Stories of Indian Saints - Translation of Mahipati's Marathi Bhaktavijaya (Vols. I-II - Bound in One)

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The present book is an English translation of Mahipati's Marathi poem Bhakta- Vijaya which records the legends of Indian saints, irrespective of their difference in caste, community, creed, language and place of origin. It is one of the most fascinating of religious story-books Thus we have the record of different saints - Yayadeva, Jnanadeva, Namadeva, Ramananda, Tulasidasa, Kabir, Suradasa, Narsi Mehta and Guru Nanakadeva. A lot of information is available on Ekanath-the greatest scholar-philosopher-saint-poet-cum-social reformer and the towering personalities Tukaram and Ramadasa. It also records the miraculous and fascinating legends of several saints, how they spread the Bhakti cult, how they struggled against discrimination between man and man and how they tried to uproot the malpractices which prevailed in the name of Religion in those days.

Abbott, Justin E. (Justin Edwards) (1853-1932) was a Translator, Author, Editor. He wrote many Biographies Legends Bibliographies Prayers and devotions Poetry (264 publications in 2 languages and 1,284 library holdings). He was educated at Dartmouth College (A.B., 1876).

Godbole, Narhar R. was a Translator. He wrote many Legends Biographies Poetry Dictionaries and 15 works in 52 publications in 1 language and 218 library holdings.

How the Bhaktavijaya was Translated This book contains the first published English translation of Mahipati's Bhaktavijaya which consists of forty thousand lines of beautiful Marathi poetry and is rightly regarded as one of the classics of a language spoken by over twenty-one million people in present-day India. Who Mahipati was will be found on another page and each of his joint-translators speaks for himself in his own separate Preface. Since one of these joint-authors is no more, and the other is a self-effacing Indian Pandit, our first task in this Foreword is to introduce their work to English readers by indicating some of the limitations under which this work has been prepared. This English translation of one of the great Marathi classics is published under the pro- visions of the last will and testament of the late Dr. Justin E. Abbott who passed away at Summit, New Jersey, United States, on June 19, 1932. Born at Rahuri in the Ahmednagar District on Christmas Day 1853, it was as a loyal son of Maharashtra that he took in hand the translating into English of important sections of the lives and writings of the Poet Saints of Maharashtra. Eight volumes had been published when he died, and the ninth volume entited Ramdas we published a year ago. The present work is planned to appear in two volumes, the second being al- ready in the Press. The foundation for these two volumes had been well and truly laid in the completion of the first draft translation by Dr. Abbott before the final stages of his physical weakness. On this task the patient scholar spent about eighteen months of the last two years of his life. His method of work during those last months was to follow the Marathi text from a volume placed on a movable book-rest attached to his couch or bed, while he dictated his translation into a dictaphone whenever he felt fit for work, a lady attendant (see page xx) afterwards typing off the translation as repeated by the dictaphone. Though kept to his bed continuously for several weeks during this period, sometimes in a serious condition, he nevertheless pursued his task with his usual cheerfulness. When we stayed with him in New Jersey for a month in early 1930 it was quite clear that daily fellowship with the Poet Saints was a great comfort in his loneliness. And as we have worked over this translation which was produced under such conditions of physical disability, we have done so with the feeling that we were permitted to gaze upon a monument of beroic industry and endurance.

Birth and Early Influences

Mahipati's father Dadopant is said to have been in the service of the Mughals, but where, when and in what capacity is not known. At the age of forty he retired from service, and came to live in Taharabad, his native place in the Ahmednagar District. He was a regular warkari pilgrim of Pandharpur and the hereditary village accountant of Taharabad. This state of things continued until he was sixty-four years old, but being without an issue he felt naturally anxious lest the regular visits to Pandharpur would be discontinued after his own death. He there- fore to God to grant him a son, and a son was born to him in 1715 A. D. (Shaka ers 1637). This son he named Mahipati, who was destined to become the biographer of saints. Mahipati was handsome and of a sharp intellect. In his very boyhood he was devoted to God and he went as a pilgrim to Pandharpur at the age of sixteen. It seems Mahipati was well educated. His handwriting was good. That he had a good knowledge of Sanskrit is proved by his translations into Marathi. Besides Marathi, his mother tongue, he knew Hindi. At the age of sixteen Mahipati's father died and the burden of supporting the family. fell on him at that early age. Aside from his household responsibilities, he had to work as village accountant, an office hereditary in the family. Taharabad was then a part of a jaghir of a Muhammadan to whose court Mahipati had to go in his official capacity. Well substantiated is the story to which Dr. Abbott has alluded in his Preface, that once after bathing Mahipati was performing the worship of his household gods when a messenger from the Muhammadan came to summon him to court on business Mahipati sent word in return that he would be at his ser vice after he was through his daily devotion. Nevertheless there was another and a very peremptory call to appear in court at once. Reluctantly he went, but on his return he took his pen from behind his ear and laying it before the god he vowed never to use it again in any official capacity. This vow was adhered to rigidly by his descendents and is to continue until the seventh generation.