Sikh Bhagats: Difference between revisions

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'''Bhagat''' refers to a Holy Person who leads a life of spirituality and dedication to God. A Bhagat is an Eastern equivalent to a Christian Saint, a [[Sant]]. The word Bhagat comes from the Sanskrit word ''Bhakti'', which means devotion, love etc.


Throughout the history of India there have been saints and thinkers who were dissatisfied with the superstitions and the religious vagaries of the Hindus. They gradually evolved a belief in one God and preceded Guru Nanak as does the dawn before sunrise.
The teachings of these Bhagats are given the same prominence in the [[SGGS]], the Sikh Holy Book as the teaching of the [[Ten Sikh Gurus]]. Guru Arjan Dev Ji selected the writings of both Hindus and Muslims with equal impartiality, according to their suitability of his purpose and religious reformation that was Sikhism.
The following Bhagats have their [[Bani]] incorporated within the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (in chronological order):
[[Image:Trilochan.jpg|250px|thumb|Bhagat Trilochan ''Courtesy of www.allaboutsikhs.com''|right]]
*[[Bhagat Jaidev]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Namdev]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Trilochan]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Parmanand]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Sadhana]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Beni]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Ramanand]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Dhanna]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Pipa]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Sain]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Kabir]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Ravidas]] Ji
*[[Sheikh Farid|Baba Sheikh Farid]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Bhikhan]] Ji
*[[Bhagat Surdas]] Ji
In one recension of [[Bhai Banno's Granth]], preserved at Mangat in the Gujarat district of the Punjab, there is included a hymn composed by [[Mira Bai]], Queen of Chitaur. It is believed that Guru Arjan did not give it a place in his collection because the lady lived and died an idolater.
Most of the Hindu Bhagats begans life as worshippers of idols, but by study and contemplation arrived at a system of monotheism which was appreciated by Guru Arjan. The Muhammadan Bhagats lived in Hindu centres and became largely imbued with Hindu modes of thought, while they at the same time retained their traditionsl belief in the Divine entity.
Though the spirituality of the Bhagats and certain biographical details are mentioned in both the SGGS and Bhai Gurdas ji's Vars, there are no detailed 'Sikh' accounts (compared to those on the lives of the Gurus) of these Bhagats, but accounts of the Bhagats lives are contained in the writings of [[Nabhaji]] (the [[Bhagat Mal]]), [[Uddava Chidghan]], [[Mahipati]] (the [[Bhakta Lilamirita]]), [[Ganesh Dattatre]], [[Maharaja Raghuraj Sinha]], [[Dahyabhai Ghelabhi Pandit]], and others in various Indian languages.
{|style="background:#aedead; border="1" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0"
|-
|width=3%|'''Name'''
|width=15%|'''Identity'''
|width=15%|'''No. of Hyms'''
|-
|Kabir ||Muslim weaver ||292 hymns
|-
|Namdev ||Calico printer from Maharashtra ||60
|-
|Ravi Das ||Shoe maker from Uttar Pradesh ||41
|-
|Trilochan ||Brahmin from Maharashtra ||4
|-
|Dhanna ||Cultivator from Rajasthan ||4
|-
|Sain ||Barber from Uttar Pradesh ||1
|-
|Jaidev ||Poet from Bengal ||2
|-
|Pipa ||King from Uttar Pradesh ||1
|-
|Sur Das ||Blind poet ||2
|-
|Baba Farid ||Muslim saint from Punjab ||134
|-
|Parmanand ||Maharashtra ||1
|-
|Sadhna ||Butcher from Sindh ||1
|-
|Beni ||        ||3
|-
|Ramanand ||Uttar Pradesh   ||1
|-
|Bhikhan ||Sufi saint from Uttar Pradesh   ||2
|}
{{Sikh Bhagats}}
{{Sikh History}}
{{Sikh Gurus|Kalyug |(pre 1200)|Sikh Bhagats|Guru Nanak Dev|[[20 October]][[1469]] - [[7 May]][[1539]])}}
[[Category:Glossary of Sikh Terms]] [[Category:Bhagats]]

Revision as of 14:35, 29 August 2008