Learned Vaishnava devotee; four hymns in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Bhagat Trilochan
A learned Vaishnava devotee, usually linked with Maharashtra and remembered as a companion of Bhagat Namdev. Four of his hymns are in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Very little about his life can be confirmed, and even his birthplace is disputed.
What is known
The name means three-eyed, in the sense of one who sees past, present and future. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism describes him as a scholar who knew the Puranas and Indian philosophy well. It reports that he was said to be born in 1267. Macauliffe gives the same year, and says that it came to him from a sadhu at Ayodhya, along with the dates of several other Bhagats.
Macauliffe's inquiries at Pandharpur and Barsi turned up no information about him. He also retells a story of a servant sent by God to help Bhagat Trilochan care for holy men, and says plainly that it is a legend.
Two saloks among Bhagat Kabir's at ang 1375 give an exchange between the two devotees. In the first, Bhagat Trilochan chides Bhagat Namdev for being caught up in the world. In the second, Bhagat Namdev replies that the hands may work while the heart stays on God.[EoS][Macauliffe][DB]
Hymns in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
BaniDB lists four hymns: one in Sri Raag at ang 92, two in Gujri at angs 525 and 526, and one in Dhanasari at ang 695. This agrees with the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism.
The Encyclopaedia summarises their themes. The Sri Raag hymn warns of a person forgetting death among family and wealth. The first Gujri hymn questions outward dress and ritual when the heart is unclean. The second says that a person's last thoughts shape what follows. The Dhanasari hymn teaches that remembering God's Name is the way out of the results of one's own acts.[DB][EoS]
What the sources disagree on
- Birthplace
The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism records two views: Barsi in the Sholapur district of Maharashtra, or a birth and upbringing in Uttar Pradesh followed by a long life in Maharashtra.[EoS]