Samarth Ramdas

Samarth Ramdas

An eminent Marathi Saint and religious poet who was versatile in matters both worldly as well as spiritual

Birth: 1608

(Shake 1530 Chaitra Shuddha Navami)



Swami Samarth Ramdas was a great litterateur, visionary and progressive RashtraSant, adept at diverse topics ranging from spirituality, love of all religions, patriotism, organising people, awakening people, social work, politics, worldly engagements, poetry, literature, metaphysical and physical development.

Swami Ramdas was born in the Thosar family in Jamb village in Marathwada, Maharashtra. The family traditionally worshipped the sun. Swami Ramdas was named Narayan.

Narayan was an exceptional boy in terms of his ideas and behaviour. He was a great devotee of deity Hanuman and Lord Rama. He had a vision of Lord Rama even when he was a boy. Lord Rama Himself initiated him. As a boy, Ramdas acquired some knowledge of the Hindu scriptures and developed a liking for meditation and religious study. One day he shut himself in a room and began to meditate on God. When his mother asked him what he was doing, Ramdas replied that he was meditating and praying for the good of the world. His mother was surprised and joyous at the precocious religious inclination of the boy.

When Ramdas was twelve years of age, all arrangements were made for his marriage. He sat at the altar in front of the bride with an Antarpaath (a screen traditionally placed between the bride and bridegroom till the actual exchange of garlands officiating the union) between them. When the priests chanted Sawadhan (be alert) as a part of traditional marriage holy chants, Ramdas actually became alert and bolted away from the place and disappeared within the twinkling of an eye.

Narayan ran away to the holy city of Nashik for developing his spiritual self. He experienced the holy atmosphere of the Godavari, also known as south Ganga, and even had the fortune of interacting with Lord Rama. He began on his path of spirituality by repeating the Gayatri Mantra (a holy Hindu hymn). He undertook a twelve year Tap (religious austerity) and meditated the Ram Mantra (Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram) thirteen crore times at the banks of the Godavari at Tafali near Nashik. Lord Shri Ram was himself Narayan’s Guru.

His main objective was to spread and establish the Hindu religion throughout India.
In his own words,

Dharma Sansthapana Jagjivana| Bharatkhandi karne aisi|

(Establish the religion is the aim of my life| To make India a nation |)

He visited all the pilgrimage and holy places in the entire country. While visiting the country, he observed the ethos of the nation. In extremely difficult times like calamities and autocratic rule of foreign forces, he literally waved a magic wand to turn the State back from the path of destruction. He strove hard to establish and widen the scope of Maharashtrian religion. It was as a tribute to Ramdas's extraordinary patience and determination in rehabilitating the Hindu religion in India that people named him Samarth (all-powerful) Ramdas, a name which he richly deserved.

Maratha tituka melvava| Maharashtra Dharma vadhvava|

(The Marathi people should so unite | And spread the Marathi religion |)

He created a Ramdas sect of his devotees who followed his philosophy of regular reading of the holy text, politics, alertness and perseverance and worked towards the spreading the religion through preaching. He established his Math in several places to achieve his objective of spreading the religion all over the country.

The lifeless people of Maharashtra sprung to life with the powerful incantation of Samartha Ramdas’s chant, Jay Jay Raghuvir Samartha. (Hail be Lord Ram). This singular chant engulfed the entire State. The chant even spread to northern States, at the banks of the Ganga, Yamuna and Kaveri. By developing virtuous disciples and establishing Math, he developed impartial leadership qualities in the people and reached a considerable milestone towards his goal in establishing a sound nation. By creating an unparalleled balance between religious power and political power, he filled the minds of promising youth with patriotism. He established the powerful deities of Lord Ram and TuljaBhavani and Maruti, the deities of strength, before the people. Simply considering the number of Maruti temples established by him leaves us awe struck at his perseverance and industry; he literally established hundreds of Maruti temples. He lived a life of an ascetic in the wide open, and devoted his entire life towards the benefit of the country. He showed the path of spirituality and a better life to people of all classes, orphans, helpless children and women. He advised them to develop good judgement to soundly establish their worldly and spiritual lives. He dreamt of an ideal land. He awakened the spiritual as well as the scientific minds of the people to make the nation strong.

Saamarthya ahe chalvaliche, jo jo karil tayache| parantu tethe adhishtan pahije| bhagvantache|

(A movement has strength, with people joining in| but the movement needs the presence| of divinity)

According to his above adage, he tried to create a movement with the presence of divinity. Realising the importance of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s political movement of establishing Swarajya, he gathered the people together and made a valuable contribution towards strengthening the Swarajya movement and establishing the nation. He awakened the movement for a divine and just nation by creating a balance between tolerance and yearning for victory.

