Gauri
The saving influence of God’s name.
O God, Thou didst cause stones to float ; [1]
Why should not man float over by repeating Thy name ?
Thou didst save the courtesan, the shapeless hunchback, the hunstman, and Ajamal. [ p. 41 ]
Even the murderer who shot Krishan in the foot was saved —
I am a sacrifice to those who utter God’s name —
Bidur, the son of a handmaiden, Sudama, and Ugarsen, [2] who obtained regal state ;
Men without devotion, without penance, without family and without good works, were saved by Nama’s Lord.
ASA
The omnipresence of God. In the Hindu system there is no teleological purpose assigned for the creation of the world. It is the sport of Maya who proceeded from God. Maya still practises every art to bewitch and deceive mankind. Namdev’s creed is the unity of God, who is contained in everything and fills all creation.
I
There is one God of various manifestations contained in and filling everything ; whithersoever I look there is He.
Maya’s variegated picture hath so bewitched the world, that few know God.
Everything is God, everything is God, there is nothing but God.
One string holdeth hundreds and thousands of beads ; God is the warp and woof.
Waves and foam and bubbles cannot be distinct from water.
This illusion, the world, is the play of the Supreme God ; on reflection thou shalt not find it different from Him.
Fleeting phantoms, illusions of dreams man deemeth real advantages.
My guru instilled into me right ideas, and when I awoke to reason my mind accepted them.
Saith Namdev, behold the creation of God, and reflect on it in thy mind ; [ p. 42 ]
In every heart and in all things uninterruptedly there is only the one God.
The futility of idolatry.
II
If I bring a pitcher and fill it with water to bathe the idol,
Forty-two lakhs [3] of animal species are in the water ; God is contained in them ; why should I bathe Him ?
Wherever I go there God is contained ;
God supremely happy ever sporteth.
If I bring flowers and weave a garland to worship the idol,
The bee hath first smelled the flowers ; God is contained in the bee ; why should I weave Him a garland ?
If I bring milk and cook it with khir [4] to feed the idol,
The calf hath first defiled the milk by tasting it ; God is contained in the calf ; why should I feed Him ?
In this world is God ; in the next world is God ; there is no part of the world without Him.
Thou art, O God, in every place ; Nama represented, Thou fillest the whole earth.
Namdev had renounced his secular duties, and it was represented to him that he ought to embrace them again. He here gives substitutes for the tools of his trade : —
III
My heart is a yard measure ; my tongue a shears.
With it I measure and cut off Death’s noose. [5]
What care I for caste ? What care I for lineage ?
I repeat the name of God day and night ; [ p. 43 ]
I dye what ought to be dyed, [6] and I sew what ought to be sewed. [7]
I cannot live for a ghari without God’s name :
I perform worship and sing God’s praises ;
During the eight watches of the day I meditate on my Lord.
My needle is of gold, my thread of silver [8] —
Nama’s soul is attached to God.
The following hymn was addressed to a reputed holy man who had stolen a merchant’s money, and falsely imputed the offence to Namdev. The merchant had gone to bathe, and while doing so the hypocrite seated in a religious attitude stole his purse. The merchant missed it on returning. He could not think of attributing the theft to the man in the religious garb, so he charged Namdev with it. The merchant would not accept Namdev’ s denial, and had him flogged. While Namdev was being punished a storm arose which lifted the cloth on which the reputed holy man sat. The missing purse was then found under the cloth. Upon that Namdev addressed the following verses to the hypocrite : —
IV
The serpent casteth its slough, but not its poison :
Since thy heart is not pure,
Why perform mock meditation and repetition of God’s name ?
Thou art as the crane watching for fish in the water. The man who eateth the food of lions, [9] Is called the god of thieves. [ p. 44 ]
Nama’s Lord hath settled the quarrel ;
Drink God’s elixir, [10] O double-faced one.
Devotion to God is sufficient for human happiness.
V
If thou see the Supreme God, thou shalt have no other desire ;
If thou think of the worship of God, thou shalt keep thy mind free from care.
O my soul, how shalt thou cross over the world’s ocean filled with the water of evil passions ?
O my soul, thou hast been led astray on seeing the deceitful world.
A calico-printer’s [11] house gave me birth, yet I became saturated with the guru’s instruction,
Through the favour of holy men Nama hath met God.
GUJARI
Namdev worships the true God and is prepared to accept whatever He sends.
I
If Thou give me an empire, what glory shall it be to me ?
If Thou cause me to beg, how shall it degrade me ?
Worship God, O my soul, and thou shalt obtain the dignity of salvation,
And no more transmigration shall await thee.
O God, Thou didst create all men and lead them astray in error :
He to whom Thou givest understanding knoweth Thee
When I meet the true guru, my doubts shall depart.
Whom shall I then worship ? none other would be seen but Thee.
One stone is adored, [ p. 45 ]
Another [12] is trodden under foot :
If one is a god, the other is also a god —
Saith Namdev, I worship the true God.
God’s presence is felt though He cannot be described.
II
He who hath no trace of impurity, who is beyond impurity, and who is perfumed as with sandal hath taken His seat in my heart.
No one saw Him coming ; who knoweth Him, O sister ?
Who can describe, who can understand the All-pervading and Unknowable ?
As the trace of a bird is not perceived in the sky,
As the path of a fish is not seen in the water,
As a vessel is not filled with the mirage- water of the- sky,
Such is God, Nama’s Lord, in whom these three qualities are blended ; [13] His coming or going is not seen.
SORATH
Namdev advises to accept divine instruction so that man may be contented and happy.
I
When I sing of God, then I behold Him ;
Then I, His slave, obtain contentment.
Accept divine instruction, O man ; the true guru shall cause thee to meet God.
Where the heavenly light shineth,
There playeth spontaneous music.
‘God’s 3 light is all-pervading’ [14] — [ p. 46 ]
By the guru’s favour I know that.
In the chamber of the heart are jewels [15]
Which glitter there like lightning.
God is near, not distant,
And His Spirit completely filleth mine.
Where the inextinguishable sun of God’s word shineth,
There earthly lamps grow pale :
Through the guru’s favour I have known this.
God’s slave Nama hath been easily absorbed in Him.
The whole of the following hymn relates to the Jog philosophy and the exaltation of mind produced by its practice : —
III
Without covering it with leather the drum of the brain playeth ;
Without waiting for the month of Sawan the thunder roareth,
And it raineth without clouds.
If any one consider the real state of things,
I have met my dear Lord.
By meeting Him my body hath become perfect ; [16]
Having touched the philosopher’s stone I have become gold.
In word and thought I have strung the gems of God’s name.
I feel real love for God, my doubts are dispelled :
On questioning the guru my mind is satisfied.
