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The saints & poets whose verses are included in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib were not all contemporary with the Sikh Gurus. From Jaidev, the Bengali poet of the 12th century, to Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji who lived in the seventeenth century, the writings in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib span 500 years of Indian literature. Below is a brief write-up on each of the various contributors.
The Pre-Nanak Saintsa) Jaidev (2 hymns) The author of the famous Sanskrit poem, Gita Govinda, Jaidev was born in Kenduli, Bengal. Although the dates of his birth & death are unclear, it is reputed that he was one of the 5 distinguished poets at the court of Lakshman Dev, the King of Bengal, whose reign dates back to 1170 CE. It is said that his devotion to God was so great that God himself completed one of the hymns when he himself could not do so. b) Sheikh Farid ( 4 hymns & 130 Slokas) This Sufi mystic lived from 1173 CE to 1266 CE and was a disciple of Khwaja Qutab Bukhtiar Kaki of Delhi. He was married to a princess from the Slave Dynasty which ruled Delhi during that period and had 8 children. His tomb is located at Pakpattan, Punjab Province (Pakistan). The celebrated Nizam-ud-Din Aulia was his disciple. c) Namdev ( 60 hymns) Born in 1270 AD at Narsi Bamani, Satara (Maharashtra), he was born to a calico-printer father & tailor mother. Legend has it that his devotion so great that God came to him in physical form and freely partook of his offerings. He was a Vaishnava ( devotee of Vishnu) earlier, but became a saint of the Nirguna School later. He visited Punjab in his lifetime and there is a shrine in his memory at Ghuman village in the district of Gurdaspur. d) Trilochan ( 4 hymns) A contemporary of Namdev, he stayed with him for some time. He was a Vaishya (merchant) by caste and was born in Barsi, Sholapur (Bombay). e) Parmanand ( 1 hymn) It is not known when he was born or died. He is supposed to have been a Brahmin and lived at Kanauj, Bombay. f) Sadhna ( 1 hymn) Another contemporary of Namdev, he was a butcher by occupation and is said to have been born in Sehwan, Sind. g) Beni (3 hymns) Nothing much is known about him. He seems to have belonged to an earlier period because of the language of his hymns. h) Ramananda ( 1 hymn) Born of Brahmin parents at either Mailkot or Prayag ( Uttar Pradesh), Ramananda was a student of Ramanuja's school. After a pilgrimage of holy places, however, he brought about a reformation and began a new sect emphasising devotion to Rama & Sita, not Krishna & Radha. He accepted disciples from various castes, such as Kabir, Sain, Dhanna & Ravidas, thus breaking down the barriers of caste. Later, he became a saint of the Nirguna School and died at Benares. i) Dhanna ( 4 hymns) He was a peasant and was born in the village of Dhuan, near Deoli in Rajasthan. He became a monotheist after being an idolator earlier on. j) Pipa ( 1 hymn) Pipa was a king of Gagaraungarh and was born in the 15th century. He was a disciple of Ramananda, although he began life as a worshipper of Durga. k) Sain ( 1 hymn) He was a barber at the court of Raja Ram, the King of Rewa, and lived around the later 14th and early 15th century. l) Kabir ( 292 hymns & 249 Slokas) Kabir is one of the most celebrated saints whose writings are included in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He was born in 1398 CE to a Brahmin widow who threw him by the side of a tank near Benares. A Muslim weaver (julaha) named Niru rescued him and brought him up. When he grew up, he became a disciple of Ramananda and was famous far & wide. King Sikandar Khan of the Lodhi dynasty in Delhi tortured him for his trachings but he escaped all the ordeals. His followers are known as Kabir Panthis. Aside from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, his verses are also found in the Bijak. He died in 1518 CE at Magahar. g) Ravidas ( 41 hymns) A disciple of Ravidas, he was a cobbler by trade.
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