Sacred Stories

गंधर्व अग्नि सोम भोगिती कुमारी । कोठें चराचरीं त्याग केला ॥१॥

Gandharvas, Agni, and Soma all partake of the virgin bride; where in all creation was desire ever renounced? Gayatri her…

शरण शरण जी हनुमंता । तुज आलों रामदूता ॥१॥

I surrender to you again and again, O Hanuman; I have come to you, messenger of Rama. Show me the path of devotion, O gr…

केली सीताशुद्धी । मूळ रामायणा आधीं ॥१॥

He accomplished the search for Sita even before the Ramayana's great events unfolded. Such is his glory, profound and mi…

काम घातला बांदोडी । काळ केला देशधडी ॥१॥

He bound Desire and banished Death from the land. I bow before him, Hanuman of the clan of apes. His body is hard as a t…

हनुमंत महाबळी । रावणाची दाढी जाळी ॥१॥

Hanuman, the supremely mighty, singed the beard of Ravana. To him I offer my salutations again and again, without end. L…

ऐका महिमा आवडीचीं । बोरें खाय भिलटीचीं ॥१॥

Hear the glory of pure love: the Lord eats the wild berries offered by the tribal woman Shabari. Such is his hunger for …

येउनि गुंफेमाजी दुष्टें केली चोरी । कांहो मज आणिले अवघड लंकापुरी ॥१॥

Sita laments in the Ashoka grove: the wicked stole me away by trickery and brought me to this perilous Lanka. Why, O Ram…

सुख वाटे तुझे वणिऩतां पवाडे । प्रेम मिठी पडे वदनासी ॥1॥

It delights me to recount your glorious deeds; love itself seals my lips. Two birds nested on a single tree, and a wicke…

प्रथमारंभीं लंबोदर । सकळ सिद्धींचा दातार । चतुर्भुज फरशधर । न कळे पार वणिऩतां ॥1…

First comes Lambodara, the pot-bellied one, the giver of all accomplishments, bearing four arms and an axe, whose greatn…

एक प्रेमगुज ऐकें जगजेठी । आठवली गोष्टी सांगतसें ॥1॥

Listen, O Lord of the World, to this tale of love; a story has come to mind. A deer with its two fawns was grazing happi…

रामा वनवास । तेणें वसे सर्व देश ॥1॥

Rama went to the forest, and by that exile, He came to dwell in every land. He preserved the power of His name; the Almi…

तारी ऐसे जड । उदकावरी जो दगड ॥1॥

He floated heavy stones upon the water. What then can He not do? Why do you not bow down humbly at His feet? By the touc…

पैल आला राम रावणासी सांगती । काय निदसुरा निजलासी भूपति ॥1॥

Rama has arrived, they tell Ravana. Why do you sleep, O king, lost in your slumber? Every being within Lanka has become …

समरंगणा आला । रामें रावण देखिला ॥1॥

On the field of battle, Rama beheld Ravana. See how these two shall clash, having steered their chariots into the fray. …

केला रावणाचा वध । अवघा तोडिला संबंध ॥1॥

Ravana was slain, and the whole connection was severed. Bibhishana was established as king of Lanka for all time. How ca…

आनंदले लोक नरनारी परिवार । शंखभेरीतुरें वाद्यांचे गजर ॥1॥

The people rejoiced, men and women and their families, to the sound of conches, trumpets, and drums. Great joy arose in …

जालें रामराज्य काय उणें आम्हांसी । धरणी धरी पीक गाइऩ वोळल्या ह्मैसी ॥1॥

Rama's kingdom has come. What do we lack? The earth yields her harvest; cows and buffaloes overflow with milk. We shall …

गोबरधन नखपर गोकुल राखा । बर्सन लागा जब मेंहुं फत्तरका ॥1॥

He lifted Mount Govardhan on His fingernail and sheltered Gokul when the rain of stones poured down. The Lord of Vaikunt…

आड आला ह्मुन फोडियेला डोळा । बिळनें आंधळा शुक्र केला ॥1॥

Shukra's eye was destroyed because he stood in the way. One who obstructs is made blind. If God wills it, what is imposs…

रामें स्नानसंध्या केलें क्रियाकर्म । त्याचा भवश्रम निवारला ॥1॥

Rama performed the rituals of bathing, prayer, and sacred action; through these, His worldly bondage was destroyed. Othe…

गजइंद्र पशु आप्तें मोकलिला । तो तुज स्मरला पांडुरंगा ॥1॥

The elephant Gajendra, abandoned by his own kin, cried out to You, O Panduranga. For his sake, You left Garuda behind an…

ब्रह्मYाान तरी एके दिवसीं कळे । तात्काळ हा गळे अभिमान ॥1॥

The knowledge of Brahman may dawn in a single day, and at once pride dissolves. Yet pride clung even to Shuka's back, so…

न कळे माव मुनि मागे एकी अंतुरी । साठी संवत्सरां जन्म तया उदरीं ॥1॥

His illusions are beyond understanding. A sage sought a single bedsheet and spent sixty years gestating in a womb for it…

बहु होता भला । परि ये रांडेनें नासिला ॥1॥

He was a very fine person, but this woman has ruined him. She has learned many tricks and masquerades; truth and falseho…

दुःखें दुभागलें हृदयसंपुष्ट । गहिंवरें कंठ दाटताहे॥1॥

My heart, that sealed treasure, has been broken open by grief; a sob chokes my throat. What have You done, O friend of S…

लंकेमाजी घरें किती तीं आइका । सांगतसें संख्या जैसीतैसी ॥1॥

Hear how many houses there were in Lanka; I will tell you the count as it truly was. Five hundred thousand houses of sto…