As the pitcher is filled with water,
I know that the world is filled with the one God.
When the disciple’s mind accepted the guru,
The slave Nama recognized God.
However great man may be, he should reflect that death is his fate at last.
[ p. 47 ]
DHANASARI
I
Men dig deep foundations and build palaces thereon.
Was any one longer lived than Markand [17] who put grass on his head and thus whiled away his days ?
Only God the Creator is dear to me ; [18]
O man, why art thou proud ? this unsubstantial body shall be destroyed.
The Kauravs, Duryodhan and his brothers, used to say, ‘ Everything is ours ’
Their umbrellas [19] extended over a space of twelve jojans, yet the vultures devoured their bodies.
Lanka was all gold ; was any one greater than Rawan ?
What availed him the elephants tethered at his gate ? In a moment they became the property of others.
The Yadavs- practised deception on Durbasa, [20] and obtained the fruit thereof.
God showed mercy to His slave ; Namdev singeth His praises.
The following hymn was addressed to a Jogi who endeavoured to induce Namdev to embrace his religion : —
II
I have restrained the ten organs of sense ; the very name of the five evil passions I have erased.
Having extracted the poison from the seventy-two tanks [21] of the heart, I have filled them with ambrosia ; I shall not allow the poison to return again. [ p. 48 ]
The ambrosial word I utter from my heart ; my spirit I instruct not to attach itself to worldly things.
I have destroyed worldly love with an axe of adamant : I touch the guru’s feet and implore him.
Turning away from the world, I have become a servant of the saints and I fear them. [22]
I shall be saved from this world the moment I cease to be entangled by Maya.
Maya is the name of the power which placeth man in the womb ; abandoning it I shall obtain a sight of God.
The man who worshippeth in this way shall be freed from all fear.
Saith Namdev, O man, why wander abroad ? [23] obtain God in the way I have told thee.
Namdev tells by familiar examples how dear God is to him.
III
As water is dear to the traveller in Marwar, and the creeper to the camel ;
As the huntsman’s bell at night is dear to the hind, so is God to my soul —
Thy name is beautiful, Thy form is beautiful, very beautiful Thy colour, O my God —
As rain is dear to the earth, as the odour of flowers is dear to the bumble-bee ;
As the mango is dear to the kokil, [24] so is God to my soul.
As the sun is dear to the sheldrake, as the lake of Mansarowar is dear to the swan ;
As the husband is dear to the wife, so is God to my soul.
As milk is dear to the child, as a torrent of rain to the mouth of the chatrik ;
As water is dear to the fish, so is God to my soul.
All penitents, sidhs, and munis seek God, but few have seen Him. [ p. 49 ]
As Thy name is dear to all creation, so is Vitthal to Nama’s heart.
Namdev asked his guru how the world had been created. The guru replied : —
IV
Before the world a lotus was formed ;
From it proceeded Brahma, and from Brahma all men.
Know that everything else was produced from Maya, who leadeth the world a dance.
Namdev then inquired how Maya was produced. The guru replied : —
First a voice proceeded from God ;
Afterwards Maya proceeded from God
Through that voice the parts of this Maya and of that God blended, [25] and the world was produced.
In this garden of God men dance like water in the pots of a well ; [26]
Women and men dance. [27]
There is no god but God —
Argue not on this point.
If thou have doubts,
God saith, ‘Consider in thy heart that this world and I are one.’
The world is like water-pots, sometimes above, sometimes below.
Wandering about I have come to Thy gate.
God — Who art Thou ?
Nama — I am Nama, Sire —
O Lord, save me from the world which bringeth death.
[ p. 50 ]
The above hymn is also translated so as to give different versions of creation : —
1. First a lotus was made by the all-pervading God ;
From it proceeded Brahma and from him all human beings.
2. Others say— Know that everything was produced by Maya who maketh men dance various dances.
3. A third version is this — First a voice proceeded from God ; through that voice
Maya and God united,
Whence God’s garden, [28] in which men dance like water in water-pots.
Namdev gives his own opinion : —
Women and men dance ;
There is nothing but God,
Dispute not this ;
If thou have doubts, pray.
O God, be merciful ; come and save me ; Thou art mine only support.
The world is like water-pots, now high now low.
Wandering and wandering I have come to Thy door.
God — Who art thou ?
I am, Sire, Namdev ; save me from the world which bringeth death.
Namdev is happier than demigods and worldly men who profess religion.
V
O Lord, the purification of sinners is Thy daily work ;
Hail to those saints who have meditated on my God.
On my forehead is the dust of God’s feet,
Which is far from even demigods, worldly men, munis, and saints.
Compassionate to the poor, O God, destroyer of pride,
Nama hath found the asylum of Thy feet, and is a sacrifice unto Thee.
[ p. 51 ]
It is said that Namdev composed the following on hearing two pandits disputing whether God was far or near : —
TODI
I
Some say God is near, others that He is far away.
To say He is near or far is, as it were, to say that a fish could climb a date-tree. [29]
Why, Sir, talkest thou nonsense ?
They who have found God have concealed the fact.
Men who are pandits shout the Veds,
But the ignorant Namdev only knoweth God.
On the eleventh day of every half-lunar month the Hindus fast. Namdev relinquished the practice, and also ceased to go on pilgrimages. A visitor to his house reproached him with his neglect of both these religious duties. The following is his reply :—
II
Who that uttereth God’s name retaineth the stain of sin ?
Sinners have become pure by uttering His name.
In the company of God His slave Namdev hath acquired ocular evidence.
He hath ceased to fast on the eleventh day, and why should he go on pilgrimages ?
Saith Namdev, my acts and thoughts have become good.
Who hath not gone to heaven by uttering the name of God under the guru’s instruction ?
Namdev is satisfied with God as his portion.
III
There is a play on three sets of words.
There is a pot in a potter’s house, an elephant in a king’s house, [ p. 52 ]
A widow [30] in a Brahman’s house [31] — sing randi, sandi, handi O ! [32]
Asafoetida in a baniya’s house, horns on a buffalo’s forehead,
A lingam in a temple of Shiv — sing ling, sing, hing O ! [33]
Oil in an oilman’s house, creepers in a forest, Plantains in a gardener’s house — sing kel, bel, tel O ! [34]
Gobind in the company of the saints, Krishan in Gokal,
And God in Nama — sing Ram, Siyam, Gobind O ! [35]
TILANG
Namdev feels his dependence on God whom he magnifies.
Of me who am blind Thy name, O King, is the prop,
I am poor, I am miserable, Thy name is my support.
