Bhagat

Bhagat is a surname and given name used in parts of India, particularly among Punjabis, Gujaratis, Rajasthanis, and other communities. It is also an honorific term meaning “devotee” or “worshiper.” The word stems from the Sanskrit bhakta, via Prakrit and regional languages, and reflects a tradition of spiritual devotion that predates and intersects with multiple Indian religious communities.

In religious contexts, the term Bhagat (or Bhakta) denotes devotional poets and saints. In Sikhism, Bhagats are poets whose hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. They came from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds and contributed to the region’s devotional and mystical literature, influencing Sikh devotional expression. Notable Bhagats often cited in this context include Kabir, Ravidas, Namdev, and Farid, among others. Their writings emphasize devotion, humility, social justice, and the remembrance of the divine, and they are studied across Sikh and North Indian devotional traditions.

As a surname, Bhagat is found across northern and western India and among the Indian diaspora. It may indicate ancestral or cultural ties to devotional or religious communities, though patterns vary by region and clan. The name appears in different transliterations, such as Bhagat or Bhagwat, and is used by both adherents of traditional Hindu and Sikh lineages as well as secular families.

In summary, Bhagat serves as a culturally and historically rich term in India, signifying devotion in religious usage and functioning as a surname and given name across several communities.