Bhakta Sangam

In the company of Namdev, they retired behind the temple of Shiva and sat down to continue the kirtan. As the sun sets, its rays depart; when the king ventures into the wilderness, his army follows suit. Similarly, the clouds move in the direction of the wind. Thus, all the listeners followed Namdev. With joy and exclamation, they clapped their hands at the mention of Hari, and tears streamed down from Namdev's eyes, who served as a devotee of Vishnu.

Namdev cried out, "O Purifier of sinners, Helper of the helpless, Husband of Rukmini, come to my aid. O Life of the world, why have You abandoned me in this foreign land? It feels as though a doe has forsaken her young, a bird has forgotten her fledglings, a mother has abandoned her child in the jungle, or the chatak bird has been forgotten by the clouds. It is as if the moon is angry with the chakor bird, the sun is angry with the lotus, the soul has abandoned the body, or sight has turned against the eye. It is our unfortunate state today. O Dweller in Pandharpur, Vithabai, family goddess, why have You forgotten me? I have wandered across the seas and seen all the sacred bathing places, but I have not found a god like You. Your form, with parallel feet and hands on the hips, is beautiful and enchanting, melting away all consciousness when beheld like an unclad idol. While the cymbals, vina, and drums resound, and the Garuda banners create a captivating sight, the eyelids forget their usual activity of blinking when gazing upon them." Overwhelmed with emotion, Namdev thought of the Husband of Rukmini.

At that moment, an extraordinary event occurred. Listen to it, you holy and devout ones. Nine hundred thousand banners descended from heaven like lightning and stood erect where the kirtan was taking place. They were not just ordinary flags; they represented the fruits of the nine forms of devotion, as if the nine sentiments had personified themselves in the kirtan. Witnessing this marvel, everyone was amazed and stood in awe without even thinking about their physical bodies. This filled Namdev, the servant of Vishnu, with immense joy, and he shouted the names of Vitthal with great enthusiasm while dancing amidst the kirtan.

The night was dark, being the dark half of the moon, but the banners illuminated the entire space. The joy in Namdev's heart was overwhelming, and the sound of clapping hands filled the sky. The gods showered an abundance of flowers, and the spectacle was beyond imagination. The people, in their joy, raised their hands and made the sound of clapping and snapping their fingers. The sixty-four arts personified appeared to stand there, astonished by the marvel. Namdev then pondered, "Everything seems favorable here, arranged by the Lord of Pandhari, but one thing seems to be lacking. Nagnath is facing the other way; He has turned His back on this kirtan in honor of Hari. I don't know what wrong I have committed. If the Shiva temple were in front of us, the kirtan's enthusiasm would be immense. Why doesn't the Husband of Rukmini come to my aid? Why is He angry with me? Victory to You, O One who delights in Your abode on the sea of milk, Husband of Lakshmi, the most generous One, Helper of the helpless, compassionate One, come quickly to my aid. Victory to You, the One who freed Gajendra (the elephant), the embodiment of mercy, the Father of Brahmadev, the King of the Yadavas. Cast aside Your maya as I utter Your name and hasten to help me. Upamanyu made an insistent plea, and You granted him the ocean of milk. Be merciful to me in the same way and come to my aid. You protected Draupadi from shame by granting her four arms. Be merciful to me and help me. When the Muhammadan king killed the cow in the midst of the kirtan, I put You in trouble, O Master. You immediately came to my aid and restored the cow's life in an instant. When I was thirsty in the wilderness, You promptly came to my assistance. But now, with a hardened heart, You do not come quickly, O Vitthal. Shiva sits in His temple, turning His back to me. Look upon me with the eye of mercy and come to my aid, O Lord of the universe." Filled with love, Namdev mournfully pleaded during the kirtan.

Suddenly, an incredibly wonderful thing happened. Listen to it, you devout devotees. The temple, which originally faced east, suddenly turned around to the west. Everyone expressed their astonishment, and it was a blessed moment. They joyfully clapped their hands in love, and the entire assembly of devotees rejoiced. They exclaimed, "He who wears the moon on His forehead (Shiva) has surely come to Nama's aid." Hearing Nama's kirtan, the Husband of Parvati (Shiva) and the temple both turned their faces to the west and listened with love. Witnessing Nama's immense devotion, the listeners were filled with joy. Nama addressed them, saying, "The doer of this marvel is the merciful Shri Hari." This extraordinary kirtan of Nama was seen as being performed in front of the temple with great love.

After the Brahmans completed their worship inside the temple, they came outside and, to their surprise, witnessed Nama's kirtan being performed with immense love in front of the temple. After bathing in the holy water early in the morning, they intended to offer oblations to the sun. However, they remarked, "Either the west has become the east, or we have lost all sense of direction. Perhaps we have fallen into some misunderstanding due to staying awake. Or it seems that Shiva has become especially pleased with Nama." After contemplating further, they looked around and searched for the usual sacred bathing place but couldn't find it. Only the temple had turned around and now faced Nama, while the divine banners shone brilliantly like lightning. Witnessing this, the Brahmans were astonished and said, "Even Brahmadev and other gods could not fathom the extent of Nama's power. We have needlessly persecuted him out of pride in our own accomplishments." Repentant in their hearts, they approached the location where the kirtan was taking place. The Brahmans said to Nama, "Blessed are you, noble Vaishnava, a god-loving devotee and the complete embodiment of Uddhav. We now truly understand that you have performed and demonstrated something unheard of and unseen before. O Nama, blessed is your mother, and this assembly is indeed fortunate. May your extraordinary praises resonate throughout the three worlds, as long as the earth, moon, and sun exist. May the holy devotees sing about your life with their lips, for anyone who listens to it will become sanctified in an instant." With reverence, the Brahmans offered their salutations to Nama and added, "Neither Brahmadev nor other gods could comprehend the extent of your power. Durvas, filled with pride, persecuted Ambarish. The Life of the world, knowing his distress, bore the sufferings of birth. When the Brahmans of Pratishthan (Paithan) persecuted Dnyaneshwar, he made the buffalo recite the Vedas. Similarly, you have done an impossible thing. You have truly turned the temple of Shiva around."

Nama opened his eyes, choked with emotion, and recited a hymn of praise for the Husband of Rukmini. With love, he waved lights over Him and made a prostrate namaskar before distributing sweetmeats. At that moment, the banners flew away and swiftly returned to their home in the heavenly abode, Vaikunth. People raised their faces and witnessed this marvelous sight. The temple of Shiva, which had turned around at that time, remains the same even today. Shri Hari, who takes pride in His devotees, Himself alleviates their distress. Among the gods, the Husband of Rukmini is supreme, and among all Vaishnavas, the devotee Nama stands first. There is no one in the three worlds worthy of comparison with Nama. What juice can be compared to nectar? What river can be mentioned in comparison to the ocean? In the next chapter, the Husband of Rukmini will cause this book to be written with its extraordinary charm. Mahipati simply bears His mark and appears as a supplicant to the saints. Swasti (Peace!) This book is the Shri Bhaktavijaya. By listening to it, the Lord of the Earth will be pleased. Listen to it, you pious devotees of God. This concludes the twelfth and very delightful chapter, offered to Shri Krishna.