaning ‘speaker’), is often present. Thus, compositions of Bhagat Ravidas, Surdas, or Mira, in which their names appear, can be considered evidence of their authorship. The ‘stamp’ (signature) of the poet itself serves as the recognition of their work. Pashaura Singh also used references found in Gurbani and the writings of Bhai Gurdas Ji to demonstrate the connection between Bhagat Jaidev Ji and the Jaidev of the Gita Govinda.

Therefore, it can be stated that scholars such as Giani Gurdit Singh, Govind Trigunayat, Ramkhelawan Pandey, and Chandra Kant Bali have presented arguments to establish that Jaidev, the composer of Gita Govinda, is not the same as Bhagat Jaidev Ji, whose Sabads are recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib. According to their research, Bhagat Jaidev Ji of the Guru Granth Sahib is a different historical figure. However, most scholars still consider both to be the same. Many scholars also discuss how Bhagat Jaidev Ji transitioned from being a devotee of the manifest Divine (Sargun) to a devotee of the transcendent Divine (Nirgun). They consider the Sabads recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib as proof of this transformation. Dr. Rattan Singh Jaggi writes that although Bhagat Jaidev Ji’s devotion initially seemed to be rooted in the Vaishnavite tradition, it gradually developed into devotion towards the transcendent, formless, all-pervading Divine. Therefore, no conclusion can be drawn from these claims, and more research is required on this subject.