Bani Bhagat Sain Ji

Life of Bhagat Sain Ji
The information found in various sources on Bhagat Sain Ji is unclear and is mostly based on the traditions associated with him. A brief description of these traditions is as follows:

Narrative 1
Bhagat Sain Ji was appointed to serve the king of Bidar (Karnataka). One day, he was deeply immersed in meditation and could not go to the king. The king’s officials came to take him to the king. After reaching the royal court, while Bhagat Sain Ji was combing the king’s hair, the king had a glimpse of a four-armed form of the Divine in the mirror and an oil container. Influenced by this incident, the king adopted the path of devotion.

Bhagat Sain Ji also composed devotional songs or hymns (abhangs) in Marathi. In these hymns, he praised Vitthal Nath, who is worshipped as an incarnation of Krishna. As a true varkari (a Hindu sect in Maharashtra that believes in Vitthal Nath), he also supplicated before Vitthal Nath, asking for grace. In one of the hymns, he clearly refers to himself as ‘born through the womb of a barber mother’ (janmalo nhāvīyā ceṁ udrī).

As per this narrative, he was a contemporary and disciple of the famous saint Gyaneshwar (1275-1296 CE). In his hymns (abhangs) Bhagat Sain Ji displays love and unwavering devotion for saint Gyaneshwar and his family. There is no clear information regarding his lifetime in any of these hymns. The only information provided is his time of departure, which was ‘the afternoon, on the twelfth day of the month sawan vadi (full moon to new moon).’ Parashuram Chaturvedi, with reference to R.D. Ranade, has mentioned this time to be 1448 CE.

Regarding this narrative, Giani Gurdit Singh believes that no Hindu king is mentioned during the reign of the extremely zealous Sultanate of Muslim Bahmanis in Bidar (1347-1527 CE). He, therefore, argued that the idea of Bhagat Sain Ji being a servant of the king of Bidar is nothing more than fiction. This claim seems reasonable as it is highly unlikely that a Muslim king would have believed in idol worship. However, whether Bhagat Sain Ji was an employee of a Hindu or Muslim king requires further research because there must be some reason for the prevalence of this narrative.

Narrative 2
The source of this narrative is Sri Bhaktamal, written by Sri Nabha Das, according to which Bhagat Sain Ji was a servant of Bir Singh, the king of Bandhavgarh, and a disciple of Bhagat Ramanand. Every day, after worshipping the Divine, he would go serve the king. His job was to massage the king and give him a bath. One day, some devotees arrived at his house, so he was unable to go to the king’s palace. That day, the Divine took the form of Bhagat Sain Ji and served the king. After some time, Bhagat Sain Ji went to the king and asked for his forgiveness for not coming to serve him. The king finally realized what had happened and became Bhagat Sain Ji’s disciple.

This narrative is also found in the sixteenth pauri of the tenth var of Bhai Gurdas:
suṇi partāpu kabīr dā dūjā sikh hoā saiṇu nāī.
premi bhagati rātī karai bhalke rāj duārai jāī.
āe sant parāhuṇe kīrtanu hoā raiṇi sabāī.
chaḍi na sakai sant jan rāj duāri na sev kamāī.
saiṇ rūpi hari jāi kai āiā rāṇai no rījhāī.
sādh janāṁ no vidā kari rāj duāri gaïā sarmāī.
rāṇai dūrahuṁ sadikai galahuṁ kavāi kholhi painhāī.
vasi kītā haüṁ tudhu aju bolai rāj suṇai lukāī.
pargaṭu karai bhagati vaḍiāī.16.