Along with his valuable contribution towards establishing the nation, he also stressed on educating the masses, establishing sound worldly lifestyles, spirituality and good judgement, because these are the essential components of a self ruled sound nation. To make the masses literate, he started a mass movement of reading and writing. In his preaching he says -

Disa maji kahi tari te lihave, prasangi akhandit vachit jave

(One should write something everyday, and read at every opportune moment)

He also said –

Je je apanasi thave| te te itaransi shikvave| shahane karun sodave sakala jana||

(Whatever one knows| one should teach others| make everyone clever)

He has also taught how worldly life and spiritual life can be balanced together. He says,

Kahi melvi mag jevi | guntlya lokas ugvi ||
Sharir karni laav | kahi tari ||

(Earn something then eat | people engaged in work should realise ||
Put your body to good use | work at anything ||)

If one leaves the worldly life and develops spiritually, then one benefits oneself, but if one develops spiritually while maintaining worldly life, then the country benefits. He therefore advises-

Prapanchi je savdhan | tochi parmartha karil jaan |
Prapanchi jo apraman | to parmarthi khota ||

(He who successfully handles his worldly life | will understand true spirituality|
He who does not give due effort towards his worldly life| will never learn true spirituality||)

He has also described the greatness of motherhood through his poems thus –

Bhaavaartaache aagru | prabal shaanticha saagru |
Pahaataa upme meru | tohi unaa ||

(A home of sincerity and honesty | an ocean of peace |
Attempted to draw a parallel with Meru (a tall mountain) | that too is insufficient ||)

He uses such profound synonyms with respect to a mother. Samarth Ramdas has also written on diverse subjects such as literature, art, health, lifestyle, nature and construction business. He has not left a single aspect of life untouched. Samarth Ramdas gives detailed instructions to achieve the highest goal and become successful in any field.

While establishing a Math at Parali, a garden was being established around the Math. At this time, Samarth Ramdas wrote an entire volume on gardening. Similarly the volume Karkhane (Industry) that he wrote while the fort was being built in Sajjangarh contains initial chapters on production of bricks, how to organise labour and all such details with respect to construction.
Similarly, while describing how a song should be, Samarth Ramdas says –

Balake shvapade pakshi | lobhati vedhati mani |
Chitta nischinta hotati | dhanya te gayani kala ||

(Children animals and birds | enamour and entrance the mind|
Ones mind is put to rest | blessed is the art of song ||)

Samarth Ramdas also expresses his pride in the Marathi language so –

Aik Mhanji Marhati kay | He to bhalyasi aiko naye |
Ti murkha nenati soy | arthaanvayaachi ||
Lohaachi mandoos keli | naanaa ratne saathavili |
Tee abhaagyaane tyaagili | lokhanda mhanoni |
Taisi bhasha prakrut ||

(Listen to how great the Marathi language | even the learned are foxed |
It (the language) makes a fool of you | with its depth of meaning ||
Created a chest of iron | collected varied gems (in it) |
Which were unfortunately lost | mistaken for (mere) iron |
Such is the language natural || )
There are many such subjects covered in his literature. Though the language used by Samarth Ramdas has a limited vocabulary, the words are so profound that they are succinct and apt. His style of composition and use of words makes his literature extremely lucid and effective. He had en eye for detail for all aspects of life and an effective way of perfectly expressing that detail, as also his thoughts and ideologies, in his literature. His verses had a specific lilt and rhythm to it. This made his verses extremely easy for even the common people to learn, understand and memorise. All of his literature is based on his own experiences, which adds to the weight of the words. Samarth Ramdas’s verses and literature are so profound that they are a topic for an exclusive research.

While Samarth Ramdas was awakening the minds of people through all his literature, his chief objective was always Hindavi Swarajya (Self rule of India)! The foreign rulers of the country at that time were attempting to destroy the prevalent Hindu religion and culture from the country. To counteract that, Samarth Ramdas believed that the only way to stem the rot was to awaken strong feelings of patriotism, religiosity (of one’s own religion) and pride in one’s mother tongue in each youth of the country. He set out on this mission and created turmoil in the country. Samarth Ramdas was the chief architect of strengthening the foundations of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Hindavi Swarajya in the country and establishing an ideal nation in Maharashtra.

Samarth Ramdas resided most of his later life around Satara, Chafal and Sajjangarh. The Lord Ram temples and eleven important Maruti temples established by him are in this region.

He wrote the Dasbodh while sitting in a cave in a place called ShivtharGhal near Raigad. There are historical records of Shivaji Maharaj and Samarth Ramdas having met in the vicinity of Chafal.

