About The Book
The Maratha people can point with pride to many of their poet-saints who were women of literary ability, wise in Philosophy and godly in character. Bahina Bai is one of them. The present work introduces to English readers, to a larger circle of readers in India and to the West where the name was absolutely unknown but worthy of being known, this saint-poetess whose Autobiography and verses have been known to but a few outside Maharashtra.
The author has not attempted to translate all the verses of Bahina Bai, for the translation of the whole, with the text, would make too bulky a volume. Instead, he has chosen such portions as seemed best adapted to give to the English reader the Thoughts of this Indian woman that found expression in her verses nearly three hundred years ago.
Bahina's autobiography, unique in Marathi literature, supplies all that is known of her. But it covers only the details of her early years. For her later years with their mental struggles, temptations, perplexities and thoughts of approaching Death one has to gather from her verses such details as she has made possible.
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chap. I : Adiparampara :
1. Her Guru Ancestry 1
Chap. II : Atmanivedan Autobiography :
1. Bahina Bai's birthplace 2
2. Bahina Bai's Birth and girlhood 3
3. Bahina Bai's Marriage 5
4. Family quarrels lead to Emigration 7
5. The family settles at Rahimatpur 12
6. The family moves to Kolhapur 13
7.The family is given a black cow and calf 14 :
i. Bahini had a Little calf, Its hair was black as coal 14 : 12
ii. And Everywhere that Bahini went; The calf was sure to go 14 : 20
iii. It followed her to Church one day; Which was against the rule 14 : 31
iv. It made the people laugh and say; "To think a calf can pray" 14 : 38
8. The calf brings trouble to Bahini 14: 38
9. Jayaram Svami comforts Bahini 14 : 57
10. Bahini's angry Husband beats her 15 : 6
11. Jayaram Svami admonishes Bahini's husband 17
12. The Death of Bahini's calf 19
13. Bahini has a vision by night 20 : 9
14. Tukaram appears in a Dream 25
15. Jayaram again Aids Bahini 28
16. Bahini's husband still cruel 31
17. Bahini thinks of her wifely duties 35
18. Bahini's husband is stricken ill 39
19. Bahini's kindness conquers her husband 41
20. The family arrives at Dehu 42
21. Kondaji's kindness, Mambaji's unkindness 43
22. Tukaram's kathas 45
23. Mambaji's opposition 46
24. Appaji Gosavi of Poona threatens Tukaram 49
25. Mambaji's enmity continues 51
26. Bahini becomes a Mother 54 : 4
27. Bahini reviews her life 55
28. Bahini's Depression 60
29. Bahini contemplates Suicide 66
30. God is Bahini's refuge 68
31. Bahini's dark clouds disappear 73
Chap. III : Niryanpar Abhangs :
1. Verses on her approaching death 79
2. Bahini describes her first birth 90
3. Bahini describes her second birth 91
4. Bahini describes her third birth 92
5. Bahini describes her fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh births 93
6. Bahini describes her eighth, ninth, and tenth births 94
7. Bahini describes her eleventh birth 95
8. Bahini describes her twelfth birth 96
9. Bahini describes her thirteenth birth 97
10. Bahini faces her approaching death 99
Chap. IV : Manahpar Abhangs :
1. The control of the heart 117
2. Need of a sadguru 117
3. The heart's Natural inclinations 120
4. Right-thinking the true way 126-135
5. Bahini's personal experiences 136-151
Chap. V : Bhaktipar Abhangs :
1. Verses in praise of Bhakti 152
2. Bhakti defined 152
3. Through bhakti comes purity of thought 157
Chap. VI : Sadguruchi Thoravi :
1. The greatness of the Sadguru 162
2. Maya defined 162
3. The three gunas defined 172
4. The Sadguru brings deliverance 178
Chap. VII : Anutapapar Abhangs :
1. Thoughts on Repentance 187
2. Unsatisfactory Religious Teachers 190
3. Value of repentance 194
4. The Quintuple character of our bodies 198
5. The Name of God, the saving ferry boat 199
6. Who goes to Heaven 200
7. Who comes back to this Earth 201
8. Who goes to hell 202
9. The effect of the three gunas 203
10. The Philosophy of the atma Puzzles Bahini 211
11. Puzzled Bahini rejoices in the Worship of God 214
Chap. VIII : Santavarnanapar Abhangs :
1. Verses on Saints and Sainthood 215
2. Sainthood defined 215
3. Value of association with saints 220
4. Bahini's Love for Saint Tukaram 234
Chap. IX : Bodhapar Abhangs :
1. Thoughts on the Moral Life 239
2. The immoral are afraid of death 239
Chap. X : Namamahatmyapar :
1. Glorification of God's names 393
2. The longing for God 393
3. Peace of heart where bhakt is 396
4. Bahini rejoices in God's names 403
Chap. XI : Brahmakarmapar Abhangs :
1. The duty of Brahmans 404
2. The supremacy of the Brahman 405
3. But who is a Brahman? 411
4. Birth does not determine Brahmanhood 412
5. Bodily form does not determine Brahmanhood 413
6. Religious duties do not determine the Brahman 420
7. What makes a true Brahman 422
8. True and false teachers 436
9. The State of a sinner 442
10. Repetition of the Gayatri and other Brahman duties 449
Chap. XII : Pandhari Mahatmya :
1. Glorification of the Sacred City Pandhari 453
2. God (Hari) dwells at Pandhari 454
3. The joy of Pandhari 460
Chap. XIII : Pundalikmahatmya :
1. The Glorification of saint Pundalik 466
2. Pundalik the undutiful Son 466
3. Pundalik is converted 466 : 5
4. Narad reports Pundalik's devotion 466 : 17
5. God (Krishna) and Narad come to see him 466 : 30
6. Consternation in Heaven at Krisana's disappearance 466 : 42
7. Narad explains Krishna's disappearance 466 : 49
8. The Gods rush down from Heaven 466 : 56
9. The Glorification of Pandhari 466 : 67
Chap. XIV : pativratadharmapar Abhangs :
1. Wifely duties 467
2. Blessedness of fidelity 467
3. How to make Domestic life happy 469
4. Glossary of Marathi Words
5. Marathi Text:
Sant Bahinabaicha Gatha