Bhagat Sur Das Ji also spelled as Bhagat Surdas Ji, son of Pandit Ravidas Ji is one of the medieval Bhagat poets who was honoured by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji by including his one line in Raag Sarang in Sri Adi Granth Sahib (SGGS, Page 1253). In compiling Sri Adi Granth Sahib, the Holy Scripture Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, in addition to the hymns of his four predecessor Sikh Gurus and his own hymns included the hymns of 15 bhagats, 11 Bhatts and four others closely 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 Sur Das Ji and (xv) Bhagat Parmanand Ji. Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666-1708) gave this Holy Scripture the final form by including  the hymns of the ninth prophet-teacher of the Sikhs Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib and thereby gave this Holy Scripture the name Sri Guru Granth Sahib which is the eternal Guru of the Sikhs.

This Holy Scripture is unique in the sense that it includes the hymns of Hindu as well as Muslim saints belonging to various castes and creeds born in different parts of India. The original name of Bhagat Sur Das Ji was Madan Mohan. As Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha has stated he was born in Sammat 1586 i.e. 1529 AD. In the Encyclopedia of Sikhism also the date of birth of Bhagat Sur Das Ji is given as 1529 AD. Sarbjinder Singh has also given his date of birth as 1529 AD.

In Shabadarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib also the date of birth of Bhagat Sur Das Ji is given as 1529 AD. Giani Partap Singh in his book Bhagat Darshan has also given his date of birth as 1529. Bhagat Sur Das Ji was born in a high-ranking Brahman family. It may be added that although Brahmans consider themselves as the upper-most caste but still within them there are various ranks of Brahmans. The composition of Bhagat Sur Das Ji included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is not a complete hymn but a single line in Rraag Sarang: "chhaad man har bimukhan ko sang" which means that O mind! abandon the company of those who turn away from God.

In Shabadarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib also the date of birth of Bhagat Sur Das Ji is given as 1529 AD. Giani Partap Singh in his book Bhagat Darshan has also given his date of birth as 1529. Bhagat Sur Das Ji was born in a high-ranking Brahman family. It may be added that although Brahmans consider themselves as the upper-most caste but still within them there are various ranks of Brahmans. The composition of Bhagat Sur Das Ji included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is not a complete hymn but a single line in Rraag Sarang: "chhaad man har bimukhan ko sang" which means that O mind! abandon the company of those who turn away from God.

This line is followed by Sarang mehlaa 5 Soordaas, the English translation of which is as follows: One Universal Creater God. By the Grace of the true Guru. The people of the Lord dwell with the Lord. They dedicate their minds and bodies to Him; they dedicate everything to Him. They are intoxicated with the  celestial melody of intuitive ecstasy. Gazing upon the Blessed Vision of the Lord's Darshan, they are cleansed of corruption. They obtain absolutely everything. They have nothing to do with anything else; they gaze on the beauteous face of God. But one who forsakes the elegantly beautiful Lord, and harbors desire for anything else is like a leech on the body of a leper. Says Sur Dass, God has taken my mind in His hands. He has blessed me with the world beyond.

This means that Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji completed this hymn and attributed it to Bhagat Sur Das Ji by adding the words 'Says Sur Dass'. There were two bhagats both named Sur Das Ji who were contemporaries.

There is some controversy among the scholars as to which of the two bhagats who were both Brahman, both born in Uttar Pradesh and both well known scholars wrote the line included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Page 1253). The other bhagat Sur Das Ji whose composition is not included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib was a blind poet who wrote verses in praise of Sri Krishan Ji and also wrote Sur Sagar. Bhagat Sur Das Ji whose one line is included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Page 1253) needs to be differentiated from the other Bhagat of the same name who was his contemporary and who wrote Sur Sagar.

To differentiate the two Macauliffe has written as follows, "The Surdas one of whose hymns is found in the Granth Sahib must not be confounded with Sur Das, a blind poet famous in the north of India as the author of the Sur Sagar. The Surdas with whom we are concerned was Brahman born AD 1528. On account of his beauty he was surnamed Madan Mohan". It may be added that in (i) The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism published by Punjabi University, Patiala (ii) Mahan Kosh by Bhai Kahn 4 Singh Nabha (iii) the book The Sikh Religion by Macauliffe (iv) Sarbjinder Singh's book Divine Revelation (v) Giani Partap Singh's book Bhagat Darshan and (vi) Shabadarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib which is a landmark in Sikh religion this view is expressed that Bhagat Sur Das Ji whose one line is included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is not the author of Sur Sagar. Bhai Darbari Das in his Parchi Surdas Ki included in his book Parchian Bhagatan Kian which includes life sketches of 30 saints has written that Bhagat Surdas Ji in his life time did not write a single word in praise of anyone else except God Almighty.

But as mentioned earlier the other bhagat and poet named Sur Dass Ji wrote verses in praise of Sri Krishan Ji. The controversy has arisen because the line included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is different from one line written in Sur Sagar by only one word. Instead of the word 'chhaad' in Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Sur Sagar the word 'tajau' is included. The fact that Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji got the book Sur Sagar transliterated does not indicate that the line included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is that of the author of Sur Sagar. It only implies that Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji honoured the author of Sur Sagar. Thus it is clear that the line included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is that of Bhagat Sur Das Ji earlier named Madan Mohan and not that of Sur Das Ji who wrote Sur Sagar.

Bhagat Sur Das Ji was a scholar of Hindi, Sanskrit and Persian and had a natural talent and proficiency in the arts of music and poetry He sang 5 with deep passion lyrics of Divine love. Because of his talent the Emperor Akbar appointed him as an official in Sandila in the area of Avadh in Uttar Pradesh. But Bhagat Sur Das Ji was not interested in worldly pleasures. He left his job. He renounced the world and joined the company of holy men thereby dedicating himself solely to the worship of God Almighty. He spent the rest of his life in worshipping God. None of the authors has indicated the date on which Bhagat Sur Das Ji left for his heavenly adobe. He died in the vicinity of Banaras where a shrine dedicated to his sacred memory has been established.

Because of his one line included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib he will be honoured and remembered with devotion by the Sikh community for all times to come. The references used in this write-up include (i) The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism published by Punjabi University, Patiala Part I, II, IV (1995, 1996, 1998) (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) 'Parchi Surdas Bhagat Ki', in Parchian Bhagatan Kian, Darbari Dass (Bhai) Editor Dr. Gurcharan Singh Sek (1994) (vi) Shabadarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib (vii) Guru Granth Sanket Kosh by Piara Singh Padam and others (viii) Bhagat Darshan by Giani Partap Singh (2003) and (ix) The Sikh Religion by Macauliffe, although reference has not been given at each place.

Amrit Kaur Retd. Professor Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab