भिक्षुगीत अथवा अनुतप्त कदर्य: Bhikshugita The Mendicant's Song (The Story of a Converted Miser) A Translation of the 23rd Chapter of the Eknathi Bhagavata (An Old and Rare Book)

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While it has been my intention to confine my translations to the accounts of the lives of the Maratha Poet- Saints, that intention is sufficiently flexible to make possible the translation of some of their works, if by doing so I am able to throw light on the character or genius of their pious authors.

I consider Eknath's version of the Bhikshugita as coming under this head. In expanding the sixty-two verses of the Sanskrit text, into 1004 verses in his Marathi version, he had ample opportunity to express his own thoughts. Thus light is thrown on his own character, as well as on his view point of the ideals of human life.

While the persecutions suffered by the mendicant in the story, represent an extreme case, the persecutions that Eknath himself had to suffer, because of his consistency to his high principles, were not very unlike those of the con- verted miser. Eknath bore his persecutions in the same spirit of humility, of forgiveness, of extraordinary gentle- ness and self-forgetfulness, as he pictures the trials through which the converted miser had to pass.

The philosophizing of the mendicant on the evil of avarice, on the control of the mind [mana], on the philosophy of life, and on the Bhaktimarga [Way of devotion]. with its essential of love of God, reflect. I believe, Eknath's own opinions and the experiences of his own life.

Indian psychology, and terms expressing it, are different from those of the West. This makes an accurate translation very difficult, and a clear understanding of it not at all easy. The Western reader must, therefore, bear this in mind, and not condemn too hastily what may seem to him unreasonable, lest that condemnation be a reflection on his own imperfect knowledge of Indian thought, gained through imperfect translations and inadequate English ex- pressions and words.

While Western readers may differ from the philosophy developed in the Song of the Mendicant, no one can read it without feeling an inspiration for higher living, and for a nobler effort to reach the ideals of life. Eknath's wish that the reading of his version of the Bhikshugita might bring peace to those troubled by the turmoils of this worldly life, is sure to be realized in some degree by every reader, be he of the East or the West, because of its spirit, breathing the very peace it teaches.

Eknath's version of the Eleventh skandha of the Bhagavata Purana has great popularity in the Maratha country There are many old manuscripts of this work. Of printed editions there are four that are available.