Bounteous and merciful Allah, Thou art generous ;
I believe that Thou art present before me ;
Thou art a river of bounty, Thou art the Giver, Thou art exceeding wealthy ;
Thou alone givest and takest, there is none other ;
Thou art wise, Thou art far-sighted ; what conception can I form of Thee ?
O Nama’s Lord, Thou art the Pardoner, O God, [36]
Namdev on the way to Dwaraka was seized by a Mughal official and made a forced labourer. In his devotion he appears to have recognized the [ p. 53 ] Mughal as God, and to have believed that his degradation was God’s will. He composed the following on the occasion : —
II
Halloo ! my Friend, halloo my Friend, how art Thou ?
I am a sacrifice unto Thee, I am a sacrifice unto Thee.
Good is Thy forced labour, exalted Thy name ;
Whence hast Thou come ? where hast Thou been ? and whither art Thou going ?
This is the city of Dwaraka ; tell the truth. [37]
Handsome is Thy turban, sweet Thy discourse ;
But why should there be a Mughal in the city of Dwaraka ?
Among several thousands of people Thou art the only Mughal seen ;
Thou art the very picture of the king of sable hue ; [38]
Thou art the Lord of the horse, the Lord of the elephant, and the Ruler of men. [39]
Thou art Nama’s Lord, the King of all, and the Giver of salvation.
BILAWAL
Through his guru Namdev has obtained discernment and rendered his life profitable.
The guru hath made my life profitable —
I have forgotten sorrow and obtained joy within me.
The guru hath granted me the eye-salve of divine knowledge. [40]
O my soul, without God’s name man’s life is vain.
Namdev knoweth God by keeping Him in mind :
My soul is absorbed in Him who giveth life to the world.
To sing God’s praises and remember Him is infinitely superior to all Hindu forms of devotion.
[ p. 54 ]
GAUND
I
Were I to perform the horse-sacrifice, [41]
Give my weight in gold as alms,
Bathe at Pryag,
It would not be equal, O Nama, to singing God’s praises.
O listless man, worship thy God.
Were I to offer rice-balls [42] at Gaya,
Dwell at Banaras,
Recite the four Veds,
Fulfil all religious offices,
Restrain my senses under the guru’s instruction,
Perform the six duties of Brahmans,
Read the conversations between Shiv and his consort [43] —
All these different occupations would be useless ; O my soul, lay them aside,
And remember, remember God’s name.
Worship Him, Nama, and thou shalt swim across the world’s ocean.
Namdev by familiar examples describes his love for God.
II
As the deer folio we th the huntsman’s bell, And giveth up its own life rather than cease its attention,
In the same way I gaze on God.
I do not leave Him to turn my mind in another direction. As the kingfisher gazeth on the fish,
As the goldsmith meditateth stealing gold while fashioning it,
As the lustful man gazeth on the wife of another, [ p. 55 ]
As the gambler meditateth cheating while playing kauris, [44]
So Nama ever meditateth on God’s feet — Wherever I gaze there is God.
A prayer for salvation : —
III
Float me over, O God, float me over ! [45]
I am unskilful and know not how to swim ; O God, my Father, give me Thine arm.
He to whom the true guru hath taught knowledge, is changed in a moment from a man into a demigod.
I have obtained the medicine by which, though begotten by man, I have conquered heaven.
Place me even for a short time where Thou hast placed Dhru and Narad.
By the support of Thy name many have been saved : this is Nama’s private opinion.
By other familiar examples Namdev describes his ardent longing for God.
IV
I am ardently longing for the Friend —
Without her calf a cow is lonely,
Without water a fish writheth,
So without God’s name doth poor Nama.
As the calf, when let loose,
Sucketh his dam’s teats and swalloweth her milk,
So Namdev hath obtained God —
When man meeteth the guru he showeth the Unseen^
As the wicked man loveth another man’s wife,
So" Nama loveth God.
As man’s body burnetii in the bright sunshine,
So doth poor Nama without the name of God.
The advantages of repeating God’s name.
[ p. 56 ]
V
By repeating the name of God all doubts are dispelled—
Repeating the name of God is the highest religious exercise —
By repeating the name of God caste and lineage are effaced.
That God is the staff of the blind man.
I bow before God ! I bow before God !
By repeating God’s name Death tortureth not.
God took the life of Harnakhas,
And made for Ajamal a dwelling in heaven.
The courtesan who taught her parrot to repeat God’s name was saved —
That God is the apple of mine eye —
By repeating the name of God, Putana [46] full of deceit,
The destroyer of children was saved ;
By remembering the name of God the daughter of Drupad was saved ;
Gautam’s wife [47] though turned into a stone, was saved. [ p. 57 ]
God destroyed Kesi [48] and Kans,
And conferred the gift of life on Kalinag.
Nama representeth, by repeating the name of such a God fear and trouble depart.
The fate of worshippers of false gods.
VII
They who worship Bhairav shall become sprites ;
They who worship Sitala shall ride on donkeys and scatter dust —
For myself I take the name of the one God ;
I would give all other gods in exchange for it.
They who repeat the name of Shiv and worship him,
Shall ride on an ox and play the drum ;
They who worship the great mother Durga,
Shall be born as women instead of men.
Thou callest thyself, O Durga, the primal Bhawani,
When it came to my turn to be saved, where didst thou hide thyself ?
Under the instruction of the guru, O my friend, cling to God’s name —
Nama representeth, thus saith the Gita. [49]
[ p. 58 ]
Namdev admonishes an idolatrous Brahman.
VIII
To-day I Nama saw God, I now admonish the fool —
O pandit, thy gayatri used to graze on the boor’s field ;
He took a stick and broke her leg ; since then she hath walked lame. [50]
O pandit, I have seen thy great god Shiv going along on a white bullock.
In his consort Parbati’s house a banquet for him was prepared ; he killed her son. [51]
O pandit, thy Ram Chandar — I have seen him too going along ;
Having lost his wife he fought with Rawan.
The Hindus are blind, the Musalmans purblind ;
The man who knoweth God is wiser than either.
The Hindus worship their temple, the Musalmans their mosque.
Nama worshippeth Him who hath neither temple nor mosque.
The saint Trilochan once twitted Namdev with [ p. 59 ] being always engaged in his trade. Namdev made him the following reply : —
RAMKALI
I
A boy taketh paper, cutteth it into a kite, and flyeth it in the sky.
While conversing with his companions, he keepeth his attention on the string.
I have pierced my soul with God’s name,
As the goldsmith’s attention is engrossed in his work.
The queen’s female servant taketh her pitcher, filleth it with water,
Converseth laughingly and pleasantly, yet keepeth her attention on the pitcher.
If the cows of a city with ten gates [52] be let loose to graze,
And they go grazing for even five miles, they will remember their young, and return each by her own gate.