In the context of this narrative, Parashuram Chaturvedi raised concerns over a reference provided by B.S. Pandit. According to this reference, information regarding Bhagat Sain Ji is found in the ‘Bhakti Vijai,’ written by a Marathi poet, Mahipati. Mahipati’s work is also based on ‘Bhaktamal,’ written by Sri Nabha Das. Pandit states that because Mahipati could not fully understand the work of Sri Nabha Das, he made many mistakes in his work. Bhagat Sain Ji was actually a resident of Bandhavgarh and an employee of ‘Rajaraj,’ the ruler of that area. Regarding his one hundred and fifty hymns, it can be argued that either an unknown poet composed them under Bhagat Sain Ji’s name, or he composed them while in Maharashtra, just as Bhagat Namdev composed his Sabads while in Panjab. Regarding this opinion of Pandit, Parashuram Chaturvedi argues that Pandit made no mention of what kind of mistakes the poet Mahipati made, nor could he give any specific reason why the one hundred and fifty hymns in Marathi should not be given due importance. Apart from this, if Bhagat Sain Ji is considered an employee of Rajaram (1554-1591 CE), he cannot be a contemporary of Bhagat Ramanand (1366-1467 CE).

Narrative 3
Another narrative is provided by Giani Gurdit Singh, in which Bhagat Sain Ji is portrayed as a Panjabi. The source of this narrative is the biography of Bhagat Sain Ji, written by Vaid Paras Ram. In this biography, the author mentions Bhagat Sain Ji’s birthplace as the village Sohal (Amritsar). In this narrative, with the blessing of a sage named Gurian, Bhagat Sain Ji was born in 1400 CE (1457 VS Maghar Pravishta Purnmashi). His father’s name was Mukand Rai, and his mother’s was Jiwan Devi. His caste or surname is said to be ‘Gohlan.’ At the age of 12, he went to Lahore, where he became a disciple of Khalifa Azim Khan. While staying at his aunt (father’s sister) Sobhi’s house, he learned how to do barbery and massage. At the age of 18, he was married to Sahib Devi. A son was born to them, who was named ‘Noi.’

This narrative claims that Bhagat Sain Ji traveled on foot to Haridwar (Uttar Pradesh, India). On the way, a sage saw padma rekha on his feet and said that one day, Bhagat Sain Ji would become the king of a state or reach some other high position. Bhagat Sain Ji replied that his job was to simply serve others; what could a poor person like him become? From Haridwar, he went to Delhi and then to Bandhavgarh (now Rewa, Madhya Pradesh).

Diligent in his work, Bhagat Sain Ji became a personal servant of Jai Pal Singh, the king of Bandhavgarh. In addition to his job, he would seek out the company of Divine-oriented beings. This narrative also describes the miracle in which the Divine took on Bhagat Sain Ji’s form and served the king. The second event in which the king had a glimpse of a four-armed idol is also described in this narrative. After some time, Bhagat Sain Ji left his wooden sandals as a memento and went to Kanshi (Banaras, Uttar Pradesh, India), where he stayed with Bhagat Ramanand. There, he practiced meditation for twelve years and continued to join the company of Divine-oriented beings like Bhagat Namdev, Bhagat Trilochan, Bhagat Dhanna, and Bhagat Ravidas.

At Kanshi, the king of Bandhavgarh came to see Bhagat Sain Ji. He offered the Bhagat five hundred coins, but Bhagat Sain Ji refused to accept them. Bhagat Sain Ji said he would take the coins in his next life when he would offer his head to Guru Gobind Singh as a Sikh. In this narrative, the author connected the reincarnation of Bhagat Sain Ji with Bhai Sahib Singh, one of the five beloveds of Guru Gobind Singh. Bhai Sahib Singh was also a resident of Bidar and, as per the so-called caste system, belonged to the same caste as Bhagat Sain Ji.

As per this narrative, Bhagat Sain Ji had told Bhagat Namdev about his death beforehand. Upon hearing this, Bhagat Namdev called Bhagat Sain Ji’s son from Panjab. Bhagat Trilochan, Bhagat Ravidas, and Bhagat Dhanna carried Bhagat Sain Ji’s bier. Bhagat Sain Ji was cremated in Kanshi, at this time the king of Bandhavgarh had died. Nonetheless, the king’s brother arrived at his funeral with offerings out of respect.

