Nābhājī Bhaṭṭa

biographical name

He was a Rāmānandī Vaiṣṇava and wrote the book titled Bhaktamāla (a compilation of hagiographies). He was the disciple of Agradāsa (GVA. Vol.1, p.370 and Vol.2, p.1271, Bhaktamāla 1). Near Rāmabhadrācala, a place located on the bank of the Godavari in Andra Pradesh, there was a Maharastrian brāhmaṇa named Rāmadāsa who became well known as the aṁśa-avatāra (partial incarnation) of Hanumān. Rāmadāsa’s family is still famous by the name of “Lakha-bhakta”, and were singers by profession. Nābhājī was born into this family. Nābhājī was blind from birth, but at the age of five years he was miraculously given sight. When famine ravaged their land, Nābhājī's mother migrated to a distant part of the country. Along the way she abandoned Nābhājī out of fear of starvation. At this time Nābhājī met Agradāsa and Kilhadāsa. The later gave Nābhājī sight by sprinkling sanctified water upon him. Agradāsa gave Nābhājī dīkṣā and the name Nārāyaṇa dāsa. He then took Nābhājī near Jaipur to Galta and installed him as the ācārya there. Nābhājī's Bhaktamāla contains 195 ṣaṭ-padī (an eighteen lettered verse) and 213 poems.