Bhagat Bhikhan ( pa, ਭਗਤ ਭੀਖਨ) (1480-1573), a
medieval India
Medieval India refers to a long period of Post-classical history of the Indian subcontinent between the "ancient period" and "modern period". It is usually regarded as running approximately from the breakup of the Gupta Empire in the 6th cen ...
n Hindu Bhakti Poet-Saint, whose two hymns are included in the
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
. There were two saints of that time sharing the same name — Bhagat Bhikhan and Sheikh Bhikhan, the Sufi.
Early Life
He was born in a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
family, at Kakori near Lucknow in present-day Uttar Pradesh state in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Bhagat Bhikhan was a devotee in the tradition of Bhagat
Ravidas
Ravidas or Raidas, was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century CE. Venerated as a ''guru'' (teacher) in the modern regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punj ...
and
Bhagat Dhanna (
Ramanandi Sampradaya
The Ramanandi (IAST ), also known as Ramavats (IAST ), are a branch of the Vaishnava Sri Sampradaya of Hinduism. Ramananda sect is the largest sect of Vaishnavas, out of 52 gates of Vaishnavism, 36 are held by Ramanandi's. They mainly emphasi ...
).
Legacy
His hymns in the
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
reflect his dedication to the Name of God which he describes as "cure for all ills of the world."
Bhagat Bhikhan was the most learnt of the learned men of the time of Emperor Akbar. For many years, he was engaged in teaching and instructing the people. He left several children who were adorned with piety, wisdom, knowledge and virtue.
See Also
*
Ramanandi Sampradaya
The Ramanandi (IAST ), also known as Ramavats (IAST ), are a branch of the Vaishnava Sri Sampradaya of Hinduism. Ramananda sect is the largest sect of Vaishnavas, out of 52 gates of Vaishnavism, 36 are held by Ramanandi's. They mainly emphasi ...
References
* Excerpts taken from Encyclopedia of Sikhism by Harbans Singh. Published by Punjabi University, Patiala
* The Sikh Religion, Vol 6,, Max Arthur MacAuliff, Oxford University Press, 1909.
Sikh Bhagats
{{Sikh-bio-stub