At the village Sohal (district Taran Taran, Panjab), there is a Gurduara (popularly Gurdwara) called ‘Naiana’ in memory of Bhagat Sain Ji. Apart from this, shrines in his honor have been built in Lahore, Bhawani (Haryana, India), village Barwa and Nurpur Bedi (district Ropar, Panjab), Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur. It is said that Bhagat Sain Ji’s wooden sandals are also preserved at Gurduara Naiana. The king of Bandhavgarh presented a sum of one thousand coins in the name of Bhagat Sain Ji’s son through a promissory note (hundi). This promissory note was delivered by Seth Sunder Das, Guru Bazar Chak Ramdas. Through these coins, Gurduara Naiana was built at Sohal. This belief is prevalent among the residents of the village.

Dr. Sarup Singh Alag, Giani Surinder Singh Nimana, and S. Lakhwinderpal Singh Kumkalan all accepted this narrative. Scholars such as Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, Piara Singh Padam, M. A. McAuliffe, and Giani Pratap Singh have mentioned one or the other of the above narratives in their works. However, the narrative of Sri Bhaktamal is the most prevalent among them. Dr. Sarup Singh Alag, while citing the narrative of Bidar (South India), has given Bhagat Sain Ji’s birth year as 1390 CE, whereas, as per the narrative of Panjab it is 1343 CE. Giani Surinder Singh Nimana states that Bhagat Sain Ji’s lifespan was 1310-1440 CE.

On the basis of janamsakhis, Giani Gurdit Singh also wrote about the meeting of Bhagat Sain Ji and Guru Nanak Sahib at Ayodhya and Banaras. Though he did not refer to any particular janamsakhi, Meharban Wali Janamsakhi mentions the meeting of Bhagat Sain Ji, along with Bhagat Namdev, Bhagat Kabir, Bhagat Trilochan, Bhagat Sadhna, Bhagat Dhanna, and Bhagat Beni, with Guru Nanak Sahib.

Since Bhagat Ravidas also mentioned Bhagat Sain Ji in his Bani, it is understood that Bhagat Sain Ji preceded Bhagat Ravidas (1377-1528 CE). However, Giani Gurdit Singh considered him a contemporary of Bhagat Ravidas and Bhagat Kabir (1398-1518 CE).

Essentially, the information found in various sources about the life of Bhagat Sain Ji is unclear. There is much variation in the dates provided by various narratives and scholars. For example, Bhagat Sain Ji’s birth year is found to be either 1310 CE, 1383 CE, 1390 CE, or 1400 CE, whereas his death year is speculated to be 1440 CE or 1448 CE. In this situation, it is very difficult to authenticate any single date of birth. Therefore, we consider his lifespan to be in the 14th-15th century. His mother’s name is Jiwan Devi, and his father’s is Mukand Rai. The word ‘Nai’ associated with his name may indicate his occupation (barber) or caste as per the caste system prevalent in Indic society, or both.

Sain Sagar Granth
Giani Gurdit Singh also mentioned an ancient scripture named ‘Sain Sagar’ that is related to Bhagat Sain Ji. He claims that he saw the photocopy of this text in Gurduara Naiana. The original copy of this text is in the possession of someone in Jalandhar (Panjab). This work belongs to a poet disciple of Bhagat Sain Ji, who seems to be a man of initiative. An attempt has been made to keep the structure and tone of the text similar to the compositions, rags, and Sabads in the Guru Granth Sahib.

At the beginning of this text, there is Jap Ji Sahib and then arti. After this comes the janamsakhi of Bhagat Sain Ji. The narrator of this janamsakhi is Bhagat Sain Ji’s father, Mukand Rai, and its writer is Kolu Brahman.

The Janamsakhi of Bhagat Sain Ji is followed by an important work titled ‘Parchian Sri Sain Bhagat Kian.’ In this work, the narratives and miracles related to Bhagat Sain Ji’s life are listed repeatedly. These narratives include Bhagat Dhanna, Bhagat Ravidas, Bhagat Trilochan, Bhagat Sadhana, Bhagat Namdev, and Bhagat Surdas.

