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...
22.8: Rama’s name heals the whole crowd
65. People who assembled there to see the great sight, as they repeated the name of Rama, all their troubles at once disappeared.
66. Of all the people there with diseases not a single person remained with a disease. Every kind of trouble at once disappeared.
67. Some had chills and fever, some were suffering from tuberculosis, but as they repeated with their lips the name ‘Rama, Rama’ their bodies became free from disease.
68. Some were suffering from ear-aches, some had a swollen jaw, but as they repeated with their lips ‘Rama, Rama’ they were freed from this condition.
69. Some were suffering from guinea-worm and some were footsore, but as they remembered the Husband of Janaki their disease disappeared.
70. Some had pain in their abdomen and some had weak knees, but as they repeated the name of ‘Rama’ their bodies became healed.
71. Some had the skin disease, the itch, and others had white leprosy, but as they repeated the name of ‘Rama, Rama’ their diseases fled away.
72. Some were not able to see and some were deaf, but as they repeated the name ‘Rama, Rama’ (the Holder of the bow) they at once became free from their troubles.
73. Those who were afflicted with coughs, colds, leprosy, and diseases of the spine, they also in remembering the Lord of Ayodhya were at once without their troubles.
74. Some who were troubled by being possessed of devils and had to resort to many kinds of mantras and remedies, they also in remembering Rama became at once healed.
75. Well, enough of such long descriptions. The one hundred and eight severe diseases fled away at the sight of Padmanabh.
76. The merchant now healed, quickly arose and made a prostrate namaskar to Padmanabh. He exclaimed, ‘Blessed are you, O noble Vaishnava. You have been born to be the saviour of the world.’
77. All the people of Benares now worshipped the feet of Padmanabh, and in their joy they worshipped Rama continually.
78. In their working moments, in their dreams and in their dreamless sleep, they continually worshipped Shri Rama.