Saith Namdev, hear, O Trilochan, when a child is laid in its cradle,
Its mother, whether engaged at home or abroad, keepeth her thoughts on her child.
The following hymn embodying Namdev’s resolutions is also believed to have been addressed to Trilochan :—
II
The endless songs and poetry of the Veds, Purans, and Shastars I will not sing ;
I will play unbeaten music in the imperishable region of God ;
Ceasing to love the world I will sing of God.
Imbued with Him who is beyond expression and indestructible, I shall go to the abode of the Inscrutable One.
I will cease to hold my breath in the right or left nostril or between them both. [ p. 60 ]
I deem the left and right nostril the same ; I shall be blended with the light of God.
I will not go to see places of pilgrimages nor enter their waters ; I will not annoy men or lower animals.
The guru showed me the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage in my heart where I will bathe.
I will not have myself glorified and congratulated by my select friends.
Nama saith, my heart is dyed with God, and I shall be absorbed in Him.
God preceded all creation, all religious books, and all karma.
III
When there was no mother, no father, no karma, and nobody ;
When we were not and you were not, who was there and whence did he come ?
O God, no one hath any relation ;
Man’s dwelling in this world is like the perching of a bird on a tree.
When there was no moon, no sun, when there was only water and air blended together,
When there were no Shastars and no Veds, whence did karma come ? [53]
I have by the favour of the guru obtained God, for whom the Jogis suspend their breath, and fix their attention on the bridges of their noses, and the Bairagis wear necklaces of sweet basil.
Nama representeth, God is the Primal Essence ; when there is a true guru he showeth Him.
The repetition of God’s name is superior to all other forms of worship.
IV
If one perform penance with body reversed at Banaras, [ p. 61 ]
and die at a place of pilgrimage ; if one burn one’s body with fire, or strive to make it survive for a kalpa ; [54]
If one perform the horse sacrifice or offer secret presents [55] of gold, all that would not be equal to the name of God.
O hypocritical man, renounce deception ; practise it not ; Ever and ever take God’s name.
Wert thou to go to the Ganges and the Godavari every twelfth year, bathe at Kedarnath,
And make offerings of thousands of cows at the Gomti ; [56]
Wert thou to perform millions of pilgrimages, freeze thy body in the Himalayas, all would not be equal to the name of God ;
Wert thou to offer horses, elephants, women with their couches, lands, and make such gifts continually to Brahmans ;
Wert thou to purify thy body and offer its weight in gold, all would not be equal to the name of God.
Look for the pure dignity of Nirvan, and be not afterwards angry with thyself, or attribute blame to the god of death. [57]
Nama representeth, drink the real nectareous elixir of my king Ram Chandar, the son of Jasarath Rai. [58]
MALI GAURA
The following glorification of Krishan was composed after Namdev had embraced his worship :—
[ p. 62 ]
I
Happy, happy that flute which Krishan played !
A very sweet unbeaten sound issueth from it.
Happy, happy that blanket which Krishan wore !
Happy, happy that ram and his fleece it was made from.
Hail, hail to thee, mother Devaki,
In whose house god, the lord of Lakshmi, was born !
Blest, blest the forest glades of Bindraban,
Where Nama’s god Narayan sported,
Played his flute, herded his cows,
And was happy.
II
God, my father, hail to thee, dark complexioned Vitthal with the long hair !
Holding in thy hand the discus, thou didst come from heaven and save the life of the great elephant ;
Thou didst save Draupadi when her clothes were being torn off her in Duhsasan’s court ;
Thou didst save Ahalya the wife of Gautam ;
How many hast Thou purified and saved ! [59]
Thus the lowly Namdev without caste hath entered Thy sanctuary.
God is in everything and Namdev has become absorbed in Him. The following marks. a stage in Namdev’ s progress to divine unity.
III
In every heart God speaketh, God speaketh ;
Doth any one speak independently of Him ?
There is the same earth in the elephant and the ant ; vessels of many kinds [60] are made from earth.
In mobile and immobile things, in worms and moths, and in every heart God is contained.
Think of the one God who is endless ; abandon all other hope. [ p. 63 ]
Nama represented ; I have become free from desires ; and in this state who is Lord and who is slave ? [61]
MARU
God has showered His favours on Namdev as He did on other saints.
When I entered the asylum of God the Bridegroom, I obtained the four stages of salvation and the four supernatural powers.
I have been saved, I have become famous through the four ages, and I have put the umbrella of praise and fame over my head.
Who hath not been saved by repeating the name of the Sovereign God ?
They who listen to the guru’s instruction and associate with holy men are called saints.
On beholding the effulgence of the guru, who is conspicuous with his shell, discus, necklace, and sacrificial mark, Death becometh afraid.
Man then becometh fearless, and by the power of God thundereth forth that he hath escaped the pain of transmigration.
God gave king Ambarik [62] the gift of salvation, and aggrandized Babhikhan with sovereignty ;
The Lord gave the nine treasures to Sudama, and made Dhru immovable in the north pole, where he is fixed to the present day ;
God having assumed the body of Narsinh the man-lion> killed Harnakhas for the sake of his saint Prahlad.
Nama saith, Vishnu is in the power of the saints, and is till now standing at the door of Bali. [63]
[ p. 64 ]
BHAIRO
Namdev enjoins his tongue under severest penalty to utter God’s name.
I
O my tongue, if thou utter not God’s name,
I will break thee into a hundred pieces.
O tongue, dye thyself with God’s name ;
Meditating on God’s name dye thyself with a good dye ;
False, O my tongue, are all other occupations.
The dignity of Nirvan is only obtained through the name of God.
Wert thou to worship countless millions of other gods,
It would not be equal to repeating God’s name alone, Namdev representeth, this do, O my tongue, and say ‘ O God, Thy forms are endless.’
A man may in other respects be perfect but he is lost if he repeat not God’s name.
II
God dwelleth near him
Who coveteth not another’s wealth or another’s wife.
I will not look at him
Who repeateth not God’s name.
As a beast is that man
Whose heart is estranged from God.
Namdev representeth, a man without a nose
Doth not look well even with the other thirty-two marks of beauty. [64]
[ p. 65 ]
When Namdev gave up trade, and devoted himself exclusively to the worship of God and attendance on His saints, people began to slander him. The following is his apology :—
IV
I am a mad woman and God is my spouse ;
It is for Him I decorate myself elaborately.
Abuse me well, abuse me well, abuse me well, O people ;
My body and soul are for my beloved God.
I hold no idle discussion with any one ;
I sip with my tongue the elixir of God.
Now I know in my heart that such an arrangement hath been made,
By which I shall meet God with banners and music. Whether any one give me praise or blame, Nama hath met God. [65]
Man ought to be satisfied with his lot ; he will be saved by devotion.
