SADHŪ JAN, a Punjabi poet of the seventeenth century who wrote verses on mythical and spiritual themes. His identity is not clearly established. While Gurbilās Chhevīṅ Pātshāhī (1718) identifies him as Bhāī Sādhū who married in 1629 Bībī Vīro, daughter of Gurū Hargobind, Sarūp Dās Bhallā, Mahimā Prakāsh, part II, describes him as a young poet who came to Gurū Arjan with Chhajjū Bhagat, Shāh Hussain and a Bairāgī in 1603-04 with the hope of having their compositions included in the scripture being compiled by the Gurū. The Gurū addressed him as Sādhū Jan and this is how he came to be known. Whatever the case, sādhū Jan was a prolific poet, with a good knowledge of musicology. His verses in chaste Punjabi as well as in Hindi and Sadhukaṛī are in several prosodic forms and in over 30 different musical measures. Some of his poems bear titles similar to those of Sikh texts such as Japu, Sukhmanī, Bāvan Akharī, Vār and Salok. Other known titles are Sākhīāṅ (136) and Jhūlane (6). Among his longer works are Mahābhārata, Prahilād Charitra, Dhrū Charitra, Sudāmā Charitra, Rāmāyaṇa, 2 Sahaṅsarnāmā, Gopi Chand and Solāṅ Sahelīāṅ.

Piārā Siṅgh Padam