Can someone please read this and fix any mistakes? It is for a camp on Saturday and the sevadar who compiled it has asked for sangats help.
Bhagat Dhanna Jee
Bhagat Dhanna Jee was born into a Hindu family in 1415, but rejected Hindu traditions and rituals. He was a farmer
by profession.
Bhagat Dhanna Jee obtained a small stone idol from a Brahman, and began worshipping it. He decorated the idol
and prepared food, which he placed before it. However, the idol did not speak, nor did it eat. Disappointed, he
went to the Brahman and returned the stone idol. He said to the Brahman, "The stone idol god seems angry with
me - he is not eating the food I prepare." The Brahman told him the truth of the matter. "This is a stone, it does not
eat or drink, God is someone else." This incident had a profound effect on Bhagat Dhanna Jee and eventually he
joined the Sangat of devotees like Bhagat Ramanand Jee, and eventually, Guru Nanak Dev Jee.
Guru Arjan Dev Jee said Dhanna served the Lord with the innocence of a child.
Two of Bhagat Jee’s Shabads are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj: in Raag Asa, Ang 487 and Raag
Dhanasri, Ang 695.
Bhagat Namdev Jee
Bhagat Namdev Jee was born on October 29, 1270 in the state of Maharashtra village of Naras-Vamani, in Satara
district (presently called Narsi Namdev). His father, a calico printer/tailor, was named Damshet and his mother's
name was Gonabai. Most of the spiritual messages of Bhagat Namdev Jee, just like our Guru Sahiban, emphasized
the importance of living the life of a householder (grist jeevan). Bhagat Jee believed that through marriage and
having a family one could attain enlightenment. He said that the truest form of devotional meditation is to enter
matrimony and jointly seek the holy experience of Waheguru.
61 of Bhagat Jee’s Shabads are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj.
Bhagat Kabeer Jee
There is some disagreement concerning the birth and death of Bhagat Kabeer Jee, but it is widely acknowledged
he was born in the year 1398 CE (71 years before Guru Nanak Dev Jee’s Prakash). Bhagat Jee was a Muslim by
upbringing and a weaver by profession.
From among all of the Bhagats, Bhagat Kabeer Jee's contribution to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj is the
largest: 227 padas in 17 Raags and 237 Saloks. Bhagat Kabeer Jee was a revolutionary saint-poet of the Bhakti
Movement. He placed emphasis on the equality of all mankind, and believed in total self surrender and the bhagti
of Waheguru.
Bhagat Ravidas Jee
Bhagat Ravidas Jee was born on January 30, 1399 in Kashi. His parents were Raghu and Ghurbinia. He was born
into a family of Chamaars (shoe-makers/one who works with leather), which are considered low in accordance
with the ancient Indian caste-system philosophy. Despite facing abuse for being born in a so-called low-caste
family and being ridiculed by the higher-caste priests, Waheguru Jee showed the world the glory and greatness of
His Bhagat.
When Bhagat Ravidas Jee reached the age of maturity, his father encouraged him to join the family business.
Bhagat Jee was imbued with celestial and humane values, however, and the money he received from his father for
business, he spent for the welfare of the saints and the needy. His father was extremely agitated and banished him
from his home. By this time Bhagat Ravidas Jee was already married. Rather than resenting his father's actions he
quietly left the house with his wife and set up a small shop for mending shoes.
Guru Arjan Dev Jee Maharaj included 41 Shabads by Bhagat Ravidas Jee in Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj. His
poetry is overflowing with ardent love for God, nature and the universe, Guru Sahib and Naam.
Bhagat Fareed Jee
Sheikh Baba Fareed Jee was born on the first day of the month of Ramzan in 1173 CE, in the Punjabi town of
Kothiwal. Baba Fareed Jee's mother was Bibi Mariam. She said to her son as a very young child, "Oh my son, do
Simran (meditate on the Lord)". As any innocent child would do, Baba Fareed Jee would ask, "Ma, if I do Simran,
then what will I get in return?" His mother replied, "The people who do Simran, God gives those people sweets to
eat."