V
Sometimes man is not satisfied even with milk, molasses, and clarified butter ;
Sometimes he beggeth morsels from house to house ;
Sometimes he picketh up pulse-sweepings.
Remain as God hath placed thee, O brother —
The greatness of God cannot be described —
Sometimes man rideth on prancing steeds ; [66]
Sometimes he hath not shoes for his feet ;
Sometimes he putteth himself to sleep on a couch with a clean coverlet ;
Sometimes he cannot get straw to sleep upon —
Saith Namdev, the Name alone saveth ;
He who hath found a spiritual guide shall be delivered.
[ p. 66 ]
Namdev describes by familiar examples how dear God is to him.
VII
As food is dear to the hungry,
As the thirsty need water,
As the fool is attached to his family,
So God is dear to Nama.
Nama’s love is devoted to God,
And he hath easily severed himself from the world.
As a woman is smitten with a strange man,
As a greedy man loveth wealth,
As woman is dear to the lustful,
Such is Nama’s love for God.
That is real love by which God attacheth man to Him,
And by which through the guru’s favour duality [67] depart eth.
Love for Him who filleth my heart shall never be sundered ;
Nama hath applied his heart to the true Name.
As the love between a child and its mother,
So is my soul imbued with God.
Namdev representeth, I love God ;
He dwelleth in my heart.
Man should rather seek the guru’s protection than devote himself to sinful pleasures.
VIII
As a fool leaveth the wife of his home,
Hath intercourse with a strange woman, and is ruined.
As the parrot is pleased on seeing the simmal, [68]
But at last dieth clinging to it,
So the home of the sinner shall be in hell-fire ;
He shall continue to burn and never have respite.
He never goeth to see where God is worshipped,
He leaveth the right path and goeth the wrong one, [ p. 67 ]
He forgetteth God and suffereth transmigration,
He rejecteth ambrosia and eateth a load of poison.
When a dancing-girl arriveth on the dancing-floor,
She putteth on rich dresses, adorneth herself,
Danceth to measure, and modulateth her voice,
While Death’s noose is on her neck.
He on whose forehead such destiny hath been written,
Quickly entereth the protection of the guru.
Saith Namdev, this is my decision —
O saints, thus shall you obtain salvation.
The fate of Harnakhas who objected to his son Prahlad* s devotion.
IX
Sanda and Marka [69] went and complained to Harnakhas —
‘ Thy son Prahlad will not study and we are tired of teaching him ;
He singeth God’s praises, beateth time with his hands, and corrupteth all the other pupils ;
He repeateth the name of God ; In his heart he remembereth God.’
The queen represented to her son — ‘The king hath reduced the whole earth to subjection :
My son Prahlad, thou doest not his bidding ; he hath some design on thee.’
A council of his enemies met and passed a resolution, 6 We will lengthen his life.’ [70]
They terrified him by throwing him from a height, by putting him into water and fire, but God changed for him the properties of matter.
Harnakhas enraged drew his sword, and threatened him with death, saying, ‘ Show me who will save thee.’
Prahlad replied, ‘ God who weareth yellow clothes, the Lord of the three worlds, is in the pillar.’
Upon this God tore Harnakhas with his nails, and rendered demigods and men happy. [71] [ p. 68 ]
Saith Namdev, I meditate on that God who bestoweth salvation.
The advantages of a guru.
XI
When one hath a guru, he meeteth God ;
When one hath a guru, he is saved ;
When one hath a guru, he goeth to heaven ;
When one hath a guru, while he liveth he is dead —
True, true, true, true, true is the guru ;
False, false, false, false is all other service than his —
When one hath a guru, he inculcateth the Name ;
When one hath a guru, he runneth not in the ten directions ;
When one hath a guru, he is far removed from the five evil passions ;
When one hath a guru, he dieth not of grief ;
When one hath a guru, he obtaineth the ambrosial Word ;
When one hath a guru, he heareth the story of the Ineffable ;
When one hath a guru, his body becometh immortal ;
When one hath a guru, he uttereth the Name ;
When one hath a guru, he seeth the three worlds ;
When one hath a guru, he knoweth how to reach the exalted position ;
When one hath a guru, his head toucheth heaven ;
When one hath a guru, he is ever congratulated ;
When one hath a guru, he is ever estranged from the world ;
When one hath a guru, he abandoneth slander ;
When one hath a guru, he deemeth evil and good the same ;
When one hath a guru, good destiny is written on his forehead ; [72]
When one hath a guru, evil passions seduce not his body ;
When one hath a guru, the temple turneth towards him ; [ p. 69 ]
When one hath a guru, his hut is rebuilt for him ; When one hath a guru, his bed cometh forth from the river ; [73]
When one hath a guru, he batheth in the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage ;
When one hath a guru, the quoit of Vishnu is impressed on his body ;
When one hath a guru, he performeth the twelve adorations ; [74]
When one hath a guru, all poisons become wholesome ; [75]
When one hath a guru, doubts are dispelled ;
When one hath a guru, he escapeth from Death ;
When one hath a guru, he crosseth over the terrible ocean ;
When one hath a guru, he suffereth not transmigration ;
When one hath a guru, he obtaineth the advantages of the eighteen Purans ;
When one hath a guru, he obtaineth the eighteen loads of vegetables ;
Without the guru, there is no resting-place —
Namdev hath entered the guru’s protection.
Namdev once fell into a trance, and thought he was playing cymbals in God’s honour. God is said to have appeared before him as a Qalandar, and taken his cymbals from him. Namdev on awaking composed the following in God’s praise : —
XII
Come God, the Qalandar Wearing the dress of an Abdali. [76] [ p. 70 ]
The firmament is the hat on Thy head, the seven nether regions Thy slippers ;
All animals with skins are Thy temples ; thus art Thou decked out, O God !
The fifty-six millions of clouds are Thy robes and the sixteen thousand queens of Krishan Thy waistbands ;
The eighteen loads of vegetables are Thy clubs, the whole world is Thy salver ;
Nama’s body is Thy mosque, his heart Thy priest who tranquilly prayeth.
O Thou with and without form, Thou who art wedded to lady Lakshmi,
While I was worshipping Thou hadst my cymbals taken from me : to whom shall I complain ?
Nama’s Lord is the Searcher of all hearts, and wandereth in every land.
BASANT
Man ought not to abandon God’s service even though it be irksome.
I
If a servant rim away when his master is in trouble, [77]
The servant shall not be long-lived, he shall bring shame on his father and mother’s family.
I will not abandon Thy service, O Lord, even though men scoff at me ;
Thy lotus feet dwell in my heart.
