BAHILOL, BHAI, a resident of Qadivind, a village near Kasur, now in Pakistan, was a devotee of Guru Amar Das. Once the Guru visited Qadivind at his request and, pleased at his devotion, promised him any boon he might ask of him. Bhai Bahilol spoke humbly : "Nothing is permanent in this world, Lord ! Grant me therefore the only boon worth asking for, that is, I may always remember God`s Name." The Guru gave him his blessing. The memorial gurdwara dedicated to Guru Amar Das and constructed on the land donated by Bhai Bahilol was looked after by a line of Udasi priests until the partition of the Punjab in 1947. The.samadh of Bhai Bahilol also existed near the gurdwara.
BHAGVAN DAS, BHAI, a devoted Sikh of Burhanpur (21° 18`N, 76° 14`E), on the bank of the River Tapti, once travelled to Amritsar along with Bhai Bodala, Bhai Malak Kataru, Bhai Prithi Mall, Bhai Bhagatu, Bhai Dallu, Bhai Sundar Das and Bhai Svami Das to seek instruction from Guru Hargobind. The Guru, says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, told them to construct a dharamsal in their town where they should gather morning and evening for prayer and to raise charities for the needy. He taught them to overcome their haumai, i.e. egoity, and to learn to be humble. Bhai Bhagvan Das and his companions followed the Guru`s instructions and established a sangat at Burhanpur to which Bhai Gurdas refers in his Varan, XI. 30.
BHIKHARl, BHAI. Bhabra by caste, was a devoted Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan. He lived in the town of Gujrat. Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 30, lists him among prominent Sikhs of the time. He plied an honest trade, helped needy Sikhs and other holy men and recited the sacred word. Once, as says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, a Sikh waited on Guru Hargobind, Guru Arjan *s successor, and begged to be shown a model Sikh. The latter directed him to Bhai Bhikhari.
BULA, BHAI, mentioned by Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 15, as one of the devoted Sikhs of the time of Guru Arigad. See DlPA, BHAI
CHUHAR, BHAI, Bhai Sam. Bhai Lala, all Sethi Khatris, and Bhai Nihalu were good musicians and had facility in expounding the holy hymns. Whenever they sang, discussed or discoursed on the sacred hymns, the sangat, records Bhai Mani Singh in his Sikhari di Bhagat Mala, felt deeply impressed. Guru Arjan appreciated their talent, too, and once spoke to them, "Good deeds are necessary along with a sweet voice.
DHARO, BHAI, a Sikh of Sultanpur Lodhi and a soldier by profession, went to Guru Arjan in the sangat of his town. The Guru gave them his blessing (See AKUL, BHAI and BHIKHA. BHATT). According to Bhai Man! Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, Guru Arjan spoke to Bhai Dharo: "There are warriors who vanquish their foe, and there are those who reign victorious over their own minds. The triumphs of the former are sung by bards, but the glory of the latter is sung by saints."
DURGA, BHAI, accompanied by Bhai Paira, once visited Guru Arjan and begged to be instructed in the duty of a householder. The Guru spoke: "Earn your living by the labour of your hands. Share with the needy from what you save. Feed the poor and clothe the naked. They receive God`s bounty who give away in His name." Durga and Paira acted on the Guru`s instruction. They, as says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, distributed in charity all they had, and yet they were never in want. They received more than they gave.
GARU, BHAI, a Vij Khatri, received the rites of initiation at the hands of Guru Arjan. Once he, accompanied by Bhai Haru, also a Vij, and Bhai Chatur Das and Bhai Mula, both Kapur Khatris, waited upon the Guru and raised a question. They said, "While the advice of all other holy men is for the seeker to keep wakeful nights in meditation, Guru Nanak had in one of his slokas suggested that all effort was futile, for the reward, if He pleases, would come even during sleep." Guru Arjan, says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhdn di Bhagat Maid, explained to them the correct import of the sloka.
GURBAKHSH SINGH (d. 1776) of Wazirabad, son of Ram Singh, was a follower of Charhat Singh Sukkarchakkia. He participated in the assault on Amritsar resulting in the capture of the Bharigi tower situated between the Rambagh and Chativind gates. After the conquest of northern parts of Gujranwala district by Charhat Singh, Wazirabad was claimed by Gurbakhsh Singh. Gurbakhsh Singh married his daughter, Desari, to Charhat Singh, his leader, and gained further influence by this matrimonial alliance. He died in 1776, his son Jodh Singh succeeding to jagirs worth over a lakh of rupees.
HATHI SINGH (d. 1783) was the son of Ajit Singh, adopted son of Guru Gobind Singh`s widow Mata Sundari. When Mata Sundari disowned Ajit Singh for his profligacy and moved from Delhi to Mathura, she took with her Hathi Singh and his mother, Tara BaT. As he grew up, Hathi Singh, too, like his father, became a pretender to guruship. He used to substitute his own name for Nanak in scriptural hymns and claim them as his own. Disgusted with his behaviour, Mata Sundari discarded him and came back to live at Delhi.