Bhagat Trilochan was a companion and dear friend of Bhagat Namdev Ji. Bhagat Namdev and Bhagat Trilochan have several conversations with each other in Gurbani.
Below is an example of these conversations:
ਕਹਤ ਨਾਮਦੇਉ ਸੁਨਹੁ ਤਿਲੋਚਨ ਬਾਲਕੁ ਪਾਲਨ ਪਉਢੀਅਲੇ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਕਾਜ ਬਿਰੂਧੀ ਚੀਤੁ ਸੁ ਬਾਰਿਕ ਰਾਖੀਅਲੇ ॥੪॥੧॥
Namdev Says, Listen O Trilochan: the child is laid down in the cradle. Its mother is at work, inside and outside, but she holds her child in her thoughts. ||4||1||
In this Shabad, Bhagat Namdev tells Bhagat Trilochan, that just as a mother does her household work, but her conscious is always focused on her child. Similarly, you must always remember Waheguru even as you go about your day and do your work.
The conversation below, between the two, is quite humorous and shows the playful nature of their friendship:
ਨਾਮਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਕਹੈ ਤਿਲੋਚਨੁ ਮੀਤ ॥
Trilochan says, O Namdev, Maya has enticed you, my friend.
ਕਾਹੇ ਛੀਪਹੁ ਛਾਇਲੈ ਰਾਮ ਨ ਲਾਵਹੁ ਚੀਤੁ ॥੨੧੨॥
Why are you printing designs on these sheets, and not focusing your consciousness on the Lord? ||212||
Bhagat Namdev Ji answers Bhagat Trilochan’s question in the following Shabad:
ਨਾਮਾ ਕਹੈ ਤਿਲੋਚਨਾ ਮੁਖ ਤੇ ਰਾਮੁ ਸੰਮੑਾਲਿ ॥
Namdev answers, O Trilochan, chant the Lord’s Name with your mouth.
ਹਾਥ ਪਾਉ ਕਰਿ ਕਾਮੁ ਸਭੁ ਚੀਤੁ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਨਾਲਿ ॥੨੧੩॥
With your hands and feet, do all your work, but let your consciousness remain with the Immaculate Lord. ||213||
Aside from giving us spiritual advice, these conversations show us that Bhagat Namdev and Bhagat Trilochan were contemporaries. Most scholars, similar to Bhagat Namdev, place Bhagat Trilochan in the 13th century. However, as we have already discussed in a previous article, Bhagat Namdev was a contemporary of Bhagat Kabir and Bhagat Ramanand and thus a contemporary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji as well.
That places Bhagat Trilochan as a contemporary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji as well. Although, we do not have any evidence of Bhagat Trilochan and Guru Nanak Dev Ji meeting, it makes complete sense that he would have met Guru Sahib along with his close friend Bhagat Namdev Ji.
Bhai Gurdas Ji also confirms that Bhagat Namdev and Bhagat Trilochan were friends and contemporaries:
ਦਰਸਨੁ ਦੇਖਣ ਨਾਮਦੇਵ ਭਲਕੇ ਉਠਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਲੋਚਨੁ ਆਵੈ । ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਨਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਦੁਇ ਜਣੇ ਨਾਮਦੇਉ ਹਰਿ ਚਲਿਤੁ ਸੁਣਾਵੈ ।
Trilochan used to wake up early to come see his friend Namdev. Both of them would then engage in Bhagti, and Namdev would tell stories of Waheguru to Trilochan.
Bhagat Trilochan’s Bani, similar to Bhagat Namdev, shows his Marathi heritage while also being flavoured with Punjabi words, reflecting his move to Punjab alongside Bhagat Namdev.
