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Vai∑Iava Sacred Places. References in the Bhaktamala of Nabhadas

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Vai∑Iava Sacred Places. References in the Bhaktamala of Nabhadas VAI∑ıAVA SACRED PLACES. REFERENCES IN THE BHAKTAMALA OF NABHADAS In the “Garland of Devotees” (Bhaktamala), composed in BrajabhaÒa and dated about A.D. 1600, Nabhadas gives short descriptions or some- times merely quotes the names of some 940 VaiÒ∞ava devotees. The author was a devotee of Rama and an immediate disciple of Agradas, in the spiritual lineage of Ramananda (fl. A.D. 1450). Yet, he pays equally tribute to the devotees of K®Ò∞a. He even aims at honouring all devotees, starting from the first three ages of the universe, viz. k®tayuga, treta and dvapara (stanzas 7 to 27)1. This section includes the eight counsellors (saciva, st.19) and the eighteen allies (sahacara, st.20) of Rama, the companions (saµgi, st. 22.5) and the sixteen followers (anuga, st.23) of K®Ò∞a, the devotees of the Seven Islands (sapta dvipa, st.24), and more specifically of the Central Island (madhya dvipa or jambu dvipa, st.25) and of its portion called the White Island (sveta dvipa, st.26). The rest of the 214 stanzas, mainly composed in the chappai metre, describe the devotees of the present age (kaliyuga), starting with the founders of the four devotional traditions: Ramanuja (11th century), ViÒ∞usvami (13th c.), Madhvacarya (13th c.) and Nimbarka (12th c.)2. In A.D. 1712 the Bhaktamala was systematically commented on for the first time by Priyadas in a BrajabhaÒa work entitled “Knowledge of Devotional Taste” (Bhaktirasabodhini)3. This free commentary (†ika) has 629 stanzas of four lines each, in the kavitta metre. It constitutes a most useful complement to the concise and at places even enigmatic chronicles of the basic (mula) Bhaktamala text. 1 For the BrajabhaÒa text of my quotations, see the edition of R. GARGA, Sribhakta- mala, V®ndavan 1960 or S.S. BHAGAVAN PRASAD, Sribhaktamala, 4th ed., Lakhnau 1962. 2 More information of Nabhadas and his Bhaktamala can be found in my two articles: Motives of the VaiÒ∞ava Biographer Nabhadas, in OLP 18, 1987, p. 187-191, and Ideal devotion in VaiÒ∞ava Hinduism. BrajabhaÒa Hagiographic Evidence, in OLP 26, 1995, p.199-204. 3 The text is included in both editions mentioned in the above footnote 1. On Priyadas and his work, see R.D. GUPTA, The Bhaktirasabodhini of Priya Das, in Le Muséon 81, 1968, p.547-562, and ID., The Story of Candrahasa as Narrated by Priya Das and Jaimini and its Comparison with the Kathakosa Version, in OLP 2, 1971, p.163-189. 120 G. POLLET Many devotees are closely linked with a sacred place. Some places were already known much earlier than the sixteenth century, either from epic or puranic or other literary sources. Several other places are not mentioned in the epics or the pura∞as, and may have obtained their sacred character only at a relatively late stage. Both the Bhaktamala and its commentary refer to a number of miraculous events which stress the sacred status of e.g. Puri, Dvarka, Mathura, V®ndavan, Pa∞d˛harpur and Ayodhya. 1. Badrinath, situated at the sources of the Ganga river, was already referred to as “Badri”, in the Tirtha-yatra section of the Mahabharata. The place is known as “Bad(a)rikasrama” in the Garud˛a Pura∞a and in the Vamana Pura∞a, and as “Badritirtha” in the Matsya Pura∞a which contains partly later material, down to perhaps the thirteenth century4. The Bhaktamala refers only once to Badrinath, stating that “In Badri- nath ... all servants were absorbed in adoring the Lord” (“Badrinatha… sevaka saba haribhajana para”, st.101.1). 2. (Jagannath) Puri, in Orissa, occurs in the Garud˛a and Matsya Pura∞a as “(Sri) PuruÒottama”. The cult of Jagannath had a large spreading from the second half of the fifteenth century till A.D. 1567, when the temple was destroyed5. The Bhaktamala refers to Puri as “Nilacala” (st.71.5), a place of pilgrimage by prostrations (da∞∂otani, st.107.4; saÒ†anga, kav.425). On two occasions, reference is made to a miraculous event (Bhaktamala stanzas 50 and 113). 3. Dvarka is already attested in the Mahabharata, where it is also called Dvaravati, as well as in the Pura∞as, e.g. Garu∂a, Matsya and Agni Pura∞a6. The Bhaktamala refers five times to Dvarka7. 