Children are drawn to eat sweets and love to eat them. Baba Fareed Jee would cross his legs, close his eyes and
do Simran. His mother would put some sweets in a bowl and put the bowl in front of him. Baba Fareed Jee would
open his eyes after doing Simran and see the sweets in front of him. "Look Ma, God has given me sweets to eat."
He would then happily eat the sweets and his mother would look at him and smile.
Baba Fareed Jee looked forward to doing Simran and being rewarded with sweets by God. For a time, he would
keep doing Simran and his mother would each time put sweets in front of him, and Bhagat Jee would eat them.
One day, Baba Fareed Jee opened his eyes and didn't look at the sweets. He didn't eat the sweets but still looked
happy and content. His mother said, "Fareed, today you haven't eaten the sweets God has given you." Baba Fareed
Jee answered, "O Ma, once you taste the Name of God, all other sweets in the world taste bland."
There are 134 Shabads by Bhagat Fareed Jee included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj.
Bhagat Trilochan Jee
Bhagat Trilochan Jee - whose name literally means three-eyed (that is, a seer of the present, past and future) -
was a celebrated saint of the Vaishya caste. His birth is said to have taken place in the year 1267, and his exact
birthplace is not known. Some historians claim it was Barsi near Sholapur, Maharastra and others claim it was
Uttar Pradesh, but Bhagat Jee spent most of his time in Maharastra.
Bhagat Trilochan Jee was a contemporary and close friend of Bhagat Namdev Jee, who mentioned or addressed
him in some of his own Shabads. Bhagat Trilochan Jee observed that whenever he called on his friend Namdev,
the latter always happened to be busy in one worldly affair or another. At last one day, Bhagat Jee could not
restrain himself and asked his friend that he always appeared occupied in worldly affairs - how did he find the
time to remember the Lord? Bhagat Namdev Jee told his friend that although his hands were engaged in worldly
occupations, his mind was ever fixed upon God. For a householder, this was the best way to remember and
worship God. Bhagat Trilochan Jee was satisfied and very happy with this answer. Bhai Gurdas Jee says in his
vaaraan that it was Bhagat Namdev Jee who introduced Bhagat Trilochan Jee to his Guru, who showed him the
way to the Lord.
Bhagat Trilochan Jee gave importance to bhagti in preference to selfish interests. He said that he who is always
occupied with problems relating to wealth and property will never become happy. He always served saints at his
residence with the utmost dedication and humility.
Three of Bhagat Trilochan Jee’s Shabads are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj: in Sri Raag, Ang 92;
Raag Gujri, Ang 526; and Raag Dhanasri, Ang 695. In these he has condemned superficial rituals and pretentious
renunciation and stressed the holiness of the heart.
Bhagat Beni Jee
Bhagat Beni Jee was a Sufi saint who is believed to have been born in India. The place and year of his birth are
unknown, but Guru Nanak Dev Jee Maharaj refers to Bhagat Beni Jee as "a Master of Yoga and meditation, and the
spiritual wisdom of the Guru; He knows none other than God" (Ang 1390).
Bhagat Jee was a well educated scholar with a very humble temperament. From his Bani, it is clear that he was
ever ready to serve God, who provided him real comfort in the manner depicted in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee
Maharaj: "Beloved! Other than Thee, none else have I. Nothing else do I love; in Thy grace lies my joy" (Ang 61).
There are three Shabads by Bhagat Beni Jee included in Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj: in Sri Raag, Ang 93; Raag
Ramkali, Ang 974; and Raag Prabhati, Ang 1351.
Bhagat Peepa Jee
Bhagat Peepa Jee was a prince who renounced his throne in search of spiritual solace. Searching and searching,
having renounced everything, he finally received the solace he sought from within himself and said that one should
search inside oneself for God. After his search finally ended, he was no more a renouncer and was disdainful of the
idea of finding God in the outer world in any form.
