Phandak
Phandak (meaning "hunter"), also spelt as Badakh, was an obscure bhagat.[1] The Sambhu Granth, a version of the Guru Granth Sahib observed by H. H. Wilson at Varanasi in 1832, contained hymns attributed to him.[2][3][4][5] According to Louis E. Fenech, Phandak was a Nirgun sant, of which a single hymn attributed to him is found in one recension of the Guru Granth Sahib. He may have been a militant/armed ascetic who resided in the Varanasi region in the 17th–18th centuries. He is not to be confused with the character Jara Phandak from the Mahabharata.[3] However, Pashaura Singh was not able to locate any hymns attributed to Phandak in any extant Guru Granth Sahib manuscript.[3] Himmat Singh, one of the original Panj Piare of Sikhism was believed to be his reincarnation (avtar).[1][3][6]
References
- 1 2 Fenech, Louis E. (2021). "The Dauntless Phandak". The Cherished Five in Sikh History. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 62–67. ISBN 978-0-19-753287-4. OCLC 1157751641.
- ↑ Wilson, Horace Hayman (1846). Sketch of the Religious Sects of the Hindus. Calcutta: Bishop's College Press. p. 179.
- 1 2 3 4 Fenech, Louis E. (2021). The Cherished Five in Sikh History. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 1, 46, 48, 61–65, 125, 203–204. ISBN 978-0-19-753287-4. OCLC 1157751641.
- ↑ Singh, Darshan (1999). Western Image of the Sikh Religion: A Source Book. National Book Organisation. p. 112. ISBN 9788185135977.
- ↑ Wilson, Horace Hayman (1976). Rost, Reinhold (ed.). Religious sects of the Hindus (reprint ed.). Asian Publication Services. p. 274.
- ↑ Fenech, Louis E.; Madra, Amandeep Singh (28 July 2020). "Dr Lou Fenech on the Panj Piare (The Cherished Five) in Sikh History. UKPHA Bookclub 27 July 2020". YouTube. United Kingdom Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA). Timestamp 11:39 onwards. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
