Bhagat Bhikhan Ji is among the fifteen bhagats whose hymns Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji included in Sri Adi granth Sahib compiled by him. In this Holy Scripture in addition to including the hymns of his four predecessor Gurus and his own hymns he included the hymns of 15 Bhagats,11 Bhatts and four other holy men associated with the Sikh Gurus.

These fifteen Bhagats include (i) Bhagat Jaidev Ji (ii) Sheikh Farid Ji (iii) Bhagat Trilochan Ji (iv) Bhagat Namdev Ji (v) Bhagat Sadhna Ji (vi) Bhagat Ramanand Ji (vii) Bhagat Ravidas Ji (viii) Bhagat Kabir Ji (ix) Bhagat Sain Ji (x) Bhagat Dhanna Ji (xi) Bhagat Pipa Ji (xii) Bhagat Beni Ji (xiii) Bhagat Bhikhan Ji (xiv) Bhagat Surdas Ji and (xv) Bhagat Parmanand Ji .

The eleven Bhatts whose hymns have been included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib are (i) Bhatt Kalasahar Ji (ii) Bhatt Jalap Ji (iii) Bhatt Kirat Ji (iv) Bhatt Bhikha Ji (v) Bhatt Salh Ji (vi) Bhatt Bhalh Ji (vii) Bhatt Nalh Ji (viii) Bhatt Gayand Ji (ix) Bhatt Mathura Ji (x) Bhatt Balh Ji and (xi) Bhatt Haribans Ji. The four holy men whose hymns have been included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib include (i) Bhai Mardana Ji (ii) Rai Balwand Ji (iii) Bhai Sata Ji and (iv) Baba Sundar Ji.

This Holy Scripture is unique in the sense that it includes the hymns of Hindu and Muslim saints belonging to various castes and creeds born in different parts of India . In Sri Adi Granth Sahib Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji added the hymns of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib and this Holy Scripture is now known 2 as Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Bhagat Bhikhan Ji is deeply respected by the Sikhs because his one hymn is included in this Holy Scripture (SGGS, Page 659).

According to The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in 1480 and left for his heavenly abode in 1573. According to Sarbjinder Singh Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in 1480 in village Kakori, District Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and belonged to Islam religion. He got his initiation from Sayyad Mir
Ibrahim. While talking about his date of birth Sarup Singh Alag also says that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in village Kakori in the year 1480 .

According to The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in 1480 and left for his heavenly abode in 1573. According to Sarbjinder Singh Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in 1480 in village Kakori, District Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and belonged to Islam religion. He got his initiation from Sayyad Mir Ibrahim. While talking about his date of birth Sarup Singh Alag also says that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in village Kakori in the year 1480 .

Contrary to the above mentoned views G. S. Chauhan thinks that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in 1473 in the ilaqa of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.The consensus seems to be that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in 1480 in the village Kakori, District Lucknow of Uttar Pradesh.

Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha has referred to Bhagat Bhikhan Ji as a sclolar and learned Sufi Faqir who belonged to village Kakori of Lucknow ilaqa. The views of all the scholars culminate in the fact that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in village Kakori , District Lucknow, U.P. but Bhai Kanh Singh Nabha Ji has not mentioned his date of birth but has indicated that he left for his heavenly abode in Samvat 1631 i;e year 1574. Shabdarath Sri Guru Granth Sahib also indicates that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji left for his heavenly abode in Bikrami 1631 i.e the year 1574. Bhai Jodh Singh has mentioned that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji left for his heavenly abode during 1573-74.

According to Macauliffe there is some probability that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was a disciple of Bhagt Kabir Ji (1398-1495). Because Bhagat Bhikhan Ji had a religious bent of mind it is posible that he may have met Bhagat Kabir Ji and became his disciple. One finds the effect of Bhagat Kabir Ji hymns on the hymns of Bhagat Bhikhan Ji. Sarbjinder Singh thinks that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji got his initiation from Sayyad Mir ibrahim. There is no consens regarding the person from whom Bhagat Bhikhan Ji got the initiation.

Giani Partap Singh has referred to him as Sheikh Bhikhan.

Bhagat Singh has referred to him as ‘Sufi Fakir Bhikhan Shah’. Macauliffe has referred to him as ‘Shaikh Bhikhan’ of Kakori. According to Jodh Singh,“It is thought that Bhagat Shaikh Bhikhan was a Sufi Fakir who was a resident of Karori Pargana of Lucknow Government. On the other hand in Shabdarth of Sri Guru Granth Sahib it is mentionel that there is not any indication in his hymns that he was born in a Muslim family. Contrary to the views of all the other scholars Pandil Narain Das 3 says that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was born in a Hindu family in village Palri in District Lucknow of Uttar Pradesh.

The confusion among the scholars as to whether Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was a Hindu or a Muslim is solved by the entry in the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism according to which Bhagat Bhikhan Ji (1480-1573) was a medieval saint two of his hymns are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism clarifies that there were in fact two saints sharing the same name – Bhagat Bhikhan and Bhikhan the Sufi. Bhakta Bhikhan was a devotee in the tradition of Ravidas and Dhanna.
The fact that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was a Muslim is verificd by the picture of  his Dargah in village Kakori, District Lucknow of U.P. which is being given at the end of this write-up.

Wazir Singh has rightly indicated that in compiling the Holy Scripture the hymns of Bhagat Bhikhan Ji which were available to Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji and were included in Raag Sorthi were cent percent in consonance with the Gurmat Maryada (tradition) . Wazir Singh adds that to Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji it did not
matter to which religion the banikar (the writer) belonged Islam or Hindhuism.

