The term 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 thousands of the religious vagaries of Hinduism. They gradually evolved a belief in one God and preceded Guru Nanak as does the dawn before sunrise.
The teachings of these Bhagats, whose words and teachings were included in the Holy Granth by Guru Arjan Dev 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.
Bhagat Jaidev whose 2 hymns are found in the Guru Granth Sahib is the celebrated Sanskrit poet who wrote the "Gitgovind". His father was Bhoidev, a Brahman of Kanauj, and his mother Bamdevi. He was born at Kenduli, about twenty miles from Suri, in the modern district of Birbhum in Lower Bengal, India. He became the most famous of the five distinguished poets who lived at the court of Lakshman Sen, King of Bengal, who dates from the year 1170. The five poets were called the five jewels of Lakshman Sen’s court, and so proud was the King of them that he erected a monument to preserve their names to succeeding ages.
Very little is known of Jaidev’s early life. It is certain that from his youth he was a diligent student of Sanskrit literature, and developed rare poetical talents. He is described by the author of the "Bhagat Mal" as an incarnation and treasury of melody on which, however, he owing to his ascetic habits, long preferred to feast his own soul rather than communicate to the world the splendid gifts he possessed. He wandered in several countries, with only a water-pot and the patched coat of a mendicant. Even pens, ink, and paper, generally so indispensable to literary men, were luxuries which he did not allow himself. Such was his determination to love nothing but God, that he would not sleep for two nights in succession under the same tree, lest he should conceive an undue preference for it and forget his Creator.
It pleased God, with the object, it is stated of saving the human race, to withdraw Jaidev from his ascetic life. For this purpose, the chronicler relates, God devised the following expedient. An Agnihotri Brahman of Jagannath, to whom a beautiful daughter named Padamavati had been born as the result of many offerings and prayers, brought her up with the object of dedicating her as a dancing girl to the local idol. Her father duly conducted her to the idol and was ordered to take her away and bestow her on the great saint Jaidev. On this, she was taken to him, and he was informed of the divine decision in his favour. Jaidev reasoned with the Brahman, and told him he ought to give his daughter to some more wealthy man, who would be more suitable for her than a homeless ascetic like him.
The Brahman replied that he could not disobey God’s order. Jaidev rejoined, ‘God is master and omnipotent. He may have thousands and tens of thousands of wives, but one for me is the same as a hundred thousand’ that is, he had no more need or ability to maintain one than he had a hundred thousand. After further discussion, in which the Brahman failed, notwithstanding the exercise of all his powers of persuasion, he left his daughter with Jaidev. Before his departure he told her it was impious to act in opposition to the will of God. She was to remain with Jaidev, and obey him according to the instructions laid down for wives in the Hindu sacred writings.
The tender girl remained with Jaidev clinging to him like his shadow waiting to attend to his every wish. He is said to have often expressed to her the futility of living with him:
‘Thou art wise,’ he said; ‘endeavour to do something to improve thy position; I have no power to maintain and cherish thee?
She replied, ‘What power hath this poor creature? Thou canst do as thou pleasest I am a sacrifice unto thee and shall never leave thee’.
On this Jaidev believed that God was forcing him into the alliance, and he reconciled himself to the situation. As the first preparation for domestic life he built a hut for his spouse, set up an idol in it, and applied himself to its worship. He then began the composition of the celebrated poem the "Gitgovind". This is believed to have been his second composition, his first being a drama called "Rasana Raghava". A third work attributed to him is "Chandralok", an essay on the graces of style.
The fact appears to be that the mantling fire of Jaidev's genius sought for an outlet that with experience of life a change came over his religious opinions that he resolved no longer to play the hermit, but accept the wife offered him, distinguish himself, and seek for worldly fame and its pleasures. God has been introduced ex machina into the narrative to save Jaidev from the charges of inconsistency and submission to human passion.
Bhagat Namdev Ji (29 October, 1270 - 1350) (Gurmukhi: ਭਗਤ ਨਾਮਦੇਵ) was born on October 29, 1270, in the state of Maharashtra, village of Naras-Vamani, near Aundha Nagnath and Risod (Lonar proximity). District Hingoli. Marathwada. (presently called Narsi Namdeo). His father, a calico printer/tailor, was named Damshet and his mother's name was Gonabai.