Marathi words and phrases such as ਤਾਚੇ ਰੇ ਸੁਆਰਥੀ, ਨਦੀ ਚੇ ਨਾਥੰ, ਰਾਮ ਚੇ are found throughout his Bani. However, we also see Punjabi words such as ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ, ਲੜਿਕੇ, ਮੰਦਰ, ਮਰੈ, ਬੇਸਵਾ, ਬਾਹਰਿ, ਪਾਣੀ in his Bani as well, showing us that he, alongside his dear friend Bhagat Namdev, spent a lot of time in Punjab.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji writes about Bhagat Trilochan:
ਤ੍ਰਿਲੋਚਨ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਭਈ ਸਿਧਿ ॥
After meeting the Guru, Trilochan climbed to great spritual heights.
Guru Sahib is clear that Bhagat Trilochan met the Guru. Who other than Guru Nanak could help Bhagat Trilochan meet the highest spirtual heights? Gurbani does not propogate a belief in the power of other gurus. Only Guru Nanak Sahib has this power according to Gurbani. Therefore, Gurbani too implies that Bhagat Trilochan met Guru Sahib and became a Sikh.
Bhagat Beni
Not much is known about Bhagat Beni. His birth and death dates have not been recorded in history, unlike many of the other Bhagats.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji says the following about Bhagat Beni:
ਬੇਣੀ ਕਉ ਗੁਰਿ ਕੀਓ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸੁ ॥
The Guru blessed Beni with His Divine Illumination.
Bhagat Beni was blessed with Jot Vigas through a Guru. Again, this Guru can only be Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Gurbani does not believe in a Guru other than Satguru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Parshuram Chaturvedi in his book Uttari Bharat Ki Sant Parampara writes (translated to English):
He (Beni) achieved divine knowledge through Satguru. He was a contemporary of Namdev.
However, due to a lack of information available, some writers have stated that Bhagat Bani lived before Bhagat Kabir, others that he was a contemporary of Bhagat Ramanand and others that he was a friend of Bhagat Namdev.
Sikh historical literature such as the Miharban Janam Sakhi firmly places Bhagat Beni in Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s timeline. Bhagat Beni is one of the many Bhagats said to have met Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Ayodhya according to the Miharban Janam Sakhi:
ਅਯੁਧਿਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਏਕ ਪੰਚ ਤੀਰਥੀ ਮਟ ਥਾ। ਉਸੀ ਮਹਿ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੈਠਾ ਪਰਲੀ ਦੱਖਣ ਕੀ ਤਰਫ ਨਾਮ ਸਿਮਰਨ ਕਰਤਾ ਥਾ, ਤਬ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਪਾਰ ਬ੍ਰਹਿਮ ਕੀ ਆਗਿਆ ਸਾਥ ਸਭ ਭਗਤ ਮਿਲ ਕਰ ਮਿਲਣੇ ਆਏ। ਨਾਮਾ, ਜੈਦੇਉ, ਕਬੀਰ, ਤ੍ਰਿਲੋਚਨ, ਰਵਿਦਾਸ, ਸਧਨਾ, ਧੰਨਾ, ਬੇਣੀ।
Furthermore, an analysis of Bhagat Beni’s Bani within Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji shows us that he was indeed a contemporary and Sikh of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Looking at a Shabad of Bhagat Beni’s in Prabhati Raag on Ang 1351 and then comparing to Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Shabad in Asa ki Vaar shows us that Bhagat Beni was influenced by Guru Sahib.
Here are is a line from Bhagat Beni’s Shabad:
ਨਿਤਪ੍ਰਤਿ ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ਸਰੀਰੰ ॥ ਦੁਇ ਧੋਤੀ ਕਰਮ ਮੁਖਿ ਖੀਰੰ ॥
You perform daily cleansing rituals, wear two loin-cloths, perform religious rituals and put only milk in your mouth.
And here is a line from Guru Nanak Dev Ji:
ਗਲਿ ਮਾਲਾ ਤਿਲਕੁ ਲਿਲਾਟੰ ॥ ਦੁਇ ਧੋਤੀ ਬਸਤ੍ਰ ਕਪਾਟੰ ॥
Around your neck is a rosary, and on your forehead is a sacred mark; upon your head is a turban, and you wear two loin cloths.
