ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BHAGAT BHAGV&#256N</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="BHAGAT,BHAGVN"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279BHAGAT BHAGV&#256N, recipient of one of the <i>Ba<u>kh</u>shishs</i> or seats of the Ud&#257s&#299 sect, was a contemporary of Gur&#363 Har R&#257i (1630-61). His original name was Bhagv&#257n Gir. Little is known about his early life except that, according to Ud&#257s&#299 sources, he was born in a Br&#257hma&#7751 family at Bodh Gay&#257 and that he was a Sanny&#257s&#299 <i>s&#257dh&#363</i> roving in search of spiritual solace. Having heard about Gur&#363 N&#257nak, Bhagv&#257n Gir came to K&#299ratpur to meet his living successor, Gur&#363 Har R&#257i, who initiated him a Sikh, renamed him Bhagat Bhagv&#257n and bestowed upon him what is known in Ud&#257s&#299 parlance a ba<u>kh</u>sh&#299sh, i. e. blessing or authority to establish preaching centres for the spread of Sikhism. Bhagat Bhagv&#257n preached in the eastern provinces and set up Ud&#257s&#299 <i>&#7693er&#257s</i> or monasteries at several places. His disciples and successors spread the teaching of Gur&#363 N&#257nak widely in northern India, from Bih&#257r to Sindh.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ra&#7751dh&#299r Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Ud&#257s&#299 Sikkh&#257&#7749 d&#299 Vithi&#257</i>, Amritsar, 1959<BR> <li class="C1"> Ashok, Shamsher Si&#7749gh, <i>Pañjab d&#299&#257&#7749 Lahir&#257&#7749</i>, Patiala, 1974<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>