The Mythical and Historical Origins of Bhat
Two sources of evidence explain the origin of the word “Bhat”—one mythical and the other historical.
In Indian mythology, scriptures like the Shiva Purana state that during the wedding of Shiva (Shivaji) and Parvati, Shiva’s wedding procession requested something new. They said, “We are tired of listening to all the music, let us listen to a new song, a new music, a new singing style that can say some new words in your praise.”
Following this, Shivaji wiped the sweat from his forehead and threw it onto the ground, creating the first Bhat. Lord Shiva ordered these Bhatts to praise the newly married couple. Because a person naturally praises only the source of their birth, the Bhatts only praised Lord Shiva and did not utter a single word in praise of Parvati. This angered Shivaji, who then sent them to the realm of the dead.
Historically, an authentic account comes from the area of Rajputana. In the courts of Rajput kings, people who sang for the kings’ daughters were called Bhatta. These Bhatts associate their background directly with Rajputana.
Linguistically, the Sanskrit word Bharta means to come on stage and recite words in the presence of someone, while Nritta means to dance in front of someone. The word Bhatt derived from Bharta (and Bharit), while the word Natt (or Nat) derived from Nritta. In the olden days, people called those who came in the middle of the night to praise someone “Nat”.
Bhatts and Their Religious Connections
With the arrival of Islam, some Bhatts converted to Islam and became known as Turk Bhatts. During the Guru era, especially during the time of the second and third Guru Ji, some Bhatts converted to Sikhism.
Before the era of the Gurus, two Bhats were highly famous: “Ban Bhat,” who composed the Kadambari Granth, and “Chand Bhat,” who praised King Prithviraj Chauhan in court. These two Bhats were associated with Sikhism.
Apart from them, a third Bhatt made a sacrifice in the name of Sikhism, though he had no personal connection to the religion. In total, one Bhatt sacrificed himself without a connection to Sikhism, two Bhatts converted to Sikhism and attained martyrdom, and 11 Bhatts were martyred in 1711 because they preached Sikhism.
Prithviraj Chauhan and Chand Bhat
The first historical mention of a Bhat comes from the time of Prithviraj Chauhan. Prithviraj Chauhan brought out Sanjogata, a very beautiful woman who was his sister by relationship. After bringing her, he sat with her the whole day, abandoned all court work, and stopped interfering in his kingdom.
Consequently, the royal family grew weak. When the Solanki Rajputs summoned King Gauri, Shahabuddin Gauri arrived to attack. At that moment, a Bhatt of the court played a very clever taunt (mehna). To awaken the dead pride of Prithviraj Chauhan, Chand Bhat recited a share:
ਔਰਤ ਬੈਠੋ ਘਰ ਗੌਰੀ ਸਰ ਟਕੀਆ
ਔਰਤ ਘਰ ਤੇਰੋ ਗੌਰੀ ਟਕੀਆ
This meant: “Prithviraj Chauhan, you are sitting with your head on a pillow with a woman, while Shahabuddin Gauri stands ready to attack your home.”
The Capture and the Feast of Archery
Ultimately, Prithviraj Chauhan lost the battle and Gauri won. Gauri arrested him, threw him into jail, tortured him severely, and blindfolded him.
This tragedy stirred deep emotions in Chand Bhatt’s mind. Driven by these feelings, he reached Gauri’s court and beautifully presented his request to meet his master. Gauri granted permission, and Chand went to see Prithviraj.
Finding Prithviraj in a terrible, blind, and starved condition, the Bhat felt pity. He returned to Gauri’s court and said, “Oh King, Prithviraj is going to die from a lack of food and water. However, he possesses one quality that you should learn.” When Gauri asked what it was, Chand replied that Prithviraj knew how to shoot the Shabad Bhedi (ਸ਼ਬਦ ਭੇਹਦੀ) arrow.
The Art of the Shabad Bhedi Arrow
A Shabad Bhedi arrow is shot blindly by listening only to sound. The ancient Sikhs of the 18th century knew this method; they would place an iron pan, throw a stone from a distance, guess the direction and target from the sound with closed eyes, and shoot an arrow accurately.
Even further back in history, Dronacharya taught archery to the Pandavas and Kauravas. Ekalavya, a child from a Dalit caste, learned these skills simply by practicing before an idol of Dronacharya. According to the Puranas, when a dog barked, Ekalavya shot a Shabad Bhedi arrow with such precision that it filled the dog’s mouth with arrows without killing it, stopping the barking.
Following the sound, Dronacharya found the young boy practicing martial arts and asked who taught him. The child replied, “I learnt from you, Gurudev.” Dronacharya refused him, saying, “It is not my job to teach you. You are from the Dalit caste and I cannot make a Dalit my disciple.”
Ekalavya responded that even though Dronacharya did not formally accept him, he had accepted Dronacharya as his Guru in his heart while watching him teach others. Because of a prior promise made to Arjuna, Dronacharya trapped Ekalavya in words and demanded the thumb of his right hand as Gurudakshina.
The Execution of Muhammad Gauri
Chand Bhat told Gauri that no one in his court knew how to shoot a Shabad Bhedi arrow, so a warrior should watch and learn it from Prithviraj. Pleased, Gauri ordered the court to provide Prithviraj with good food and drink.
After a few days, Prithviraj recovered his strength. The contest took place in a square where seven iron pans were tied up. They brought Prithviraj out of prison, tied his eyes, and handed him a bow and arrows. From a distance, a person struck a stone against a pan. Prithviraj aimed his arrow at the sound.
King Gauri sat on a very high platform with Chand Bhat standing next to him. Using the Bhat script, Chand Bhat whispered to Prithviraj that when he aimed at the iron pan, Muhammad Gauri would utter a “wah” (wow). Chand promised to communicate the height so Prithviraj could shoot above the sound.
Prithviraj shot the arrow, it hit the pan, and Gauri shouted in amazement. At that moment, Chand Bhat recited the couplet:
ਬਾਸਟ ਹਾਥ ਔਰ ਏਕ ਸਿੱਧ ਅਸ਼ਟ
ਊਵਲ ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣ ਈਤੇ ਪਰ ਸੁਲਤਾਨ ਹੈ ਮਤ ਚੂਕੋ ਚੌਹਾਨ
This indicated the target sat 12 hands high and 24 fingers higher. Hearing this, Prithviraj shot his arrow directly into Gauri’s neck, killing him. Immediately after, guards caught both Prithviraj and Chand Bhat and beheaded them. This tale of Chand Bhat highlights how fiercely loyal a Bhat was to his master.