He gave priority to the religious dedication of Bhagat Bhikhan Ji . As a Bhagat he had spiritual commonality with Guru Sahiban and other bhagats. So much so that the terminology and many phrases of Bhagat Bhikhan Ji are in consonance with the vocabulary and phrases used in Gurbani and Bhagat Bani .It is believed that Bhagat Bhikhan Ji was a scholarly teacher of high esteem  and people came from far and near to attain religious education from him. He was married . According to Macauliffe he had numerous childran who attained perfection and all of whom were adorned with the embellishments of rectitude,
piety, wisdom, knowledge and virtune.

The two hymns of Bhagat Bhikhan Ji which are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib are given below:

raag sorath banee bhagat bheekhan kee
ik-oaNkaar satgur parsaad.
nainhu neer bahai tan kheenaa bha-ay kays duDh vaanee.
rooDhaa kanth sabad nahee uchrai ab ki-aa karahi paraanee. ||1||
raam raa-ay hohi baid banvaaree.
apnay santeh layho ubaaree. ||1|| rahaa-o.
maathay peer sareer jalan hai karak karayjay maahee. 4
aisee baydan upaj kharee bha-ee vaa kaa a-ukhaDh naahee. ||2||
har kaa naam amrit jal nirmal ih a-ukhaDh jag saaraa.
gur parsaad kahai jan bheekhan paava-o mokh du-aaraa. ||3||1||
aisaa naam ratan nirmolak punn padaarath paa-i-aa.
anik jatan kar hirdai raakhi-aa ratan na chhapai chhapaa-i-aa. ||1||
har gun kahtay kahan na jaa-ee.
jaisay goongay kee mithi-aa-ee. ||1|| rahaa-o.
rasnaa ramat sunat sukh sarvanaa chit chaytay sukh ho-ee.
kaho bheekhan du-ay nain santokhay jah daykhaaN
tah so-ee. ||2||2||
(SGGS, Page 659)

The translation of his hymns is as follows:

Raag Sorath, The Word Of Devotee Bheekhan Jee:One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru Tears well up in my eyes, my body has become weak, and my hair has become milky-white.My throat is tight, and I cannot utter even one word; what can I do now? I am a mere mortal. ||1||O Lord, my King, Gardener of the world-garden, be my Physician,and save me, Your Saint. ||1||Pause||.My head aches, my body is burning, and my heart is filled with anguish.Such is the disease that has struck me; there is no medicine to cure it. ||2||The Name of the Lord, the ambrosial, immaculate water, is the best medicine in the world.By Guru's Grace, says servant Bheekhan, I have found the Door of Salvation. ||3||1||Such is the Naam, the Name of the Lord, the invaluable jewel, the most sublime wealth, which I have found through good deeds.By various efforts, I have enshrined it within my heart; this jewel cannot be hidden
by hiding it. ||1||The Glorious Praises of the Lord cannot be spoken by speaking.They are like the sweet candies given to a mute. ||1||Pause||The tongue speaks, the ears listen, and the mind contemplates the Lord; they find peace and comfort.Says Bheekhan, my eyes are content; wherever I look, there I see the Lord. ||2||2||

Bhagat Bhikhan Ji in the first hymn says that with old age his body has become weak, eyes have become watery, hair have become milky white, throat has become sore, head is aching, body is burning, heart is aching, and his heart is filled with anguish. But there is no medicine to cure these ailments except
worship of God Almighty.He says that by the grace of Guru, he has found the  door of salvation. In the second hymn.Bhagat Bhikhan Ji says that through good deeds and God’s grace he has attained the most valuable jewel. This jewel 5 cannot be hidden . The glorious praises of God cannot be translated into speech.

This situation is similar to the one when a mute person is given sweet candies but who cannot explain his happiness.Bhagat Bhikhan Ji says wherever he looks ,He sees the God Almighty. His hymns in Sri Guru Granth Sahib reflect his dedication to the name of ‘Hari’ God which he describes as ‘cure’ for all ills of the world.In his hymns Bhagat Bhikhan Ji praises God Almighty, tells about the importance of grace of God, and the method of mukti (salvation). His hymns reveal that he must have studied the hymns of earlier as well as his contemporary bhagats.

Dhan Dhan Bhagat Bhikhan Ji!

The referances used in this write – up include (i) The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism published by Punjabi University , Patiala , Part I (1995) (ii) Mahan Kosh by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha (1930) (iii) Pandran Bhagat Sahiban by Sukhdev Singh Shant (2018) (iv) Divine Revelation by Sarbjinder Singh (2004) (v) Parchian Bhagatan Kian by Darbari Das (Bhai) Editor Dr. Gurcharan Singh Sek (1994) (vi) M.A Macauliffe’s book The Sikh Religion, Vol VI (2009) (vii) Guru Granth Sanket Kosh by Piara Singh Padam and Others (1994) (viii) Jodh Singh (Bhai)’s book Bhagat Namdev Tatha Hor Bhagat (2004) (ix) Tript Kaur’s book Bhagat Bani (1998) (x) Sahib Singh’s book Bhagat Bani Steek, Part 1, (1972) (xi) Sarup Singh Alag’s book Parichai Sri Guru Granth Sahib(2016) (xii) Giani Partap Singh’s book Bhagat Darshan(2003) (xiii) G.S. Chauhan’s bookBani of Bhagats (2008) (xiv)Teja Singh Tilak’s article Bhagat Bhikhan Ji : Jevan Te Rachna in the book Bhagat Darshan published by the institution Gurbani Iss Jag Meh Chanan (2004) and (xv) Wazir Singh’s article Bhagat Bhikhan Ji: Bani Sansar in Roop Singh’s (Editor) book Se Bhagat Satgur Mann Bhae, although reference has not been given at each place.