Most of the spiritual messages of Bhagat Namdev Ji, just like those of the Sikh Gurus, emphasized the importance of living the life of a householder (grist jeevan). His belief was that through marriage and having a family, one could attain enlightenment. He emphasized that the truest form of bondage or devotional meditation is to enter matrimony and jointly seek the holy experience of God or Waheguru.
Namdev was married before he was eleven years of age to Rajabal, daughter of Govinda Sheti Sadavarte. They had four sons and one daughter. Janabai, the family's maidservant and a bhagat and poetess in her own right, records the tradition that Namdev was born to Gonabai as a result of her worship of Vitthala in Pandharpur. This present temple building was constructed by Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and the tank by its side was repaired by Rani Sada Kaur, mother-in-law of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
God's name was always on the lips of Bhagat Namdev Ji. He was asked by the king to show miracles. He refused to do so and was thrown before a drunk elephant to be crushed to death. God saved His own saint. When the Fifth Guru, Guru Arjan dev compiled the Guru Granth Sahib, he decided to give some recognition to the saints of the Bhakti movement. This is the reason that Guru Granth Sahib contains verses of fifteen such saints. In some cases Guru Granth Sahib is the only voice remaining for such saints over the years.
Bhagat Trilochanwhose name literally means three-eyed, that is, seer of the present, past and future, was a celebrated saint of the Vaisya caste. His birth is said to have taken place in the year 1267. He either lived at or visited Pandharpur in the Sholapur district of the Bombay presidency, and was a contemporary of Namdev, who mentioned or addressed him in his hymns. Inquiries at Pandharpur and the neighbouring city of Barsi have, however, failed to furnish any information regarding Trilochan. The following legend passes for history among his admirers.
He had a perfect faith in and love for saints, and people visited him in inconveniently large numbers, and there were only he and his wife to attend and wait on them. He thought that they were not served as he could have wished, so he resolved on engaging a servant if he could find one who was accustomed to minister holy men. He continued to search for such an attendant, but not finding one he became sad at heart. It is said that God was not pleased at the sorrow of his saint, and sent him a candidate for service.
When God's canidate showed up Trilochan asked the candidate who he was, whence he had come, and whether he had parents and a house and a home. The man replied that he had no parents and no home. He had merely come to be engaged as a servant. He could wait on the saints of God without assistance from others, as his life had been spent in such service. He gave his name as Antarjami (the one who goes inside) which is interpreted as the searcher of hearts. Trilochan was highly pleased and ordered his wife to engage him and cheerfully supply all his wants. She was cautioned to consider his pleasure as her first duty.
Antarjami performed menial services for the saints, such as cooking, drawing water, washing their feet, shampooing and bathing them, in such a manner that Trilochan’s house became famous for its hospitality; and a large crowd of saints began to live with him and consume his substance. Thirteen months passed in this way, until one day Trilochan’s wife went to visit a female neighbour. The latter inquired why she was so dirty and looked so miserable. She replied that her lord had taken into his employ a servant who required so much attention that she had to spend all her days grinding corn and cooking for him. This was reported to Antarjami and he promptly disappeared.
When the time came to wait on the saints, Antarjami could not be found. Trilochan became very much grieved, and, rebuking his wife, told her that it was through her indiscretion that Antarjami had left their service. After Trilochan’s grief had lasted for three days, it is said that he was comforted by divine intervention, he consequently applied himself to the praise and contemplation of the one true God. His sorrow was then dispelled.
PARMANAND, a Maharashtrian saint-poet, one of whose hymns is included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Born probably in 1483, he is believed to have resided at Bãrsi, situated to the north of Pandharpur, in present-day Sholãpur district of Mahãrãshtra. Parmãnand was a devotee of Vishnu and used in his songs the nom de plume Sarañg, the name of a bird ever thirsty for the raindrop. He always longed for God whom he worshipped in the Vaisnavite manifestation of Krsna. He used to make, it is said, seven hundred genuflexions daiy to God on his uncovered, often bleeding, knees. He believe for a long time that God could be worshipped as an Image only, but later he had the realization that the nirguna Supreme, God unmanifest, could also be loved and prayed to. Parminand’s one hymn incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib (p. 1253) subscribes to this view. In this hymn, he disapproves of the ritualistic reading and hearing of the sacred books If that has not disposed to the service of fellow beings. He commends sincere devotion which could be imbibed from the company of holy saints. Lust, wrath, avarice, slander have to be expunged for they render all seva, ie. service, fruitless.
