Bhagat Sain Ji And King Raja Ram

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Bhagat Sain was a disciple of Bhagat Ramanand and consequently lived in the end of the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth century of the Christian era. He was a barber at the court of Raja Ram, king of Rewa, then called Bandhavgarh. The tendency of the age was towards devotion and religious composition, and Sain found leisure in the midst of duties to study the hymns of Ramanand, shape his life on the principles inculcated in them, and successfully imitate their spirit and devotional fervour.

The accomplishments and duties of an Indian court barber at the time of Sain were and are still of a miscellaneous character. He is something of a surgeon and ordinarily a marriage or match-maker, he oils the king’s body, shampoos his limbs, pares his nails, shaves his face and head, if he be a Hindu, and clips his moustaches, if he be a Musalman; amuses him with gossip and tales; often plays the rebeck and sings his own compositions, which deftly combine flattery of his master with social satire or pleasentry.

God is said by the Hindu chronicler to have cherished Sian as a cow her calf. He frequented the society of holy men and was very happy in their company. He performed for them all menial officies, for he believed that serving saints was equivalent to serving God himself.

The Bhagat Mal contains a legend which at once illustrates Sain’s devotion to saints and the estimation in which he was held for his piety.


Bhai Gurdas Ji has also recorded this sakhi in his Waars:

QUOTE sux prqwp kbIr dw dUjw isK hoAw sYx nweI]

sun parathaap kabeer dhaa dhoojaa sikh hoaa sain naaee||

Hearing of glory of Kabir, Sain also turned to be a disciple.

pRym Bgiq rwqIN krY Blky rwj duAwrY jweI]

praem bhagath raathee(n) karai bhalakae raaj dhuaarai jaaee||

In the night he would immerse in loving devotion and in the morning he would serve at the door of the king.

Awey sMq prwhuxy kIrqn hoAw rYx sbweI]

aaeae sa(n)th paraahunae keerathan hoaa rain sabaaee||

On one night some sadhus came to him and the whole night was spent in singing the Lord's praises

Cf n skY sMq jn rwj duAwr n syv kmweI]

shhadd n sakai sa(n)th jan raaj dhuaar n saev kamaaee||

Sain could not leave company of the saints and consequently did not perform the king’s service the following morning.

sYx rUp hir hoiekY AwieAw rwxy noN rIJweI]

sain roop har hoeikai aaeiaa raanae no(n) reejhaaee||

God himself took the form of Sain. He served the king in such a way that the king was overjoyed.

swD jnW noN ivdw kr rwjduAwr gieAw SrmweI]

saadhh janaa(n) no(n) vidhaa kar raajadhuaar gaeiaa sharamaaee||

Bidding fairwell to the saints, Sain hesitantly arrived at the palace of the king.

rwxy dUrhuM sdkY glhuM kvwie KolH pYnHweI]

raanae dhoorahu(n) sadhakai galahu(n) kavaae kholh painhaaee||

The king From a distance the king called him nearby. He took off his own robes and offered them to Bhagat Sain.

vs kIqw hauN quD Aj bolY rwjw suxY lukweI]

vas keethaa hou(n) thudhh aj bolai raajaa sunai lukaaee||

‘You have overpowered me’, said the king and his words were heard by one and all.

prgt krY Bgq vifAweI ]ñö]

paragatt karai bhagath vaddiaaee ||aa||

God himself manifests the grandeur of the devotee.


When going one day to perform his usual ministrations for King Raja Ram, he met some holy men on the way. He thought it was his first duty to attend to them, He took them with him, and began to render them with the customary services. With the greatest mental satisfaction to himself he gave them consecrated and secular food to relieve their souls and bodies. In thus acting Sain disregarded his duty to the king and braved his displeasure.

The legend states that a holy man, by God’s favour, in order to avert the king’s wrath and save Sain from punishment, assumed his appearance, and having gone and performed the customary duties for the king, took his departure. Soon after Sain arrived and began to apologise for the delay.

The king said, “You have only just gone after the usual services to me; why apologise?”

Sain replied, “ I have not been here. Perhaps your majesty says this so to excuse my absence.”

The Raja then knew that a special providence had intervened and performed for him the usual tonsorial duties. He was at once converted, fell at Sain’s feet, worshipped him as his guru, and thus sought an asylum in God.

The following hymn of Bhagat Sain Ji is found in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj:

QUOTE sRI sYxu ]

sree sain ||

Sri Sain:

DUp dIp iGRq swij AwrqI ]

dhhoop dheep ghrith saaj aarathee ||

With incense, lamps and ghee, I offer this lamp-lit worship service.

vwrny jwau kmlw pqI ]1]

vaaranae jaao kamalaa pathee ||1||

I am a sacrifice to the Lord of Lakshmi. ||1||

mMglw hir mMglw ] inq mMglu rwjw rwm rwie ko ]1] rhwau ]

ma(n)galaa har ma(n)galaa || nith ma(n)gal raajaa raam raae ko ||1|| rehaao ||

Hail to You, Lord, hail to You! Again and again, hail to You, Lord King, Ruler of all! ||1||Pause||

aUqmu dIArw inrml bwqI ]

ootham dheearaa niramal baathee ||

Sublime is the lamp, and pure is the wick.

quhNØI inrMjnu kmlw pwqI ]2]

thuha(n)aee nira(n)jan kamalaa paathee ||2||

You are immaculate and pure, O Brilliant Lord of Wealth! ||2||

rwmw Bgiq rwmwnµdu jwnY ]

raamaa bhagath raamaana(n)dh jaanai ||

Raamaanand knows the devotional worship of the Lord.

pUrn prmwnµdu bKwnY ]3]

pooran paramaana(n)dh bakhaanai ||3||

He says that the Lord is all-pervading, the embodiment of supreme joy. ||3||

mdn mUriq BY qwir goibMdy ]

madhan moorath bhai thaar gobi(n)dhae ||

The Lord of the world, of wondrous form, has carried me across the terrifying world-ocean.

sYnu BxY Bju prmwnµdy ]4]2]

sain bhanai bhaj paramaana(n)dhae ||4||2||

Says Sain, remember the Lord, the embodiment of supreme joy! ||4||2||