Bhagat Jee disregarded pilgrimages, saying that God is present within one’s heart, so there is no use in traveling
from place to place seeking Him. He also condemned ritualistic acts of worship (such as lighting incense, etc.) – his
belief was that one should do Aarti within oneself according to Gurmat.
There is one Shabad of Bhagat Peepa Jee in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj, in Raag Dhanasri, Ang 695.
Bhagat Sadhna Jee
Bhagat Sadhna Jee was born in 1180 AD in the village of Sehwan, in the Hyderabad Sindh province. He was a
butcher by profession who, through his piety and devotion, had gained spiritual eminence.
Bhagat Jee did not use to care that he was a butcher, as he did not see any wrong in it. One evening, however, as
Bhagat Jee was washing up and cleaning his shop before closing, a customer came and said to Bhagat Jee, "Weigh
for me a leg of mutton." Bhagat Jee said, "There is no meat left now; I am just closing. Please come tomorrow and
take it."
The customer said, "I have very important guests and nothing to cook for them. Please, you must help me.
I am a loyal, regular and old customer of your family's business. You may charge double the price for it."
Bhagat Jee said, "If I slaughter a goat now, it will rot by tomorrow," to which the man replied, "You have no need
to slaughter a goat. Just cut one leg and give it to me."
Pressed by the customer, Bhagat Sadhna Jee agreed. He approached the goat with a hatchet, and as he did so, he
felt as if the goat was laughing. This shocked Bhagat Jee.
The goat then spoke to Bhagat Jee and said, "O Sadhna, in your worldly greed, today you are going to open a
new account of pain and misery. You and I have gone through many thousands of cycles of births and deaths
– sometimes you are the butcher and I, the goat, and at others I the butcher and you the goat. But never
before has one of us cut off a limb while the other was still alive. You are beginning a new level of cruelty!"
At this point, the hatchet fell out of Bhagat Sadhna Jee's hand and he turned to the customer to tell him of his
helplessness. To his surprise, he did not find any customer there. A thought came to Bhagat Jee's mind - it was the
Lord Himself Who had come to reveal Himself to His devotee in the form of a customer to his butcher’s shop.
There is one Shabad by Bhagat Jee Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj in Raag Bilaval, Ang 858.
Bhagat Sain Jee
Bhagat Sain Jee was born in Amritsar at Samat in 1400, to Bhai Mukand Rai and Mata Jivani. He was married to Bibi
Sahib Devi and had a child named Bhai Nai. He was a barber in the court of King Ram of Rewa. Bhagat Jee was an
Indian saint and was influenced by the Bhakti Movement. He was one of the 12 main disciples of Bhagat Ramanand
Jee and promoted Ram Naam (the name of God), and the abolishment of the caste system.
There is one Shabad by Bhagat Jee in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj in Raag Dhanasri, Ang 695.
Bhagat Ramanand Jee
Born in 1366 CE, Bhagat Ramanand Jee was the son of Bhoor Karma and Sushila. He was a Tamilian by birth, and
spiritually inclined from his early childhood. Bhagat Jee also visited places of pilgrimage such as Kashi, where, as
a mark of respect, people built a memorial that stands there to this day. After his pilgrimage, Bhagat Jee realized
that God can be worshipped by everyone whereas his Guru Archarya Raghavnand, who came from the Sadhu
Varna Ashrama, believed that not everyone was entitled to perform pooja bhagti.
He began preaching his gospel in Kashi and imbued many devotees with the spirit of bhagti. Bhagat Kabeer Jee is
the most renowned amongst his disciples, and Bhagat Ravidas Jee, Bhagat Sain Jee, Bhagat Dhanna Jee and Bhagat
Peepa Jee are also believed to be his followers.
