Bhagat Parmanand Ji is among the 15 bhagats whose hymns Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji included in Sri Adi Granth Sahib. While compiling Sri Adi Granth Sahib Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji , in addition to the hymns of his four predecssor Gurus and his own hymns included the hymns of 15 bhagats ,11 bhatts and four other holy men associated with the Sikh Gurus. Sri Guru Granth Sahib includes one hymn of Bhagat Parmanand Ji.
According to The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism Bhagat Parmanand Ji was a Maharashtrian saint poet, one of whose hymns is included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha says that Bhagat Parmanand Ji resided in village Barsi in the present-day district Sholapur, of Maharashtra. However, Sarbjinder Singh has written that Bhagat Parmanand Ji was born in 1483 in Kanauj, Maharashtra in a Kankubj Brahman family. It may be added that Kanauj falls in U.P. and not Maharashtra.
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha has plainly said that nothing specific is available about the date of birth of Bhagat Parmanand Ji. Ranjit Singh is also of the opinion that it is very difficult to say anything about the life of Bhagat Parmanand Ji. In the same vein Macauiliffe has written that “His era and history are not known”. According to Guru Granth Sanket Kosh Bhagat Parmanand Ji was born in village Barsi, in Sholapur District of Maharashtra. Mayherwan Singh also believes that Bhagat Parmanand Ji was born in Barsi, District Sholapur of Maharashtra. Jodh Singh (Bhai) believes that Bhagat Parmanand Ji was a resident of Barsi near Pandharpur. It is generally agreed that Bhagat Parmanand Ji was born in village Barsi, district Sholapur of Maharashtra. The village Barsi, is situated to the north of Pandharpur, in the present-day Sholapur district of Maharashtra. But Madan Gopal Acharya says that one feels hesitant in believing that Bhagat Parmanand Ji belonged to Maharashtra. Referring to Guru Granth Sanket Kosh Lakhwinderpal Singh Koomkalan has given his life span as 1483-1593.
Explaining his love for God Macauliffe says that while remembering God tears flowed down continuously from his eyes. Macauliffe says that he had the same love and affection for God as the milkmaids had for Krishan and that Parmanand used to be so absorbed in the love and contemplation of God that tears, flowed down continuously from his eyes.
Madan Gopal Acharya, Sarup Singh Alag and Sarbjinder Singh have indicated Bhagat Parmanand Ji’s life span as 1483-1593. Bhagat Singh Vedi has given the date of birth of Bhagat Parmanand Ji around Samvat 1606 i,e the year 1549. The writer of Hindi Shabad Sagar says that he was a Brahman belonging to Kanauj.
A majority of the scholars believe that Bhagat Parmanand Ji was born in Maharashtra and there he adopted Vishobha Ji as his Guru. The bhagats believed in visiting diffrent places to spread their message. Therefore, it is possible that he visited Kanauj in U.P. Some Seholars believe that he spent some time in Punjab also.
Thus although there is no consensus among the scholars but more commonly indicated dates of Bhagat Parmanand Ji are 1483-1593. One thing is common in the writings of scholars that they consider him as belonging to Asht Chhap poets. The scholars have in general included his name in Asht Chhap poects. To write hymns and sing them was his main occupation.
According to Macauliffe a list of Bhagat Parmanand Ji’s works is given in Asht Chhap i:e, The Eight Marks of the followers of Vishnu. According to The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism in the early years Bhagat Parmanand Ji was a devotee of Visnu and used in his songs the nom de plume ‘Sarang’, the name of the bird ever thirsty for the rain-drop. He always longed for God whom he worshipped. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha has indicated that in many of his verses Bhagat Parmanand Ji has used the chhap ‘Sarang’ but in Sri Guru Granth Sahib his name used is Parmanand. Macauliffe writes that in his hymns he calls himself ‘Sarang’ by which he meant that he longed for God as the ‘Sarang’ or Chatrik longs for its yearly raindrops Mayherwaan Singh also indicates that he uses the word ‘Sarang’. He says that, “ In his hymns he offen uses the naam Sarang, a bird that is ever-thirsty for a drop of rain water”. In Sri Guru Granth Sahib the name ‘Parmanand’ is used but in his other writings he has generally used the word ‘Sarang’. The writings of these six poets were considered the beacon lights for the other poets. Vallabcharya was the head of the fifth generation of Vaishnavas sect. In conclusion it may be said that Bhagat Parmanand Ji is well known for his (i) poetic art (ii) scholarship and (iii) Bhagti Bhav ( deep prayer).
Thus it is clear that in his writings Bhagat Parmanand Ji has used the word ‘Sarang’ for himself and he was among list of Asht Chhap poets prepared by Valabh Acharya’s son Goswamy Vithal Nath. Ranjit Singh also believes that Bhagat Parmanand Ji was among the Asht Chhap poets.
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha has included the following eight poets in the list of Asht chhap poets-Krishan Das, Parmanand, Kumbhan Das, Chaturbhuj, Cheet Swami Nand Das, Gobind Das and Sur Das.
In addition to the hymn included by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Sri Adi Granth Sahib Bhagat Parmanand Ji composed the granth ‘Parmanand Sagar’.