As man accepteth death to secure wealth,
So the saints relinquish not God’s name.
Pilgrimages to the Ganges, Gaya, and Godavari are worldly acts ;
If God be pleased, Nama shall be His worshipper.
Namdev’s prayer when in danger of drowning in the stormy ocean of worldly love.
II
The waves of covetousness sound like a cataract, my body is drowning therein, O God. [ p. 71 ]
Float me over the ocean of the world, O God, float me over, Father Vitthal.
In this gale I cannot steer my boat, I cannot reach Thine opposite shore, O God.
Be compassionate and cause me to meet a true guru ; take me across, O God.
Nama saith, I do not even know how to swim ; give me Thine arm, give me Thine arm, O God.
Man slowly grows up. He then becomes the sport of the world and commits sin, but his soul can be washed pure by the guru.
III
As an ant draggeth along a bit of cow-dung,
So this cart fashioned from dust and seed
At first moveth slowly ;
But afterwards the world driveth it with a rod.
My darling soul goeth to the wash-tank. [78]
The washerman [79] dyed with love washeth it with the water of God’s name ;
My heart is fascinated with God’s feet.
Saith Nama, Thou, O God, who art everywhere diffused,
Have compassion on Thy worshipper !
SARANG
Man is intoxicated with worldly love but what he amasses will not go with him, wherefore he ought to prepare for hereafter.
I
O man, why hast thou gone into a forest of evil passions ?
Thou hast partaken of the thieves’ plant [80] and gone astray.
A fish abideth in water,
And taketh no notice of the deadly net ;
It swallow r eth the bait to gratify its palate,[ p. 72 ]
So man is bound by the love of gold and woman.
When the bees hoard up a great store of honey,
Man taketh the honey and throweth dirt on the bees.
The cow storeth up milk for her calf,
But the milkman tieth the calf up by the neck and milketh the cow.
For wealth man maketh great endeavours ;
That wealth he taketh and burieth in the ground.
He amasseth a great deal, but the fool understandeth not
That his riches shall remain on the earth and his body become dust.
He burneth with great lust, wrath, and avarice :
He never joineth the company of holy men.
Saith Namdev, seek God’s protection ; [81]
Become fearless and worship God.
God is contained in everything.
II
Why layest Thou not a wager with me, O God, that there is nothing but Thee ?
The servant is known from his master, and the master from his servant ; this is my game with Thee.
Thou art God and Thine own temple, Thou worshippest Thyself.
From water proceed waves, from waves water, though both have different names in conversation.
Thou art the Singer, Thou art the Dancer, Thou art the Trumpet-player —
Saith Namdev, Thou art my Lord ; Thy servant is imperfect ; Thou art perfect.
In the following God is supposed to address Namdev :—
III
e The man who worshippeth none but Me is in Mine own image ;
The sight of him even for a moment removeth man’s [ p. 73 ] three fevers, [82] and his touch extricateth man from the pit of family life.
A saint can release one bound by Me, but I cannot release one bound by a saint.
If a saint seize and bind Me at any time, I can say naught to him.
I am bound by men’s merits ; I am the life of all things, but My slave is My life. [83]
O Namdev, My love shall shine over him whose heart hath such faith.’
MALAR
The extent and greatness of God’s palace, in which the demigods and all created things are servants.
I
Serve God who is unknowable and stainless.
Give me, O God, the gift of service for which saints beg.
God’s palace hath pavilions on every side ; in heaven is His gorgeous dwelling and mansion ;
He fiUeth equally the seven regions of the world.
In His palace dwelleth the ever youthful Lakshmi ;
The moon and sun are His lamps, the wretched mountebank Death, who levieth a tax on all, is His judge —
Such a Monarch is God.
In His mansion Brahma with the four faces who created the whole world is the fashioning potter ; [84]
In His mansion enthusiast [85] Shiv, the world’s teacher, preacheth pure divine knowledge ;
At His gate are the mace-bearers Evil and Good, and the accountants Chitr and Gupt ; Dharmraj the destroyer is His porterSuch a Monarch is God.
In His mansion are the heralds, the heavenly dancers, the rikhis, and the poor minstrels who melodiously sing ; [ p. 74 ]
All the Shastars are His actors ; [86] His theatre is stupendous ; kings sweetly sing His praises ;
The winds are His waving chauris ;
His handmaiden is Maya who hath vanquished the world ;
His fire-place is the blind pit of hell fire —
Such a Monarch is the Lord of the three worlds.
In His mansion the tortoise is a bed ; Vasuki [87] with its thousand hoods the cords to bind it ;
His flower-girl is the eighteen loads of vegetables ; His water-carrier the ninety-six millions of clouds ;
The Ganges is the perspiration of His feet,
The seven seas His water-stands,
All living things His vessels —
Such a Monarch is the Lord of the three worlds—
At His mansion wait Arjan, Dhru, Prahlad, Ambarik,
Narad, Nejai, [88] the Sidhs, the Budhas, the heralds, and the heavenly dancers who extol Him and play before Him.
In God’s mansion are so many living beings
Within all of whom He is diffused.
Namdev represented, seek God’s protection,
Whose standard all His saints bear.
KANRA
God compared to reflection in a mirror.
God the Searcher of hearts, Like a body reflected in a mirror,
Dwelleth in every heart ; nothing produce th an effect or impression on Him.
He is free from all entanglements and devoid of caste.
When one looketh at one’s own face in the water, the water can produce no impression on it,
So nothing can produce an impression on Vitthal, Nama’s Lord.
[ p. 75 ]
PRABHATI
Everything is unreal ; God alone is real,
I
Only the heart knoweth its own state ; either keep thy secret to thyself, or tell it to a man of understanding.
Since I repeat the name of God, the Searcher of hearts, why should I be afraid ?
God, the Lord of the earth, hath penetrated me.
My God is diffused in every place.
Shops are only phantoms, shopkeepers [89] are only phantoms, cities are only phantoms.
The diiferent grades of men who inhabit the earth are phantoms, and the world wandereth in error.[90]
When the heart is imbued with the guru’s instruction, duality is easily effaced.
All things are subject to the Commander’s order ; He is fearless and regardeth all alike.
He who knoweth and worshippeth the Supreme Being, uttereth words of divine knowledge.
Nama saith, I have obtained the Life of the world in my heart ; He is invisible and wonderful.
God communicates to man the perfume of holiness and changes him to gold.
II
God was in the beginning before the ages and in every age : His end is not known.
God is contained in everything uninterruptedly ; thus is His form described.
The unbeaten strain resoundeth for him who repeateth God’s name —
Happy is my God — [ p. 76 ]
The sandal-tree by its perfume is pleasant to the other trees of the forest ;
Through God who was before all things and who perf umeth like sandal, common wood becometh sandal. [91]
Thou, O God, art as the philosopher’s stone ; I am as the iron ; in Thine association I have become gold.