Sadhna Bhagat(PA: ਸਧਨਾ), also called Sadhna Qasai, was a North Indian Muslim poet, Saint Mystic and one of the devotees whose hymn was incorporated in Sri Adi Granth Sahib. Venerated in region of Punjab, among Sikhs, his devotional hymn and intellection within is widely quoted by most of preachers. Being butcher by profession, he was always annoyed by Religious Scholars, who keep such thought that a butcher could not attain spiritual enlightment. His one hymn is present in Adi Granth Sahib, in Raga Bilaval[1], in which he explained that believing in Karmic thought comes to an end after attaining spiritual wisdom (Gurmat) in addition to it he explained to remove an inflated feeling of pride within ourselves to know the Supreme. Sadhna travelling from Sindh reached Panjab during his last days of his life and preached around. At Sirhind, he breathed his last where a historic Mosque was built in his memory and preseved by Punjab Government. His followers are called Sadhna Panthis
Bhagat Beni also spelt as ‘’Baini’’ and ‘’Baynee’’ is one of the fifteen Sikh Bhagats and a Sufi saint who is believed to have been born in India. His Bani consisting of 3 shabads is included in the Guru Granth Sahib. The place and year of his birth are unknown but Guru Nanak Dev refers to Bhagat Beni as "a Master of Yoga and meditation, and the spiritual wisdom of the Guru; He knows none other than God"
In spite of all this uncertainty, he can be called a contemporary of Guru Nanak. It seems that Beni lived in this part of the world probably in northern India, somewhere between mid-15th century to the mid-16th century. He was a well educated scholar, with a very humble temperament. From his bani, it is clear that he was ever ready to serve the true preceptor which provided him real comfort in the manner depicted in the holy Granth: "Beloved! other than Thee none else have I. Nothing else do I love; in Thy grace lies my joy."
Bhagat Beni makes a severe denunciation of the Hindu rituals and austerities of "Hath Yoga" so that common man learns of the real motive of true religion i.e. the remembrance of the True Lord and the cultivation of the Divine Name. He has three hymns on this subject included in the Guru Granth Sahib under Siri Raag (P.93), Ramkali (p974) and Prabhati (p1351) musical measures.
In these hymns he has severely denounced in an apt and cryptic tone the performance of ritualistic deeds and advised us instead to always remember the True Lord who is the provider to all. One day a group of religious men asked Saint Beni to accompany them on a pilgrimage to Prayag. He replied, "The sacred place Prayag or Trivent where the three rivers the Yamuna, Ganges and Saraswati meet, lies within us." - "The passage ira, Pingala and Sukhmana all in one place abide at the tenth Door within us"
"The inner self where the Lord abides is our Prayag. Our mind should bathe there in the glory of the Lord. The Lord who is above the worldly material has His abode there. It is only through teaching of a guru that one comes to know of Him. Gods like the moon, sun and water' are not worshipped there. Bathing in that nectar gives Divine knowledge and destroys foul thinking. Divine ambrosia seeps at the abode of the Supreme Being. One who comes to know this secret comes to realise God. The wisdom given by my guru has destroyed my evil nature. I pray to the Lord for His Name. I have no need to bathe at holy places."
Bhagat Ramanand(Adi Granth: ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ), also known as Swami Ramanand, was a Gurmukh, Poet, Saint, and Devotee, whose bani is present in the Adi Granth Sahib, the Holy book of Sikhs, now known as the Sri Guru Granth Saahib Ji. [2] He is popularly known as Vaishnav Saint and is considered as the reviver of the Bairagi Sect (popularly Ramanandi Sect[3]). He was born to an upper-caste Brahmin family, around the mid 14th Century, and preached that Hari (God) was available to people of all castes, which reflected in the teachings of the bhagats following him: Bhagat Dhanna Ji, Bhagat Kabir Ji, and other Bhagats.