Bhagat Parmanand Ji initially worshipped idols but later turned towards worship of the Formless
Explaining his love for God Macauliffe says that while remembering God tears flowed down continuously from his eyes. Macauliffe says that he had the same love and affection for God as the milkmaids had for Krishan and that Parmanand used to be so absorbed in the love and contemplation of God that tears, flowed down continuously from his eyes. Acording to The Encyclopeadia of Sikhisam he used to make seven hundred genuflexions to God daily on a kachhi road on his uncovered often bleeding knees. Macauliffe has narrated an incident that once a trader wanted to give him a silk cloth to save his knees but he replied that the trader should give that cloth to some needy person because even an old cloth could save his knees from being rubbed. Jodh Singh (Bhai) has also written that (i) while praising God tears started rolling down his cheeks and his voice became hoarse and that (ii) everyday he bowed down on his knees 100 times and thus his knees got peeled
Chauhan has mainly written about Bhagat Parmanand Ji’s life in Vrindaban near Mathura. He writes that saint Parmanand mostly stayed in Vrindaban near Mathura. His love for Lord Krishna was like that of milkmnaids (Gopis).
Chauhan has expressed the view that Bhagat Parmanand Ji went to Allahabed at the age of 26 and met Valabh Acharya. Valabh Acharya was so much impressed by his bhajans and religious songs that he got fully attached to him. Chauhan Says that listening to one hymn being sung by saint Parmanand the great Vallabh Acharys went into a deep trance and remained in this state for three days continuously. He adroped Valabh Acharya as his Guru.
Not only from the singing point of view but also from the artistic point of view Bhagat Parmanand Ji’s writing are deeply scholarly that is why his name is included in Eight poets named Asht Chhap poets. Chauhan has named the six books written by Bhagat Parmanand Ji (i) Parmanad Sagar (ii) Parmanand Das Ji (iii) Daan Leela (iv) Udhav Leela (v) Dhruv Charit and (vi)Saskrit Ratanmala
Bhagat Parmanand Ji’s hymn which is included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is in Raag Sarang and is as follows:
saarang.
ik-oaNkaar satgur parsaad.
tai nar ki-aa puraan sun keenaa.
anpaavnee bhagat nahee upjee bhookhai daan na deenaa. ||1|| rahaa-o.
kaam na bisri-o kroDh na bisri-o lobh na chhooti-o dayvaa.
par nindaa mukh tay nahee chhootee nifal bha-ee sabh sayvaa. ||1||
baat paar ghar moos biraano payt bharai apraaDhee.
jihi parlok jaa-ay apkeerat so-ee abidi-aa saaDhee. ||2||
hinsaa ta-o man tay nahee chhootee jee-a da-i-aa nahee paalee.
parmaanand saaDhsangat mil kathaa puneet na chaalee. ||3||1||6||
chhaad man har bimukhan ko sang.
(SGGS, Page 1253)
The English translation of this hymn is as follows:
Saarang:One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:So what have you accomplished by listening to the Puraanas?Faithful devotion has not welled up within you, and you have not been inspired to give to the hungry. ||1||Pause||You have not forgotten sexual desire, and you have not forgotten anger; greed has not left you either.Your mouth has not stopped slandering and gossiping about others. Your service is useless and fruitless. ||1||By breaking into the houses of others and robbing them, you fill your belly, you sinner.But when you go to the world beyond, your guilt will be well known, by the acts of ignorance which you committed. ||2||Cruelty has not left your mind; you have not cherished kindness for other living beings.Parmaanand has joined the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. Why have you not followed the sacred teachings? ||3||1||6||O mind, do not even associate with those who have turned their backs on the Lord.
In this hymn he disapproves of the ritualistic reading and hearing of the sacred books if these do not dispose one to the service of follow beings . He commends sincere devotion which could be imbibed from the company of holy saints. He has emphasized that lust, wrath, avarice, slander have to be repunged because they render all sava i;e service , fruitless.
Bhagat Parmanand Ji emplisizes that by listenings to the Puranas you have not gained anything if (i) you have not been inspired to feed the hungry (ii) have not gotten rid of the sexual desire anger, greed, slandering and gossiping about others, robbing and have not cherished kindness for other human beings . Bhagat Parmanand Ji warns that when we go to the world beyond, our guilt will be well known. He also emphasizes that we should not associate with those who do not worship God.
He knew fully well Hindi, Sanskrit and Brij languages. His hymn shows that he was well versted in the poetry of previous as well as present poets of these language.
Dhan Dhan Bhagat Parmanand Ji!
The references used in this write – up include (i) Gurshabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha (1930) (ii) The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism published by Punjabi University , Patiala , Part III (1997) (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) Sarup Singh Alag’s book Parichai Sri Guru Granth Sahib(2016) (x) G.S. Chauhan’s book Bani of Bhagats (2008) (xi) Ranjeet Singh’s article Bhagat Parmanand Ji in the book Bhagat Darshan published by the institution Gurbani Iss Jag Meh Chanan (2004) (xii) Mayherwaan Singh’s book Glimpses of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (2006) and (xiii) Lakhwinderpal Singh Koomkalan’s book Sey Bhagat Pai Dar Thai (2006) (xiv) Bhagat Singh Vedi’s book Bhagat Bani, Part II (1998) but reference has not been given at each place. Dr. Amrit Kaur, Retd. Professor ,Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India
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