Thou art compassionate, Thou art the jewel and the ruby.
Nama hath been absorbed in the True One.
Man cannot hope to obtain bliss until he has learnt to know God who is within him.
III
The inscrutable Being invented a play —
God is concealed in every heart,
No one knoweth the nature of the soul’s light ; [92]
What we ourselves have done Thou knowest.
As an earthen vessel is produced from clay,
So Vitthal created the world.
The soul’s entanglements depend on its acts ;
It is itself responsible for what it hath done.
Namdev represented, the soul obtaineth the result of its thoughts ;
The soul which always remaineth fixed on the Inscrutable One, becometh immortal. [93]
Ram Chandar, when he went to war with Rawan, is said to have built a bridge from the mainland of India to Ceylon j and this was effected by causing its rocky materials to float on the surface of" the water. It is supposed that the word Ram (God) was impressed on every stone, and that it was thus made to float on the ocean. In the same way God can cause men to swim safely across to the abode of bliss. The several persons mentioned — outcasts and sinners — succeeded independently of their birth and calling ; and their salvation was effected by repeating the name of God and offering Him suitable homage. ↩︎
Ugarsen was father of Raja Kans, Krishan’s uncle, who sought to kill him in his childhood lest he might usurp his kingdom. Instead of that Krishan killed Kans, and gave the kingdom to his father, Ugarsen. ↩︎
Of the eighty-four lakhs of animal species in the world, half are supposed to be on land and half in water. ↩︎
Khir is the Sanskrit kshir, milk, but the word in later literature generally means rice boiled in milk and sugar. ↩︎
The god of death is supposed to throw nooses to ensnare mortals. He does not mow them down like Death in European mythology. ↩︎
I steep my mind in God’s name. ↩︎
By meditation I unite my soul with God as the needle joins two pieces of cloth. ↩︎
In this line the golden needle represents the guru’s instruction ; the silver thread the pure heart in which it is received. ↩︎
That is, who lives on plunder. ↩︎
That is, turn thine attention to God. ↩︎
Ckhipa is a tradesman who prints calico, sews it, and washes’ it. Hence Namdev is described by some as a washeiman, by others as a tailor, and by others again as a calico-printer. ↩︎
The stone or stones on which worshippers tread as they enter temples. ↩︎
That is, God exists though no trace of Him is seen. ↩︎
Joti, the luminous One, whose light is everywhere diffused, Joti jot samanu This expression is an ordinary Sikh idiom meaning that the light of the soul is blended with the light of God; and is used on the occasion of the death of Gurus. The whole hymn is in praise of celestial light. ↩︎
Virtues. ↩︎
This human life has become profitable. ↩︎
Markand was a long-lived Rikhi who did penance in a forest. There is a temple dedicated to him at Jagannath. ↩︎
That is, I only think of Him, not of stately mansions or palaces. ↩︎
Courtiers allowed umbrellas. ↩︎
The Yadavs sent a boy dressed as a pregnant woman to Durbasa, and put him the question whether a boy or a girl should be born. Durbasa discovered the deception and cursed the Yadavs, with the result that they all perished. ↩︎
It was supposed by the mystics that the heart had seventy-two blood-vessels ; but this is not according to Hindu medical science, which only allows ten blood-vessels altogether for the chest. — Dr. Hoernle. ↩︎
Also translated— 1 fear the courtesan Maya. ↩︎
Why lead an ascetic life in the forest ? ↩︎
The kokil sings during the mango season. ↩︎
This and the two preceding verses are also thus translated :— Man should first cease to love the world, He should next subdue his senses ; Then the soul and God become one. ↩︎
That is, are sometimes exalted, sometimes debased, sometimes high, and sometimes low, like the water-pots of a Persian wheel when in motion. ↩︎
That is, perform their various functions. ↩︎
Sat, reality; chit, conscience; and anand, happiness, are the attributes of God : nam, name ; and rup, form, of Maya. The five qualities united form the garden of the world. ↩︎
Also translated — O man, thou art as a fish in water and seekest to climb a date-tree. ↩︎
Randi — some gvanis translate this word almanac, as the Brahmans were astronomers and astrologers. Others again translate the word learning. ↩︎
Brahmans’ widows were well treated by the public. ↩︎
Randi, sandi, handi are a widow, an elephant, and a pot respectively. ↩︎
Ling, sing, hing are the lingam, a horn, and asafoetida respectively. ↩︎
Kel, bel, and tel are plantains, creepers, and oil respectively. ↩︎
Ram, Siyam, and Gobind are names of God. Siyam is Krishan, so called from his sable colour. ↩︎
This hymn, abounding in the original in Arabic words, appears to show that Namdev held frequent religious discussions with Mullas during his travels. ↩︎
Because Dwaraka is a very holy place, and man must not utter falsehoods there. ↩︎
Krishan, the lord of Dwaraka. ↩︎
The Sun, Indar, and; Brahma respectively. ↩︎
To see more clearly. ↩︎
In the earliest ages of Hinduism the horse as an animal of great value was sacrificed by kings who were disappointed of offspring. In later times the sacrifice was made principally for ostentation by kings who aspired to be greater than their fellows. ↩︎
Balls made of rice and barley are offered to the pitras, manes or ancestors, at Gaya, one of the holiest of Hindu places of pilgrimage. ↩︎
In the Tantar Shastar. ↩︎
In a game played with kauris the gambler cheats in the counting. ↩︎
That is, Save me I Save me! ↩︎
Putana was a nurse whom Krishan’s uncle, Kans, sent to destroy him by applying poison to the nipples of her breasts. Krishan, though an infant, squeezed her to death. With her last breath she said, ‘ God, let me go.’ For mentioning the name of God thus once she obtained salvation. ↩︎
Gautam, the husband of Ahalya, was a pious Rikhi who used to go and bathe in the Ganges after the first watch of night. The god Indar was wont to visit Gautam’s wife during his absence. One night the moon rose at midnight. Ahalya became impatient for the visit of her divine paramour, and went to awake her husband, telling him it was the usual time for his ablutions in the sacred river. Gautam arose and proceeded on his pious duty. While bathing a voice proceeded from the Ganges, and told him not to come so early to bathe. Gautam replied that it was the usual time of his visit. The Ganges explained to him that it was not three o’clock in the morning. He must not judge by a deceptive midnight moon. Gautam cursed the moon. He returned to his house and found his daughter Anjani sitting in the court-yard. He asked her who was in the house ; she said ’ Manjara a word which means either cat or mother’s lover. Gautam, on account of her equivocation, cursed her too. He prayed that she a virgin might bear a child, and in due time she bore Hanuman, the monkey-god. Gautam on entering his house found Indar with his wife. The holy Rikhi cursed Indar with dire and shameful result. He cursed his wife too, and she was turned into a stone in the forest. The god Ram in his travels stumbled against the stone, and by the divine touch Ahalya obtained the boon of salvation. ↩︎
Kesi came in the disguise of a horse to eat up Krishan, but was killed .by that hero thrusting his arm into his mouth and rending him asunder. ↩︎
The following are the allusions in the above hymn : — Bhairav is an inferior manifestation of Shiv and his consort Durga.
