Bhaktavijaya: Stories of Indian Saints

by Justin E. Abbott | 1933 | 306,590 words

This is the English translation of Bhaktavijaya which is a Marathi poem written by Mahipati in 40,000 lines. The text documents the legends of Indian saints from various backgrounds and extensively covers figures like Ekanath, Tukaram, and Ramadasa, highlighting their contributions to scholarship, philosophy, poetry, and social reform. The Bhaktavi...

17.3: Raka’s concern over the Burning Kittens

16b. The potter understood what it meant, and with his hand he beat his forehead.

17. ‘Alas, Alas,’ he cried to his wife ‘I have committed a great wrong.’ She hurried to the scene and asked him what had happened.

18. Overcome with emotion—Raka said to his wife, ‘There were kittens in the jars and without knowing it I have burned them.

19. The mother-cat mews loudly, and rushes back and forth to the house. What shall I do in this time of distress?’ Saying this he threw himself to the ground.

20. Both Raka and Banka cried out, ‘O Lord of Pandhari, rush to our help. Just as Thou didst preserve the sons of Pandu in the lacquer-house, so protect us.

21. A little frog once fell in a frying-pan and underneath was kindled a hot fire; realising its danger the frog thought of Thee.

22. Thou, the Husband of Rukmini, didst come to its help and the water refused to be heated. In the same way, O Lord of Pandhari, come here at this time of distress.

23. O Mother (God), we have put Thee into an extraordinary-difficulty, but what is there Thou canst not do? Thou didst protect Pralhad [Prahlad?] when thrown into the fire as he remembered Thy feet.

24. The cat species has an evil propensity and it will never think of Thee. But Thou art an Ocean of mercy and a Cloud of intelligence. Preserve the life of these kittens.’

25. The wife said to her husband, ‘Make some vow to God and by doing so, Hrishikeshi (the Lord of the heart) will quickly come to our help.’

26. Raka said in reply, ‘If Thou wilt preserve these kittens from the fire, I shall never again engage myself in worldly affairs.’

27. Thus thinking in their minds, both prostrated themselves upon the ground and cried out, ‘O Shri Hari, rush to our help and remove the distress of Thy lowly ones.’

28. Copious tears flowed from their eyes, all their limbs lost strength, their bodies became covered with dust, and just then a strong wind blew.

29. The fire blazed in the furnace which made both cry out. In thinking of Hari they lost all their self-consciousness.

30. (Their condition was) like a woman who is determined to immolate herself on the funeral pyre of her dead husband; she loses all bodily consciousness and accompanies her husband.

31. For two days the fire of the furnace continued. In the meantime the the potter lay lifeless on the ground.

32. With the hope that Shri Hari would come to their help because of their vow, Banka too continued weeping and crying out, ‘O Vitthal [Vitthala], rush to our aid.’

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