4. Mathura is already known from the Pura∞as, e.g. from the Garu∂a and Matsya Pura∞a8. Being the sacred place of K®Ò∞a, the town is men- 4 See S.M. BHARDWAJ, Hindu Places of Pilgrimage, Delhi 1973, p.32, 43, 62, 66 and S.M. ALI, The Geography of the Pura∞as, 2nd ed., New Delhi 1973, p.7. 5 Prabhat MUKHERJEE, History of the Chaitanya Faith in Orissa, New Delhi 1979, p.88-89. Also G. MOHAPATRA, The Land of ViÒ∞u. A Study on Jagannatha Cult, Delhi 1979, p.81 ff. and passim. 6 S.M. BHARDWAJ, op. cit. (above, footnote 4), p.30, 46-47, 62, 66, 69. 7 Bhaktamala, stanzas 53.5; 101.1; 116.1; 141.1 and 149.2. 8 S.M. BHARDWAJ, op. cit. (above, footnote 4) p.62 and 66. See also CH. VAUDEVILLE, Braj, Lost and Found, in Indo-Iranian Journal 18, 1976, p.195-196, and A. W. ENTWISTLE, Mahatmya Sources on the Pilgrimage Circuit of Mathura, in H. BAKKER, ed., The History of Sacred Places in India as Reflected in Traditional Literature, Leiden etc., 1990, p. 5 ff. VAI∑ıAVA SACRED PLACES 121 tioned several times in the Bhaktamala9, once as the destination of a yearly pilgrimage during which a miracle took place10. 5. Madhupuri does not seem to be known in the epic and pura∞ic sources. It has been identified with modern Maholi, a village situated about seven km. to the south-west of Mathura11. Madhupuri occurs only once in the Bhaktamala (stanza 152.1), where it is said to have been the scenary of a big (religious) festival (mahocho). This festivity could be interpreted as the yearly Madhuvana fair at Maholi, Madhuvana being one of the sacred woods and a halting place of the well-known yearly pilgrimage tour (vana-yatra) in the Braj region12. 6. V®ndavan, the place of K®Ò∞a’s childhood and youth13, is referred to more than ten times in the Bhaktamala. Nabhadas describes it as the place of the grove-sports (kuµja kri∂a, st.155.4) and as a place of pil- grimage (st.156.4), during which a miracle occurred. 7. Vatsavana is one of the woods in the Braj region where K®Ò∞a spent his childhood. It is a smaller forest (upavana), situated about eighteen km. to the north of V®ndavan, on the western bank of the Yamuna river14. It is mentioned only once in the Bhaktamala (st.196.6, vacha- vana), where it is described as a privileged abode of the devotees. 8. Three hills of the Braj region are referred to in the Bhaktamala. They are: 1) the Barasana hill, near Mathura, and the adjoining village with the same name (st.102.3), traditionally regarded as the native place of Radha15; 2) Gokul, hill and village near the Yamuna river, east of Mathu- ra, where K®Ò∞a’s foster-father Nanda had his residence (stanzas 79.5 and 199.4)16; and 3) the Govardhana hill (st.199.5)17. These three hilly areas are presented as privileged places of residence for the devotees. 9. Pa∞d˛harpur, in MaharaÒ†ra, is already known from the epic sources18. The Bhaktamala refers once (stanza 43.2-6) to the temple of ViÒ∞u 9 E.g. stanzas 117.2; 147.2 and 199.5. 10 Bhaktamala, stanza 154.1 and kavitta 576. 11 See F.S. GROWSE, Mathura, a District Memoir, 3rd ed., 1883, p. 53-54, and CH. VAUDEVILLE, art. cit. (above, footnote 8), p. 196. 12 F.S. GROWSE, op. cit. (above, footnote 11), p. 50, 53-54. 13 CH. VAUDEVILLE, art. cit. (above, footnote 8), p. 199, 203, 207. A.W. ENTWISTLE, art. cit. (above, footnote 8), p. 14, 18. 14 F.S. GROWSE, op. cit. (above, footnote 11), p. 57. 15 Ibid., p. 311-314. CH. VAUDEVILLE, art. cit. (above, footnote 8), p. 205. 16 F.S. GROWSE, op. cit. (above, footnote 11), p. 55. CH. VAUDEVILLE, art.cit. (above, footnote 8), p. 201-202. 17 F.S. GROWSE, op. cit. (footnote 11), p. 60, 89, 300. CH. VAUDEVILLE, art. cit. (foot- note 8), p. 201-202. A.W. ENTWISTLE, art. cit. (footnote 8), p. 5, 10-11. 18 S.M. BARDWAJ, op. cit. (footnote 4), p. 49, 66, 81. 122 G. POLLET (Vi††hala; Vi†hoba) at Pa∞d˛harpur, where a miracle took place in favour of the devotee Namadeva. 10. Ayodhya, the capital of king Rama, is already known from the epic work Ramaya∞a. The city is mentioned in the Bhaktamala, stanza 98.5: “Cakrapa∞i took residence in Ayodhya, on the bank of the (river) Sarayu”. Nabhadas describes the devotee Cakrapa∞i as “intent on other people’s interests” (para artha parayana, st.98.1). P. Eeckelaerslaan 6 G. POLLET B-3010 Kessel-Lo (Belgium).
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