In society, which was then strictly bound by the caste system, Bhagat Ramanand Jee’s words had revolutionary
effects. Consequently, the spiritual lives of the aforementioned Bhagats, who were seen as low caste, became
elevated. As it was, Brahmins were the only caste which had the birth right to perform various rituals and
observances connected with religion. Bhagat Ramanand Jee broke away from this.
There is one Shabad by Bhagat Jee included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj. Citation
Bhagat Bheekhan Jee
There is much confusion concerning the identity, religion and birthplace of Bhagat Bheekhan Jee. Most sources
agree that Bhagat Jee was a Muslim, a Sufi - this is the common belief. However, if this is true, this is not the
Bhagat Bheekhan Jee Guru Sahib refers to. If Bhagat Jee was a Muslim, he would likely have been referred to as
Sheikh Bheekhan - as Sheik Fareed Jee was. Also, Bhagat Jee uses non-Muslim terms in his Bani - for example, he
refers to God as Raam, not Allah. In his Bani, he uses many common Hindi terms. The actual Bhagat Bheekhan Jee
is really not known. In the end, however, his background matters little; Bhagat Jee’s beliefs can be deduced from
his Bani.
Bhagat Jee felt that it is best to begin doing Naam Simran in the earliest stages of one’s life possible. He was of
the firm belief that Waheguru takes care of His Bhagats, His devotees, and that only through His grace is anyone
blessed with Naam. The fragrance of a true devotee of the Lord cannot be hidden, and true happiness comes only
from doing Simran of the Naam.
Two of Bhagat Jee’s Shabads are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj. Citation
Bhagat Parmanand Jee
Probably born in 1483, Bhagat Parmanand Jee is believed to have resided at Barsi, situated to the north of
Pandharpur, in the present-day Sholapur district of Maharashtra. Bhagat Parmanand Jee was a devotee of Vishnu.
He always longed for God, whom he worshiped in the Vaisnavite manifestation of Krishna. Believing for a long
time that God could be worshiped only as an image, he later realized that God could also be loved and prayed to.
Bhagat Parmanand Jee’s one Shabad included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee (in Raag Sarang, on Ang 1253)
subscribes to this view. In this Shabad, he disapproves of the ritualistic reading and hearing of the sacred books.
He commends sincere devotion which could be taken from the company of holy saints.
Bhagat Jaidev Jee
Bhagat Jee’s father was Bhoidev, a Brahman of Kanauj, and his mother Bamdevi. He was born at Kenduli. Very
little is known of Bhagat Jee’s early life. It is certain that from his youth he was a diligent student of Sanskrit
literature, and developed rare poetical talents. He wandered in several countries, with only a water pot and the
patched coat of a beggar. Even pens, ink and paper, generally so indispensible to literary men, were luxuries which
he did not allow himself - such was his determination to love nothing but God. Bhagat Jee would not sleep for
two nights in succession under the same tree, lest he should conceive an unnecessary preference for the tree and
forget his Creator.
There are two Shabads of Bhagat Jee that are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj, in Raag Gujri, Ang 526
and Raag Maaru, Ang 1106.
Bhagat Soordas Jee
Bhagat Soordas Jee is said to have been born in 1529, in a high-ranking Brahmin family. As he grew up, he gained
proficiency in the arts of music and poetry, for which he had a natural talent. He soon became a celebrated poet,
singing with a deep passion lyrics of divine love. He attracted the attention of Emperor Akbar, who appointed
him governor of the Sandila. Bhagat Jee’s heart lay elsewhere, however. He renounced the world and took to the
company of holy men, dedicating himself solely to the Lord. It is said he was imprisoned by Akbar for dereliction of
duty. He died at Banaras - a shrine in the vicinity of the city honors his memory.
Bhagat Soordas Jee is sometimes confused with the blind poet of the same name - they are not the same.
One Shabad by Bhagat Jee is included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj, in Raag Sarang, Ang 1253.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