Bhaktamal

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Bhaktamal is a Braj-language poem written around 1585 by Nabha Dass, a saint from the Ramananda tradition. It gives short biographies of more than 200 bhaktas. While some call it a hagiography, it does not recount miracles and is widely seen as an unbiased account of saints from many Hindu paths. Because it records the lives of many saints early, it is an important source for the devotional and literary history of northern India.

The text mentions notable figures such as the Ramanandi saint Bhagwanji of Gurdaspur and the miracle-working disciple Narainji, who founded a Ramanandi temple in Pandori Dham. It also notes the lineage of Goswami Tulasidas, the author of Ramacharitmanas, and mentions Krishnadas Payahari of Galtaji.

In Bhaktamal, different devotional traditions are referenced and discussed. The most authentic edition is Bhaktamal Bhaskara, published in 1965 by Jankidas Shri Vaishnav of Varanasi, based on old manuscripts. Acharya Baldev Upadhyay praises this edition for using ancient manuscripts and adding insights not always present in earlier editions.

Jankidas explains why revision was needed: earlier narrators sometimes introduced errors or copying mistakes. He collected old manuscripts and, with careful editing, produced the most reliable Bhaktamal edition, alongside the original text and Priyadas Ji’s commentary.