Samarth Ramdas was and still is an exemplary guide in spirituality, philosophy, devotion to Lord Ram and Shri Hanuman. He took Samadhi on Sajjangarh on 1681.

Literature of Samarth Ramdas

Shrimath GranthaRaj Dasbodh: This work consists of 7,751 verses called ovi. It provides sagacious advice on both spiritual and diverse practical topics

Manache Shlok: A small book of meditations which consists of 205 memorable four-line verses and is an advice and preaching to the human mind, to behave in an ethical way and devote oneself in the love of God.

Maruti Stotra: This is a Marathi adulatory poem for Lord Hanuman which is very popular in Maharashtra.

Other than the above compositions, he also wrote Atmaram Grantha, Karunashtake, Savaya, Pade – Choupadi. He has also written many hymns.


Ref: http://www.bharatadesam.com/people/samartha_ramdas.php

Death: 1681

(Shake 1603, Magh Navami, Shaniwar)

Saint Chokhamela

Saint Chokhamela

A great Marathi Saint who took the wicked to task and entreated before God for the sake of the distressed

Birth: 13th century
Tuka mhane tumhi vicharanche grantha | Taarile pateet tene kiti||

Tukaram says you are a tome of ideologies | Innumerable are the wicked that you have taken to task ||

The great saint Tukaram describes Chokhamela with these words. Chokhamela was a Saint from Saint Dnyaneshwar’s clan. Saint Shiromani Namdev was his Guru.

Chokhamela was a Marathi Saint poet who lived in Mangalvedha near Pandharpur in Maharashtra with his wife Soyara and son Karmamela sometime in the 14th century. He was born in the Mahar cast. The Mahars were supposed to remove dead animals from people's homes and farms and dispose them off beyond the village limits. Chokhamela would work to eke out a living, but through his every waking moment, he had the Lord’s name on his lips. His devotion to Lord Vitthal was unmatched and what is astonishing is the fact that he wrote beautiful poetry in all those circumstances.

The community in his times considered him a lesser mortal. He was dispirited by the discrimination in the society. He felt like he was stuck in the mire of casteism and social structure, worldly affairs, social life and material trade. He was suffocated by all of it. But his saving grace was the Lord himself and his close association with saints.

Chokhamela migrated to Pandharpur where he listened to Sant Namdev’s Kirtan. He was moved by Namdev’s teachings and became a disciple of the great saint-poet. When he was staying at Pandharpur, Chokha’s brother-in-law Banka became a disciple of Chokha. The whole family including Chokha, Banka, his son Karmamela, wife Soyara and sister Nirmala were devotees of Vithal. There is even a popular folk lore that when his wife was pregnant, it was the Lord Vitthal himself who came to her as her sister-in-law and looked after her and became her midwife during her delivery. His son Karmamela is also a Saint. There are some beautiful Abhanga composed by SoyraBai, Karmamela, brother-in-law Banka and sister Nirmala. Chokhamela was a saint of the highest order. He would consider God in everyone -

Vithu patlacha balutedar, gavkicha Mahar
(I am a servant of Lord Vitthal, just like a Mahar is the servant of the Village Chief)

Since Saint Dnyaneshwar is the cause of spirituality reaching the masses in the thirteenth century, Saint Chokhamela says,

Khatanat yave, shuddha houni jave | davandi pithibhaave dolaa ||
(The blemished should come, and return cleansed | let the village messenger so proclaim…)

So proclaiming, he reached the spiritual and indiscriminate devotion found in the Warkari sect to his neglected brethren. All the Saints including Saint Dnyaneshwar earnestly felt that every person in the society, including people from the lowest class, should get an opportunity for developing their soul. Saint Chokhamela showed these masses the path towards spirituality using the BhaktiMarga (devotional path) through his Abhanga compositions. Saint Chokhamela was always concerned about the progress of his neglected brethren. He attempted social reform via a devotional path through his compositions to grant equal rights in society, reduce the disparity in society and eliminate the struggle between classes.

While savouring Saint Chokhamela’s devotion, one experiences a mute wail. His compositions are replete with culture, endurance, deep devotion and loyalty to oneself and give us a sense of his internal anguish.

He asks the Lord -

Heen mazha mhanati deva | kaisi ghado tumachi sevaa |
(they call me a lesser mortal | how then can I serve you |)

He is assailed by questions like

Kaa mhanun aamhi yaa yaatanaa sahan karaavayaachyaa, bhagvantaacyaa lekhi sarva tyaacheech lekre aahot naa, mag asa dujaabhaav kaa?