In this text, compositions said to be revealed by Bhagat Sain Ji are also recorded under the titles of rags such as Sirirag, Majh, Gauri, Asa, Gujari, Devgandhari, Bihagra, Dhanasiri, Todi, Rag Kalian, Tilang, Bilaval, Ramkali, Maru, Basant, Hindol, Jaijavanti, Nat, Maligaura, Kedara, Malhar, Kanra, Prabhati, Vadahans, Bhairau, Tukhari, Bhairavi Majh, Gond, and Suhi. Along with these, many miraculous narratives and prophecies associated with Bhagat Sain Ji are also recorded. For example, this text describes the prophecy that Bhagat Sain Ji will reincarnate as Bhai Sahib Singh (one of the five beloved ones), get initiated, and become a Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib.

Based on the original manuscript of this text, Giani Gurdit Singh, with the help of some scholars, concluded that it can be dated to the time of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (1666-1708 CE). Therefore, it would be misleading to consider it a work of Bhagat Sain Ji.

Revelation of Sabad
Regarding the revelation of this Sabad, in ‘Sampardai Tika Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’ by Sant Kirpal Singh, it is written that at one time, the Divine, pleased with Bhagat Sain Ji’s devotion, appeared before him, and blessed him with a glimpse. Bhagat Sain Ji stood respectfully and paid obeisance to the Divine. After this, he performed the arti of the immanent form of the Divine while performing the complete ritual.

Sant Hari Singh ‘Randhawe Wale’ further elaborates on the narrative of Bandhavgarh’s king associated with Bhagat Sain Ji and writes that when Bhagat Sain Ji came to know that the Divine Own-Self had come to serve the king to protect Bhagat Sain Ji’s honor, his mind became detached from the world, and began yearning for the glimpse of the Divine. After consulting his ministers, the king, pleased with the service of Bhagat Sain Ji, seated him on the throne. Drenched with a feeling of love and humility, when he was about to fall from the throne, the Divine, in immanent form, embraced him to the bosom. Bhagat Sain Ji asked the Divine for a command. The Divine replied, as other devotees have done my arti, do the same. In accordance with the Divine command, Bhagat Sain Ji uttered this Sabad.

In both the above descriptions, a narrative has been created to link this Sabad with the arti of the immanent form of the Divine. However, as it is written in the beginning, this arti is of the transcendent form of the Divine. Prof. Sahib Singh and many other scholars support this idea.

Ramanand and Parmanand
In this Sabad, there are two words, ‘rāmānandu’ and ‘parmānandu,’ about which scholars differ. While some scholars associate these words with Bhagats, others believe they refer to the Divine. Prof. Sahib Singh writes that an antagonist of the compositions of Bhagats has written that Bhagat Sain Ji, through this Sabad, has performed arti before his Guru, Goswami Ramanand. However, Prof. Sahib Singh is of the opinion that Bhagat Sain Ji has used words like ‘kamlāpatī,’ ‘hari,’ ‘rājā rām,’ ‘niranjanu,’ ‘pūran,’ ‘parmānandu,’ ‘madan-mūrati,’ ‘bhai-tāri,’ ‘gobinde,’ etc. for the One whom he is praising in this Sabad. There is no mention of Bhagat Sain Ji’s Guru in these words. It seems that the antagonist was mistaken by the use of the word ‘rāmānandu’ in the third stanza of the Sabad. This line states that the being who, in devotion, sings praises of the all-Pervading Divine, the embodiment of Supreme Bliss, enjoys the bliss of union with the beautiful Divine.

Giani Gurdit Singh is of the opinion that the line ‘tuhīṁ niranjanu kamlāpātī’ (You alone are without the blemish of Maya, O Kamalapati!) in this Sabad clarifies that Bhagat Sain Ji is doing arti not of Bhagat Ramanand but of ‘niranjanu’ (the Immaculate One).

Like the word ‘rāmānandu,’ the word ‘parmānandu’ has also been interpreted by commentators in two different ways: Bhagat Parmanand and the Divine, who is the embodiment of supreme bliss. Even though Harnam Singh Bhindranwale has given both these meanings, most commentators like Sant Kirpal Singh, Manmohan Singh, Dr. Ratan Singh Jaggi, etc., have interpreted ‘parmānandu’ as the Divine, who is the embodiment of supreme bliss. Considering the context, the latter interpretation is appropriate.