Khusrau-e-Saani: The Sufi Poet Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi and His Enduring Legacy
By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam
13 March 2025
Bedam Shah Warsi, A Mystic Poet From Etawah, Dedicated His Life To Sufism And Naatiya Poetry. A Disciple Of Hazrat Waris Ali Shah, His Verses Still Resonate With Love, Devotion, And Divine Ecstasy.
Main Points:
1. Born in 1876 in Etawah, Bedam Shah Warsi was drawn to poetry and Sufism from a young age, ultimately becoming a disciple of Hazrat Waris Ali Shah.
2. He mastered Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sanskrit, and Avadhi, blending classical and folk traditions into his poetry.
3. His Naatiya poetry, deeply spiritual ghazals, and qawwalis earned him the title Khusrau-e-Saani (The Second Khusrau).
4. His works, including Deewan-e-Bedam and Noor-ul-Ain, continue to inspire Sufi devotees and qawwals worldwide.
5. He passed away on 24th November 1936 and was laid to rest near his beloved Pir in Deva Sharif, Barabanki.
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There are poets whose lines are remembered, and then there are poets whose lines become an experience, a journey of the spirit that transcends time and space. Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi belongs to the latter. His verses are not merely poetry; they are whispers of a heart lost in the love of the Divine, reflections of a soul intoxicated by the presence of his Pir (spiritual guide) and the yearning for the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam. Even after almost a century since his passing, his poetry remains youthful, carrying the fragrance of devotion and the intensity of mysticism, as he himself once described—"Bheeni Bheeni Khushboo" (a mild, lingering fragrance).
The Genesis of a Mystic Poet
Born in 1876 in the town of Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi was originally named Syed Muhammad Ghulam Hussain, though some sources state his real name was Sirajuddin. Poetry was not just a hobby for him, it was a calling, a divine gift that resided within him from an early age. As a child, he was drawn to the rhythms of poetry, the intoxicating beauty of words, and the way they could express the inexpressible. But beyond this poetic inclination, there was something deeper within him—an unquenchable thirst for the divine, a restlessness that only the company of saints and seekers could soothe.
His father, Syed Abul Hasan, belonged to a respected lineage, and his upbringing was steeped in tradition. Yet, young Bedam was not attracted to the luxuries of material life. By the time he turned 16, an irreversible transformation took place—he renounced 'worldly attachments' and devoted himself entirely to the path of Sufism.
The defining moment of his life came when Hazrat Waris Ali Shah (RA), the revered Sufi saint of Deva Sharif, visited Etawah. A Milad-un-Nabi gathering was arranged in the honour of Prophet, and among the many voices that recited praises of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam, it was Bedam’s poetry that resonated most deeply. The saint, upon hearing his verses, was moved. He gazed at the young poet and declared:
"This boy is mine!"
Bedam’s grandmother, deeply protective of her only grandson, pleaded with Hazrat Waris Ali Shah:
"He is all that I have, my only grandchild!"
The saint smiled and replied, "He is not yours—he is mine."
From that moment, Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi became a devoted lifelong disciple of his Pir, finding in him both a spiritual mentor and a beacon of divine love. He left behind the world he knew and settled in Deva Sharif, where he immersed himself in spiritual discipline, poetry, and service to his Murshid.
A Scholar, A Poet, A Mystic
Though he had renounced worldly desires, Bedam never abandoned knowledge. He was deeply fascinated by languages and the wisdom hidden within them. He mastered Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and even Sanskrit. His studies were extensive—he learnt Arabic and Persian from Syed Wahid Hussain alias Wajd Itawi and Sanskrit from Pandit Ram Ghulam. His love for Sanskrit was so profound that he read and reflected on the Ramayana, Upanishads, and Vedas, finding in them the same divine message of love and surrender that Sufism preached.
But it was in poetry that Bedam found his truest expression. He was drawn to the tradition of Naatiya poetry, dedicating his verses to the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam. His Naat compositions were not merely eulogies; they were ecstatic expressions of love. His Ghazals and Qawwalis reflected his deep spiritual insights, touching upon the themes of Wahdat-ul-Wujood (Unity of Being), Fanaa (self-annihilation), and Ishq-e-Haqiqi (True Love for God).
Bedam’s poetry was a bridge between the old and the new, the classical and the folk. He blended Persian sophistication with the warmth of Purbi (Bhojpuri/Avadhi), making his work deeply relatable to the common people. His mastery over Thumri, Dadra, Hori, Basant, and Sawan forms infused his poetry with an unmistakable Hindustani essence. It was this unique fusion that earned him the title of "Khusrau-e-Saani" (The Second Khusrau), a nod to Amir Khusrau, the great poet of the Delhi Sultanate.
The Words That Live Forever
Even today, his words retain the same power, the same elegance. Take, for instance, this couplet, a whisper of longing and divine intimacy:
"Bekhud Ki Ye Dete Hain, Andaaz Hijaabaana
Aa Dil Me Tujhe Rakh Lun, Aye Jalwa-e-Janaana"
His poetry was admired by the greatest minds of his time, including Hazrat Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Hazrat Khwaja Ghulam Fareed, Hazrat Khwaja Hasan Nizami, and even Allama Dr. Muhammad Iqbal. It was Hazrat Hasan Nizami who commented on his Diwan:
"Hast Irfan Dar Zabaan-e-Poorbi"—Pure enlightenment in the language of the common people.
Bedam’s devotion extended beyond his Murshid and the Prophet Sallallahu Ta'aala Alayhi Wassallam; he also expressed deep reverence for other great saints, such as Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (RA). One of his most beloved compositions in honour of Mahbub-e-Ilahi reads:
"Maiñ Āp Kā Dīvānā Hūñ, Maḥbūb-E-Ilāhī
Apne Se Bhī Begānā Hūñ, Maḥbūb-E-Ilāhī
Maikhāne Se Tere Kahīñ Jā Hī Nahīñ Saktā
Dardī Kash-E-Maikhāna Hūñ, Maḥbūb-E-Ilāhī"
A Legacy That Endures
In his lifetime, Bedam Shah Warsi’s poetry was not just read—it was sung, recited, and deeply felt in the hearts of devotees. His works, such as Noor-ul-Ain: Mushaf-e-Bedam, Deewan-e-Bedam: Karishma-e-Warsi, Jigar Parah: Armughan-e-Bedam, Bostaan Waris-ul-Anbiya, and Phoolon Ki Chadar: Riyaz-e-Muattar, continue to serve as guiding lights for seekers.
His Ghazals and Naats became staples for Qawwals, who transformed them into soul-stirring renditions. His words lived on in the voices of those who sang them, and even today, in the Dargahs and gatherings of Sufis, his Kalam resonates, dissolving the boundaries between the earthly and the divine.
The Eternal Rest in Deva Sharif
On 24th November 1936, Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi departed from this world, but his presence never faded. As he had wished, he was laid to rest near his beloved Pir, Hazrat Waris Ali Shah (RA), in Deva Sharif, Barabanki. His grave remains a place of pilgrimage, a sanctuary where seekers come to feel his presence, recite his verses, and lose themselves in the same divine intoxication that once consumed him.
To this day, his poetry lingers in the air, like a fragrance that refuses to fade, reminding us that love—true love, divine love—is eternal. Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi was not just a poet; he was a lover lost in his beloved, a mystic whose words continue to illuminate the path for those who seek.
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Syed Amjad Hussain is an author and Independent research scholar on Sufism and Islam. He is currently working on his book 'Bihar Aur Sufivad', based on the history of Sufism in Bihar.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/khusrau-saani-sufi-poet-hazrat-bedim/d/134862
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