Bhagat Sain was a barber of the royal court of Raja Ram Singh, ruler of Rewa.

The tendency of the age was towards devotion and religious composition, and Sain found leisure in the midst of duties to study the hymns of Ramanand, shape his life on the principles inculcated in them, and successfully imitate their spirit and devotional fervor.

The Bhagat Mal contains a legend which at once illustrates Sain's devotion to saints and the estimation in which he was held for his piety.

When going one day to perform his usual ministrations for King Raja Ram, he met some holy men on the way.

With the greatest mental satisfaction to himself he gave them consecrated and secular food to relieve their souls and bodies.

The legend states that a holy man, by God's favor, in order to avert the king's wrath and save Sain from punishment, assumed his appearance, and having gone and performed the customary duties for the king, took his departure.

Perhaps thy majesty sayest so to excuse my absence.” The Raja then knew that a special providence had intervened and performed for him the usual tonsorial duties.

He was at once converted, fell at Sain's feet, worshipped him as his guru, and thus sought an asylum in God.

It had at any rate at the time of the composition of the Bhagat Mal become an established custom that the successive kings of the house of Bandhavgarh should always be disciples of the descendants of Sain.

[7] In Raag Dhanasari, Bhagat Sain's bani can be found in the following ANG (page) of Guru Granth Sahib: Sri Sain Having made an oblation of incense, lamp, and clarified butter, I go to offer to Thee, O God.

Thy name is the best lamp, meditation theron the purest wick; Thou art alone the Bright One, O God.

It is the saints of God who feel divine pleasure; They describe Thee as all-pervading and the Supreme Joy.