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<p class="C1">&#65279BHAGAT&#362, BH&#256&#298 (d. 1652), a devoted Sikh who served the Fifth, Sixth and the Seventh Gur&#363s, was the son of &#256dam (Uddam in some chronicles), a Siddh&#363 Br&#257&#7771 of M&#257lv&#257 country. Sikh chronicles record that &#256dam, without a son for a long time and despaired of prayers at the feet of different holy men, Muslim as well as Hindu, was advised by a Sikh to go to Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s. &#256dam reached Amritsar and dedicated himself to the service of the Gur&#363 and the <i>sa&#7749gat</i>. The Gur&#363 was pleased by his humility and sincerity. &#256dam received his blessing and had a son born to him. Bhagat&#363, as the son was named, grew to be a saintly person with a firm faith in the Gur&#363. He made frequent visits to Amritsar where he stopped for long intervals rendering diligent service as construction of the Harimandar was in progress under the guidance of Gur&#363 Arjan. He was at K&#299ratpur in 1644 when Gur&#363 Har R&#257i succeeded Gur&#363 Hargobind on Gur&#363 N&#257nak's throne. He later retired to his village, but continued to visit the Gur&#363, especially on Bais&#257kh&#299 and D&#299v&#257l&#299. During one of these visits, Gur&#363 Har R&#257i said to him, "You are fairly old now; it is time you were married. " The Gur&#363 was referring metaphorically to death, alluding to Shai<u>kh</u> Farid's line in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib:</p>
<blockquote class="C1"><p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The soul is the bride, Death the bridegroom;</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He will wed her and take her away.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (GG, 1377)</p>
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<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the simple-minded Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363, taking the remarks literally, was greatly perplexed. He had two grown-up sons from his wife, now long deceased, and remarriage at his age would in any case be ridiculous. He went home without giving a reply, but the Gur&#363's words continued to ring in his ears. He was still ruminating over the "strange" suggestion when he made his next visit to Gur&#363 Har R&#257i, at Kart&#257rpur, in present-dayJalandhar district. The Gur&#363 asked Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363 why he looked so preoccupied. As Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363 shyly and haltingly revealed his problem, Gur&#363 Har R&#257i smiled at his naivette and told him that he had merely meant to comment on his age. Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363 now feeling relieved, stayed on in the service of the Gur&#363 until he died shortly after the next Bais&#257kh&#299 festival in April 1652. Gur&#363 Har R&#257i personally performed his last rites, and praised his simplicity and devotion.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363's elder son, Gaur&#257, through his enterprising spirit and prowess, became a minor chief at the village of Viñjh&#363, near Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257. One of his descendants, Bh&#257&#299 Des&#363 Si&#7749gh, founded the Sikh state of Kaithal in the eighteenth century. A <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i>, Bh&#257&#299&#257&#7751&#257 Bhagat&#363, named after the celebrated Bh&#257&#299 is located near village Gobindpur&#257, about 11 km northeast of Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 (300-14'N, 740-58'E). An annual fair is held there on the occasion of Bais&#257kh&#299.</p>
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BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Gra&#7749th</i>. Amritsar, 1926-37<BR>
<li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i>. Patiala, 1970<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">T&#257ran Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR>
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