Shiv in this form is represented riding on a dog.
Sitala is the goddess who presides over small-pox. She is represented riding on a donkey, and is largely worshipped by Indian women, particularly during epidemics of the disease.
Those who worship Bhairav, sprites, Sitala, and Shiv, contract the qualities of the steeds of the objects of their worship.
Durga cannot confer salvation. She bestows wealth, offspring, &c. When King Pipa asked her for salvation she professed herself unable to grant it. ↩︎
The gayatri is said to have originally been the wife of Brahma. For some shortcoming on her part Brahma cursed her, and she became a cow. In this form she used to graze on villagers’ fields until one of them took a stick and broke her leg ; since then she has been lame. There is another story in which the gayatri is mentioned. Vishwamitra and Vishisht were two eminent Rikhis* The former, in revenge for a slight offered him, killed the hundred sons of the latter. At every murder he used to repeat the gayatri to obtain absolution for the crime. Upon this Vishisht cursed the gayatri and it lost eight of its letters. See Vol. i, p. 1 66, n. 4. ↩︎
Shiv said he would not partake of the banquet prepared for him by Parbati unless his ox were also fed. The lady inquired what meal would please the animal. Shiv replied ’ Your son *• This he said to make trial of her faith. She killed her son to offer his flesh to the ox> but Shiv, on seeing her devotion, restored the youth to life. Another version of this story is that Parbati told her son Ganesh to watch outside her door while she was bathing, and allow no one to enter and behold her nakedness. Shiv presented himself for admission which was refused by Ganesh. Upon this Shiv killed him, but, softened by the weeping of Parbati, again restored him to life, giving him, however, an elephant’s head instead of his own. ↩︎
This means a great city and a great number of cattle. ↩︎
Namdev means that everything proceeded from God, whom he says in the following verse he has found. ↩︎
A kalpa is a day and night of Brahma, four billion three hundred and twenty million years. ↩︎
Garbhdan, gold concealed in fruit or similar articles such as were given to men in power in olden times to purchase their favour. ↩︎
This is the well-known river in Awadh (Oude) generally known as the Gumti. It is so called not from its winding—; gum— stream, but because it gave water and contributed to pasturage for kine. There were several rivers of that name, one of which at one time flowed into the Indus. ↩︎
It will be your own and not the fault of the god of death if you are not saved, and you should not blame him. ↩︎
The preceding lines of this hymn and Bilawal VI, given in Namdev’s life, show that he worshipped the supreme God, here called Ram Chandar, as He is in other places Ram, Hari, &c. The words Jasarath Rai nand appear to have been added as a stereotyped expression of that transitional age. ↩︎
Also translated — How many hast Thou saved by the touch of Thy feet! ↩︎
That is, various bodies are fashioned from the same material. ↩︎
The Lord and the slave are blended in one. Namdev has obtained salvation. ↩︎
Ambarik was a king of Ajudhia famed for his piety. He was an ancestor of Ram Chandar. ↩︎
Bali, son of Prahlad, through his devotion and penance humbled the. gods, and extended his authority over the three worlds. The gods appealed to Vishnu for protection, and he, under the disguise of a dwarf, restrained the energies of Bali, took heaven and earth from him, and left him the infernal regions. Though Vishnu gained this supreme victory, yet, as he was pleased with Bali’s devotion, he agreed to stand at his door and wait upon him. ↩︎
These marks include not only perfection of limbs and features, but artificial ornaments and decorations by which beauty is supposed to be enhanced. ↩︎
Srirang, a name under which God is worshipped in parts of the , south of India. The name Srirangapatam (Anglicé, Seringapatam) is derived from this word, and means the town of Srirang. ↩︎
Literally — he maketh his Turkistani steed dance. ↩︎
Dubidha here means separation from God. ↩︎
The parrot is particularly pleased with the simmal-tree and its cotton pods, but when he pecks at it he cannot disengage his bill and thus perishes. ↩︎
These two brothers were both preceptors of Prahlad. ↩︎
Ironical, meaning 4 We will kill him. ↩︎
Here the word sanalh would also mean that God reassumed his authority over demigods and men, who had previously been subjects of Harnakhas. ↩︎
According to the Sikhs evil destiny may be altered by the kindness of the Guru, as a coin is renewed by restamping. ↩︎
The Emperor, on being satisfied of Namdev’s innocence, presented him with a gilt bed. Namdev at first refused to take it, but when great pressure was employed, he took it and threw it into the Ganges. The Emperor thereupon asked the saint to restore it. He called upon the holy river to give it up, and the story goes that it did so with six other similar beds. ↩︎
There are twelve great lingams ; possessing a guru is equal to them all. ↩︎
All pains are turned into pleasures. ↩︎
This., word now generally means a Muhammadan devotee. It literally means — servant of God. ↩︎
Also translated — Even if a master annoy his servant, and the latter flee away. ↩︎
The congregation of the saints. ↩︎
The guru. ↩︎
Dhatura, bhang, &c, by which thags stupefy their victims. By it here spiritual ignorance is meant. ↩︎
Tachi an is also translated — forswear those things, but this meaning would not be appropriate elsewhere. ↩︎
Adhi, y mental pain ; viadhi, bodily pain ; upadhi, pain from external causes. A boil would be viadhi, a fall upadhi. ↩︎
Is very dear to Me. ↩︎
In allusion to Brahma’s rdle as the creator. ↩︎
Filled with religious enthusiasm. ↩︎
In allusion to the various and different rites prescribed by the Shastars. ↩︎
A serpent frequently identified with Sheshnag. ↩︎
A holy Rikhi, of whom, otherwise, nothing is known. ↩︎
Pasari. Literally — druggists. The word here means men generally, because they make a display as Oriental druggists do of their wares, ↩︎
This and the preceding line are also translated—
To honour God is my shop, to honour God is my city, to honour God is my world ;
To honour God is my residence ; others wander in different ways. ↩︎
Men become holy by devotion and pious association. ↩︎
Since it comes from God and has not been made by man. ↩︎
Shall no longer be subject to transmigration. ↩︎