Lachhimi Sakhi
{{Short description|Bhojpuri poet and saint (1841–1914)}}
{{context|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Lachhimi Sakhi
| birth_name = Lachhimi Das
| birth_date = {{birth year|1841}}
| birth_place = Saran, Bihar, India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1914|1841}}
| death_place =
| occupation = Poet
| language = Bhojpuri
| notableworks =
}}
Lachhimi Sakhi (1841–1914 born in Saran, Bihar{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=L.C. Classification: Additions and Changes|publisher=Subject Catalogng Division, Processing Department, Library of Congress|year=1984|isbn=|location=|pages=}}), also Laxmi Das, Lakshmi Sakhi and Laxmi Sakhi was a Saint and Bhojpuri poet and writer, who is mainly known for his Bhajans and Kajari songs.{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Bihar through the ages|publisher=Orient Longmans|year=1959|isbn=|location=|pages=}}{{Cite book|last=Damodar|first=Ashok|title=Music Contexts: A Concise Dictionary of Hindustani Music|publisher=Bibliophile South Asia|year=2006|isbn=8185002630|location=|pages=}} His real name was Lachhimi Das but since he was a follower of Sakhi sect that's why he is also known as Lachhimi Sakhi. He has written four Bhojpuri books named Amar Pharas, Amar Bilas, Amar Kahani and Amar Sidhi.
Life
He was born in 1841 in Amnaur village of Saran district of Bihar. His father was Munshi Jagmohan Das. He was not much educated and only had knowledge of Bhojpuri and Persian. In 1857-58 he joined the Aghoris, but he didn't like their customs and left it after some time. After that he lived in Kaithvaliya Math of Motihari for some time and then made a hut at the bank of Narayani River in Terua village. After years of Meditation, finally he got Enlightenment in 1862.{{Cite book|last=Tiwari|first=Arjun|title=Bhojpuri Sahitya ke itihas|publisher=Vishwavidyalaya Prakashan|year=2014|isbn=|location=Varanasi|pages=105–106}}
Philosophy
He was the follower of Sakhi sect, in which the God is considered as Husband and soul is considered as wife.{{Cite book|last=Upadhyay|first=Krishnadev|title=Bhojpuri Sahitya ka itihas|publisher=Bhāratīya Loka-Saṃskr̥ti Śodha-Saṃsthāna|year=1972|isbn=|location=|pages=}} The sect doesn't believe in Untouchability and the followers don't wear Saris. He started the tradition of writing poems or songs by assuming Rama as Sakhi (friend). He was the believer of Nirguna god. He has called that omnipresent god Raghunatha, Awadhpati, Gopal, Nandlal et cetera.{{Cite book|last=Tiwari|first=Arjun|title=Bhojpuri Sahitya ke itihas|publisher=Vishwavidyalaya Prakashan|year=2014|isbn=|location=Varanasi|pages=106–107}}
A verse from his poem forms his book "Amar Sidhi
{{Verse translation|
{{lang|Bho-Latn|Rākhī tore piyawā deï gaïlen ego patiyā
Bārahu diyawā jarāï lehu hiyawā
Samujhi samujhi ke batiyā{{Cite book|last=Upadhyaya|first=Krishnadev|title=Bhojpuri Lok Sahitya Ka Adhyayan|year=1960|pages=56–57}}}}
|
Your Husband has kept a letter
Light the lamp and burn the hurt
After reading the words in the letter}}
This poem has been written by considering God as husband.
= Alignment with Sufism =
The idea of God created by Lachhimi Sakhi seems very near to that in Sufism. One the one hand Sufism treats God as a lover whom they want to see, one the other hand Sakhi treated God as husband and union with that husband is treated as the union of soul and supreme soul.{{Sfn|Singh|1982|p=22}}
Works
He has written four Bhojpuri books which collectively have 3250 verses:{{Cite book|last=Upadhyay|first=Krishnadev|title=Bhojpuri Sahitya ka itihas|publisher=Bhāratīya Loka-Saṃskr̥ti Śodha-Saṃsthāna|year=1972|isbn=|location=|pages=}}
- Amar Sidhi (885 verses)
- Amar Bilas (875 verses)
- Amar Faras (925 verses)
- Amar Kahani (565 verses)
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Bhuwanwshwar |title=Bhōjpuri Sant Kavī Shrī Lakṣhmī Sakhï: Darshan aur sādhnā |publisher=Akhil Bhartiya Bhojpuri Sahitya Sammelan |year=1982 |location=Saran |language=Bho}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:19th-century Indian poets