Bhagat Dhanna (Gurmukhi: ਭਗਤ ਧੰਨਾ) was a devotee and a Gurmukh, born in village of Dhuan Kalan in 1415, on April 20th near Deoli city, in the Tonk district, Rajasthan, present day North West India. His Bani is included in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
Though born in a Jatt Hindu family of the Dhaliwal Clan, he rejected all Hindu traditions and rituals when he came in contact with Gurmukhs. He found God from his heart. He choose to control his desires and to have the only one desire for God. He was a farmer by profession. The 5th Nanak said Bhagat Dhanna Ji served the Lord, with the innocence of a child. He followed commands of the Lord after realising the true way of the Lord.
Sikhs admire and follow the teachings of Bhagat Dhanna Ji, as in Gurmat, Bhagat Kabir Ji, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Bhagat Ravidas Ji, and the Bhatts are all the same and all are treated as Gurus - "spiritual guides". Sikhs bow before Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji which includes the teachings of many Bhagats and Bhatts who had the same thoughts and views about Waheguru as the Gurus did. The creator himself spoke through his Bhagats, revealing the holy Shabad.
Bhagat ji was born in house of Bhai Panna from Mai Reva in village Dhuan Kalan Tonk District of Rajasthan in April 1415. He was the only son in his family.
He was born into a farmer family (Jatt) and he was not educated in any school or college.He worshipped Shaligram Shila and Sri Krishna himself came to him and did all his chores in the fields. Lord Krishna is Bhaktvatsala, he just sees devotion, and he is bound by the love of his devotees.Bhagat Dhanna was a "Param Sant" (pure saint). He earned his livelihood by farming (Kheti). From his early childhood, he was a very simple, hard-working and straightforward person. He enjoyed the company of saints and scholars.
He also spent time serving the needy and holy men with dedication and devotion. When he grew up, he went to Kashi and he got the initiation from Vaisnav Saint Swami Ramananda. He was an illiterate; but in the end he achieved high status and became a Perfect Saint.
There is a Gurdwara of Saint Dhanna Bhagat in village Duan Kalan. where he was born, in 1415, Medieval India.
Bhagat Pipa, (Gurmukhi: ਭਗਤ ਪੀਪਾ)(5th April 1425) also known as Raja Pipaji or Rao Pipa or Sardar Pipa or Sant Pipaji or Pipa Bairagi or Pipanand Acharya, was a mystic poet, Rajput ruler turned saint. He was a devotee of God, a king, a Gurmukh, and a supporter of Gurmat.
His bani is incorporated in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. He was a prince who renounced his throne in the search of spiritual solace and said that one should search within for God. He said that one's inner self has a relation with God. He disdained the idea of finding God in the outer world in any form. He was a Deity worshipper once, probably of Goddess Bhavani, but when he found God in himself, he discarded all these other notions of society, i.e idol worshipping.
Bhagat Peepa Ji, Bhagat Kabir Ji, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Bhagat Ravidas Ji, and Bhatts are all the same and all are treated as Gurus and Sikhs bow before the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji which includes the teachings of many who had similar thoughts as Bhagat Pipa Ji had about God.
Raja Pipaji was born, as Pratap Rao, at Gagaron, in present-day Jhalawar district of Rajasthan in a Khichi Chauhan Rajput family. His great grandfather King Jaitpal obtained possession of Gagron by killing Kamal-Ud-Din, Governor. Raja Pipaji was successor of Rao Khandwa and ruled Gagron possibly between 1360 to 1385.
He had 12 queens among those Rani Sita was his devout lady and was very dear to him. Sita was daughter of King Haja Solanki of Toda Rai Singh in District Tonk. Her name was Padmavati which was changed to sita after marriage.
He was born at Gagron, in present-day Jhalawar district of Rajasthan, 5th April 1425.