गजेंद्र तो हस्ती सहस्र वरुषें । जळामाजी नक्रें पीडिलासे ॥1॥

The great elephant Gajendra was tormented by a crocodile in the waters for a thousand years. All his companions abandone…

ब्रह्मयाचे वेद शंखासुरें नेले । त्यासाटीं धरिलें मत्स्यरूप ॥1॥

When the demon Shankhasura stole the Vedas from Brahma, You assumed the form of a fish. It was not as though Brahma's so…

देवीं आणि दैतीं सिंधू गुसिळला । भार पृथ्वीस जाला साहावेना ॥1॥

When the gods and demons churned the ocean, the earth could not bear the weight. You became the tortoise and held the bu…

हिरण्याक्ष दैत्य मातला जे काळीं । वरदानें बळी शंकराच्या ॥1॥

When the demon Hiranyaksha grew drunk with power, strengthened by Shankara's boon, he seized Indra's kingdom by force, a…

प्रल्हादाकारणें नरसिंहीं जालासी । त्याचिया बोलासी सत्य केलें ॥1॥

For the sake of Prahlada You became Narasimha, making his words come true. Rama, Krishna, Govinda, Narayana, Hari, the r…

वाटीभर विष दिलें प्रल्हादासी । निर्भय मानसीं तुझ्याबळें ॥1॥

A cup full of poison was given to Prahlada, but his heart was fearless by Your strength. O Narayana, he drank what was o…

अिग्नकुंडामध्यें घातला प्रल्हाद । तरी तो गोविंद विसरेना ॥1॥

Prahlada was cast into a pit of fire, yet he would not forget Govinda. He told his father that Hari pervades all things,…

कोपोनियां पिता बोले प्रल्हादासी । सांग हृषीकेशी कोठें आहे ॥1॥

The enraged father demanded of Prahlada: tell me, where is your Hrishikesha? The boy replied: He is in wood, in stone, i…

डळमिळला मेरु आणि तो मांदार । पाताळीं फणिवर डोइऩ झाडी ॥1॥

Mount Meru and Mandara trembled, and the great serpent in the netherworld shook his heads. The sun and moon were dimmed …

दुर्वासया स्वामी गुंतलों भाकेसी । पुसा जा बळीसी निरोप द्यावा ॥1॥

O Durvasa, I am bound by My promise. Go and ask Bali for his permission to release Me. Without his leave, I cannot depar…

बळी ह्मणे आजि दुर्वासया स्वामी । मागों नका तुह्मी नारायणा ॥1॥

Bali said: O Durvasa, do not ask me to give up Narayana. I obtained Hari after great effort, and I have seated Him at my…

त्रैलोकींचा नाथ सकळांचा आधार । बिळचें तुवां घर धरियेलें ॥1॥

You are the Lord of the three worlds, the support of all, yet You have made Bali's doorstep Your home. You have left us …

बोलिलेती ते देवॠषी दुर्वासया । जाय पुसावया मागत्यानें ॥1॥

The divine sage spoke, and the Lord told Durvasa to go and ask Bali once more for permission to leave. Durvasa again app…

दुर्वासें निरोप आणिला ये रिती । मग वाढलेती नारायणा ॥1॥

Durvasa brought back this reply, and then the Lord stretched Himself. He placed His feet at Bali's doorway and extended …

मुरुकुश दोन्ही मारिले आसुर । दुर्वास ॠषीश्वर सुखी केला ॥1॥

The two demons Muru and Kushu were slain, and the sage Durvasa was set at ease. Because You killed Muru, the name Murari…

वेद नेलें शंखासुरें । केलें ब्रह्म्यानें गा†हाणें ॥1॥

The demon Shankhashura stole the Vedas, and Brahma pledged them as security. Run, O merciful Hari, run swiftly! The elep…

ददुऩराचें पिलुं ह्मणे रामराम । नाहीं उदक उष्ण होऊं दिलें ॥1॥

A frog's child utters the name of Rama, and the water does not scald it. In the boiling pot the young one cries out. O G…

 पाषाण परिस भूमि जांबूनद । वंशाचा संबंध धातयाचा॥1॥

Lanka's foundation was of stone and gold, its lineage that of a noble dynasty. Its golden city was surrounded by ocean, …

वैकुंठींचा देव आणिला भूतळा । धन्य तो आगळा पुंडलीक ॥1॥

The God of Vaikuntha was brought down to earth. Blessed beyond all others is Pundalik. He is the foremost in fortitude a…

फिरविलें देऊळ जगामाजी ख्याति । नामदेवा हातीं दुध प्याला ॥1॥

He turned the temple around, making Namdev famous throughout the world, and drank milk from Namdev's hands. He honored t…

दामाजीपंताची रसद गुदरली । लज्जा सांभािळली देवरायें ॥1॥

Damajipant's revenue account was settled, and the Lord Himself preserved his honor. Listen with attention to his story. …

भूत नावरे कोणासी । पुंडलीकें खििळलें त्यासी॥1॥

This spirit could not be controlled by anyone, yet Pundalik nailed Him to that spot. With even feet on the brick He stan…

कां रे पुंडएा मातलासी । उभें केलें विठ्ठलासि ॥1॥

O Pundalik, why did you become so bold as to make Vitthal stand? He who resided in the ocean of milk has come to stand i…

दारिद्रानें विप्र पीडिला अपार । तया पोटीं पोर एक असे ॥1॥

A brahmin was tormented by terrible poverty. He had one child. The child would occasionally find sweets somewhere and be…

सांडियेला गर्भ उबगोनि माउली । नाहीं सांभािळली भूमि शुद्ध ॥1॥

The mother, weary and in distress, abandoned the child at birth, not caring whether the ground was clean. In such a cris…