52 court poets of Guru Gobind Singh
BAVANJA KAVI, lit. fiftytwo poets, is how the galaxy of poets and scholars who attended on Guru Gobind Singh (16661708) is popularly designated. Guru Gobind Singh, Nanak X, prophet and soldier, was an accomplished poet and also a great patron of letters. According to Sarup Das Bhalla, Mahima Prakash, he sent out Sikhs to different parts of the country to invite and bring to him scholars of repute. His instruction was: "Let them bring with them works pertaining to the fields they specialize in." When they came, "the True Guru bestowed great respect and honour upon them and provided for them without discrimination." Although traditionally mentioned to be 52, the number of scholars who came and stayed with the Guru at one time or the other was even larger. Bhai Santokh Singh, Sn Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, mentions 52 poets and Bhai Sukkha Singh, Gurbi/as, 36 lekhaks (writers or scribes). Besides, there were bha.tts who often recited their own poetical compositions. Several poets like Pandit Sukhdev, Brind, 'Alim, Kunvaresh, Kanshi Ram and Nand Lal Goya, who had earlier been at the Mughal court, came to spend the rest of their lives at the feet of the Guru. These men were assigned by Guru Gobind Singh to the task of rendering of Hindi, Sanskrit and Persian classics into Bhakha written in Gurmukhl script. The work appears to have been taken in hand quite early in his career, probably in 1678 and spread over the next two decades and more, including four very productive years at Paonta Sahib (168588), until the Guru, foreseeing the impending conflicts that were to engulf Anandpur, relieved the poets, scholars and scribes. Classics such as ChanakyanJti, Ranch tan tra, Hitopadesa, Upanisads and parts of Mahabharata were translated into Braj and Punjabi and works and manuals on martial arts such as rearing, training and employment of hawks, horses, elephants, camels and dogs were prepared. A few Hindi classics were transliterated into Gurmukhi. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sn Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, the entire work was collected into a single anthology called Vidya Sar or Vidya Sagar, lit. ocean of knowledge. The poet even mentions the weight of the whole mass of manuscripts nine maunds or approximately 350 kilograms. Whatever the quantity of the material, the entire treasure was lost consequent upon the evacuation of Anandpur in December 1705, most of it in the flooded Sarsa stream. Only small fragments and copies of some of the manuscripts already prepared and carried out of Anandpur by the authors themselves or by others survived. The names of poets and scholars which have come down to us through these fragments or through other works such as Sau Sakhi, Mahima Prakash, Gurbilas Dasvin Patshahi.Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, Gurpad Prem Prakash and Twarikh Guru Khalsa are listed below:
1. Adha
2. 'Alim
3. Allu
4. Amrit Rai
5. Ani Rai
6. Asa Singh
7. Ballu Bhatt
8. Bhagatu
9. Bhoj Raj
10. Bidhi Chand
11. Bihari
12. Brahm Bhatt
13. Brij Lal
14. Brikkha
15. Buland
16. Chand (Chandan)
17. Chandra Sain Sainapati
18. Desu Bhatt
19. Devi Das
20. Dhanna Singh
21. Dharam Singh
22. Dhyan Singh
23. Girdhari Lal
24. Gunia
25. Gurdas Guni
26. Gurdas Singh
27. Hans Ram
28. Hari Das
29. Hir Bhatt
30. Husain 'Ali
31. Ishar Das
32. Jado Rai
33. Jamal
34. Kallu
35. Kashi Ram
36. Kesho Bhatt
37. Khan Chand
38. Kunvaresh
39. Lakkhan Rai
40. Lal Khiali
41. Madan Giri
42. Maddu Singh
43. Madhu
44. Mala Singh
45. Mall Bhatt
46. Man Das Vairagi
47. Mangal
48. Mathra Das
49. Mir Chhabila
50. Mir Mushki
51. Nand Lal Goya
52. Nand Lal, Pandit
53. Nand Ram
54. Nand Singh
55. NanVairagi
56. Narbud Bhatt
57. Nihal Chand
58. Nihchal Faqir
59. Phat Mall
60. Pindi Lal
61. Prahilad Rai
62. Ram Das
63. Raghunath, Pandit
64. Raushan Singh
65. Raval
66. Sharda
67. Shyam
68. Sudama
69. Sukhia
70. Sukhia Singh
71. Sundar
72. Tahikan
73. Tansukh
74. Thakar
75. UdeRai
76. Vallabhasan Patshahian Ka