His great grand father named Jaitpal won the Malwa area from muslims and became its king. As Pipa's father died young, so Pipa became king. Because of youthfulness and customs he had 12 to 16 queens. Though he was very rich and had a great personality, he was also a spiritual and Godly person. He was a devotee of the Goddess Bhavani whose idol was enshrined in a temple within the premises of his palace. It is said that the Goddess once told him in a dream to visit Kashi (Varanasi) and receive initiation from Bhagat Ramanand
He was a king of Gagron garh, situated at about 50 miles to the east of Kotanagar in the present-day Jhalawar district of Rajasthan State. He was born in a Chauhan rajput family in AD 5th April 1425 (1483 Samvat). According to the British historian of Sikhism, J.D. Cunningham, he was the ninth descendant of Raja Jaitpal. However, Giani Gian Singh, Twarikh Guru Khalsa (Part-1, p. 143) gives 1462 Bikrami as the year of his birth. It is also stated in this work that Pipa was born at Jhala, and spent his entire life at Patan in meditation of God: this Patan town is situated near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Since Pipa came of a royal family, he enjoyed all the pleasures and comforts of a royal life and his life were full of all sorts of physical enjoyments. In the true royal custom, he married a dozen beautiful maidens who lived with him in his palace as his queens. Inspite of all this, a spark of Divine love was still alive in his heart. He was a devotee of goddess, Durga, the deity in which he perceived the divine reflection. He also took time from courtly cares and pleasures of flesh to spend it in the company of the holy persons. These later persuaded him that the special efforts need to be made to realize God. So he resolved to go to Ramanand to seek spiritual guidance.
Bhagat Sain was an Indian saint and was influenced by the Bhagti Movement. He was one of the 12 main disciples of Bhagat Ramanand Ji. Bhagat Sain Ji promoted Ram Naam (The name of God) and promoted the idea of abolishing the caste system. He was a barber at the court of King Raja Ram of Rewa, then called Bandhavgarh.
In Guru Granth Sahib Ji, his hymn is included and kept aside with the Gurus’ bani, which means that he was a great and blessed soul and believed in one god. That is why he was recoginzed by the Sikh Gurus. His Janamsakhi is called Sri Sain Granth.
Bhagar Sain was born in vill. Sohal Thati(Amritsar) in Samat 1400. His father name was Mukand Rai and Mothers Name was Mata Jivni. Mata Jivni got the son like Bhagat sain after blessing of a Faqir Guriya who came to their home for food. Sain means Sayian, a person which is born for God(Sayin).
Bhagat Sain was not interested in study so his father sent him to Aunt Sobhi at Lahore. He learnt work of Barber at lahore from Ustad Azeem(Barber). Their he got married with Sahib devi and returned home. He had a son name was Baba Nayi.
Bhagat Kabir (Gurmukhi: ਭਗਤ ਕਬੀਰ) was a Devotee and Spiritual Poet lived in Uttar Pardesh, India. He was a strict monotheist and follower, probably founder, of Gurmat. In Guru Granth Sahib, There are 227 Padas in 17 ragas and 237 slokas of Kabir.
Kabir was born in Muslim family. He is revered by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. He played the role of a teacher and social reformer by the medium of his writings. Like other Devotees, Kabir did not believe in Ritualism, the worshiping of Dieties, Brahmanism, Caste System and illusioned concepts of Hindu and Muslim priests. The Kabirpanthi sect which follow the teachings of Kabir, referring to him as their guru.
Sikhs also follow the teaching of Kabir, as in Gurmat, Kabir, Nanak, Ravidas, Bhatts all are same and all are treated as Guru and Sikhs bow before Guru Granth Sahib which include the teaching of many who had similar thoughts about God.
Birth
Many Views are their regarding life history of Kabir:
Some historians favor 1398–1448 as the period Kabir lived, while others favor 1440–1518.
It is widely accepted that he was born in 1398 AD (71 years before Guru Nanak). Kabirpanthis (followers of Kabir) say that he lived upto the age of 120 years and give date of his death as 1518, but relying on the research of Hazari Prased Trivedi, a British Scholar Charlotte Vaudenville is inclined to lend credence to these dates and has proven that 1448 is probably the correct date of Saint Kabir's demise.
Kabir was born in Benaras and adopted by Neeru and his wife Neema who named him Kabir (the Most High). Kabir had a son who he named Kamal and a daughter named Kamali by Mata Loi. Though a Hindu by tradition, he was a Muslim by upbringing. A weaver by profession, Kabir said he had been sent by the Lord himself.