The language and meaning behind these Shabads are very similar. It almost seems that Bhagat Beni recited this Shabad after meeting Guru Sahib and being inspired through Guru Nanak’s own Bani. There are many other similarities between these two Shabads, that interested readers can explore.
At the end of his Shabad Bhagat Beni writes:
ਕਹੁ ਬੇਣੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਧਿਆਵੈ ॥
Says Beni, only those who are Gurmukhs, meditate
ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਬਾਟ ਨ ਪਾਵੈ ॥੫॥੧॥
Without the True Guru, you shall not find the Way. ||5||1||
Bhagat Beni is clear, without Satguru, you cannot be saved. He can only say this after meeting Satguru himself, meaning he had met Satguru Nanak Dev Ji.
Bhagat Beni also clarifies an important Gurmat concept in this Shabad. Only those that are Gurmukhs can meditate on Naam. Being a Gurmukh means you obey the Guru, that your face is always towards the Guru. Only one who has received Naam can be called a Gurmukh, and one can only be saved by Satguru (ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਬਾਟ ਨ ਪਾਵੈ). Therefore, to be a Gurmukh one needs Naam from Satguru.
In another Shabad, Bhagat Beni further cements the importance of receiving Naam and Gian from Guru Sahib:
ਦਲਿ ਮਲਿ ਦੈਤਹੁ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥
Gurmukh Gian, that is Gian (Naam) received from the Guru, has the power to destroy the demonic vices of lust and anger etc.
ਬੇਣੀ ਜਾਚੈ ਤੇਰਾ ਨਾਮੁ ॥੯॥੧॥
Beni longs for this Naam (Gian) of yours.
Having looked at the internal evidence from Bhagat Beni’s Bani, it becomes clear that he met Guru Nanak Dev Ji and was inspired by Guru Sahib’s teachings. This is obviously seen in the two Shabads compared earlier in this article. Guru Arjan Dev Ji also states that Bhagat Beni met Guru Sahib and attained divine illumination (Jot Vigas), the highest spiritual state (ਬੇਣੀ ਕਉ ਗੁਰਿ ਕੀਓ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸੁ).
Bhagat Parmanand
There have been several Parmanand’s in history according to the research of Giani Gurdit Singh. In Akshtachhap Aur Ballav Sampraday by Deen Dayal, he mentions that one of the Parmanand’s in history was a devotee of Krishan and was part of the famous 8 Bhagat-Poets of the 16th century, who were all Krishan Bhagats. Deen Dayal also states that there are a total of four Parmanands. Two that went by just Parmanand, one that went by Parmanad Sarang and one that went by Parmanand Dass.
Nabha Dass has also written about a Pamanand in his Shri Bhaktmal. This Parmanand was a devotee of Krishan and lived in Dwarka. This Parmanad is different than the other Parmanand that was part of the famous 8 Bhagat-Poets, because he used the pen ‘Sarang’. Many believe that it is this Parmanand that has his Bani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
However, in his one Shabad in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagat Parmanand does not use the pen name Sarang. He uses his actual name Parmanand. There is also no mention of Krishan in his Shabad. The Parmanand of Gurbani was not a Krishan Bhagat.
According to Dr. Rajkumar Singh in his book Vichar Vimarsh Bhagat Parmanad was born in 1483 CE. If we accept this date, it would mean that he was 14 year younger than Guru Nanak Dev Ji and was thus a contemporary. It is therefore possible that he met Guru Sahib, similar to the other Bhagats, even if we do not have any direct evidence of this happening. In fact, based on evidence about the other Bhagats all meeting Guru Nanak Dev Ji, it would be odd and illogical for Bhagat Parmanand to not have met Guru Sahib and still have his Bani included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
References
Chaturvedi, Parshuram: Uttari Bharat Ki Sant Parampara
Das, Nabha: Shri Bhaktmal
Dayal, Deen: Akshtachhap Aur Ballav Sampraday
Singh, Giani Gurdit: Itihaas Sri Guru Granth Sahib: Bhagat Bani Edition
Sodhi, Miharban: Janam Sakhi Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Written By: Bhai Gagan Singh