Bhagat Ravidas Ji (Gurmukhi: ਭਗਤ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ), was a poet, devotee, and a Gurmukh, born on Maghshudhi 14 Pooranmashi in Smt.1456, i.e., 30 January, 1399 in Kashi. He was a monotheist and was a knower of Gurmat. He admired Kabir Ji and Namdev Ji. In the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, many devotional hymns of Bhagat Ravidas Ji are present. He was a devotee of God, and his hymns are placed under Bani Bhagatan ki. Ravidasi's treat Bhagat Ravidas Ji as their Guru and they have a seperate Sect from the mainstream Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. He was Tanner by profession.
Sikhs follow the teachings of Bhagat Ravidas Ji. His teachings have the same content as Bhagat Kabir Ji, Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the Bhatts. All of them are treated as Gurus and Sikhs bow before the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji which includes the teachings of many who had similar thoughts about God.
His parents were in the leather trade, and were very well off. He was barely five days old when Bhagat Ramanand visited his house and blessed the child. Ravidas was born to Raghu and Ghurbinia, who lived near the city of Varanasi.
When Ravidas reached the age of discretion his father inspired him to join the family business. But Ravidas was imbued with celestial and humane values. The money he received from his father for business, he spent in the welfare of the Saints and needy. His father was extremely perturbed and banished him from the house.
By this time Ravidas was already married. Rather than resenting his father's actions he quietly left the house, started living in a make-shift hut with his wife, and set up a small wayside shop for mending shoes.
There are 134 hymns of Sheik Farid incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. Many Sikh scholars ascribe them to Farid Shakarganj (1173 – 1265AD or 569-664 AH) of Pak Pattan, a disciple of the Sufi Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. The tenth in succession to his post was Sheikh Brahm (Ibrahim), also known as "Farid Sani" or "Farid the 2nd", and it is this Farid who Guru Nanak Dev met on two occasions.
Max Arthur Macauliffe who has been described as a 'Matchless Scholar of Sikh Lore' states that hymns ascribed to Farid are compositions by the latter Farid, whereas others have ascribed them to Farid Shakarganj.
There are still other scholars who believe that the hymns were composed by different Sufis of the Pak Pattan centre, all using the poetic name Farid because the custom in those days was to choose the leader’s most suitable devotee to take his place shortly before his death.
Bhagat Bhikhan (1480-1573) was a medieval Indian saint two of whose hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Bhagat Bhikhan was the most learnt of the learned men of the time of Emperor Akbar. He lived a very simple life, A married man and householder, he was held in high repute for his piety and learning, guided by pious and high thinking. Bhagat Bhikhan breathed his last in 1631 Bikrami (1574-A.D.), the time when Guru Ram Das occupied the spiritual throne of Guru Nanak. The common and well known belief is that Bhikhan was a Sufi saint of Lucknow.
Like other Bhagats knowledge of his early life is limited. There's lots of confusion about his identity, religion and birth place. There were two saints of that time with the name Bhikhan - Saint Bhikhan(Hindu) and Sheikh Bhikhan(Musilm). Even Bhagat Bhikhan is linked with three places by historians; Kakori(Lucknow), Pakori (UP) and Punjab. It is not sure wether he was muslim or hindu. but popular belief is that he was sheikh of Kakori(UP) and was Sufi.
Bhagat Surdas, was a poet, sant, musician and Gurmukh, who is believed to have lived from 1483 to 1573. He is said to have been blind from birth. He is traditionally believed to have lived from 1483 to 1573, and to have lived in Vrindavan, near Mathura.
A devotee of God, Bhagat Surdas was a follower of Gurmat Philosophy. He was another influential Bhagat in the Bhagti Movement of South Asia. A line by Bhagat Surdas has been incorporated into the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Many argue that some shabads in Guru Granth Sahib are of more importance then others. However, an important understanding one must have is that no shabad is greater then the other. Everything in Guru Granth Sahib has been compiled together to bring an understanding and a dialogue with the Eternal so that we may understand the 'True' essence of Ek Onkar (The One all existing forever continually creating Lord). Bhagat Surdas Ji line is an example of this very principle.In the Adi Granth, Guru Arjan Dev explored Bhagat Surdas's writing under the title of Surdas in Raga Sarang.