(why should we bear these torture, in the eyes of the Lord we are all his children, then why this discrimination?)
His Abhanga compositions are extremely poignant. Along with his devotion, his compositions reveal the misery, neglect and mental torture that he has suffered. While working on making a collection of his compositions, some researchers revealed to Abhyanga Ananta Bhatt that approximately 350 of his Abhanga compositions are available today.

Many of his Abhanga are popular even to-date-

Dhaav ghaali Vitthu aataa | Chalu nako manda |
Badve mazha maariti | aisa kahitari apraadha ||

(Run my Lord Vithoba now | Do not stroll leisurely |
The bandits pommel me | for what crime I do not know ||)

Johaar maaybaap johaara | tumchyaa mahaarchaa mee mahaara |
Bahu bhukela jaahalo | tumchyaa ushtyaa saathi aalo ||

(Greetings my dear sir and madam | I am the Mahar of your Mahar |
I have become extremely hungry| I have come for your leftovers ||

Aamuchi keli heena yatee | tuzha kaa na kale shripati |
Janma gela ushte khaataa | laazha na ye tumche chitta ||

(We have suffered so | why don’t you understand Lord|
Our entire life we’ve eaten leftovers | don’t you feel ashamed)

Oosa dongaa pari | rasa nohe dongaa | kaay bhulasasi varaliyaa rangaa ||
Chokha dongaa pari | bhaav nohe dongaa||

Vitthala Vitthala gajari | avaghi dumdumali pandhari |
(One hears the sound of Vitthal Vitthal everywhere in Pandharpur)

Just as the depth of devotion and spirituality from his compositions touches our soul, so does the torment touch our heart-

Aamha na kale dnyaan, na kale puraan | Vedaanche vachan na kale aamhaa||
Chokha mhane maazhaa bhola bhaav devaa | gaaeen keshava naam tuzhe||

(I do not understand intellectual literature, nor the scriptures | I do not understand the essence of the Veda ||
Chokha says my devotion is naïve my Lord | I can only sing your name ||)

Janmataa vital, martaa vital | chokha mhane vitaal aadiAnti |
AadiAnti vitaal saachalaa | sovala to zhaalaa kon na kale |
Chokha mhane mazha naval vaatate | vitaalparate ahe kon||

(Tainted at birth, tainted in death | Chokha says impure throughout my life |
The impurity collects from beginning to end | who became pure I do not know |
Chokha says I find it peculiar | who exactly is impure ||)
He expresses his devotion and admiration towards Saint Dnyaneshwar thus –

Kara jodoniyaa donhi | Chokha jaato lotangani |
MahaVishnucha Avataar | Pransakha Dyaneshwar ||

(I join both my hands | Chokha prostates before you |
You are the very essence of the Great Lord | my dear friend Dnyaneshwar ||)

Along with the depth of emotions, his compositions also reveal his literature talent.

Chokha used to constantly chant the name of Pandurang and clean the temple premises daily. However, he was not allowed to enter the temple due to his birth in the Mahar cast. His habitual place was at the outer doors of the temple, on the threshold. Many of his poems humbly refer to his standing there without self-pity.

There are very little historical records about Chokhamela’s life. But there are several legends and references about him in his own writings and in those of the other saint-poets of his times.

One day Chokha was said to be standing at the door of the temple from morning till late in the evening. At nightfall, the priests locked up the doors and went away. As Chokha stood there, still and lone, Vithoba himself came out, exclaimed in distress to see Chokha patiently waiting, embraced him, and led him by the hand to the innermost sanctum where he lovingly held him to his breast. The night was spent in the union of the devotee with the god, after which Vithoba playfully removed his tulsi garland which the Warkaris wear as a mark of their identity and put it around Chokha’s neck. When the day dawned, Vithoba led Chokha out of the temple, still with the garland. Chokha, in a state of bliss lay down on the sands of the river in a trance. At the temple the priests discovered that Vithoba’s gold necklace had disappeared and remembering that Chokha had been at the temple doors last, were enraged by the fact that the temple was polluted and the necklace stolen. Search parties found Chokha still dazed, with a gold necklace around the neck. He was punished for the crime. Chokha was tied to bullocks and about to be dragged to death but the animals stood their ground, despite the whip lashing them. The story ends with Vithoba revealing himself to the entire public, holding the bullocks by the horns.

One day someone questioned the futility of Chokha’s devotion to Vithoba. Humiliated and deeply hurt Chokha stopped taking food and wept endlessly till Vithoba appeared before him, embraced him, took him inside the temple and talked to him. The temple priest was outraged as he felt that the temple was again desecrated by Chokha, threw him out and ordered him to stay across the river Chandrabhaga. However it is said that Vithoba started visiting Chokha daily and both of them used to eat lunch together. One day the priest was passing by Chokha's hut when Chokha was eating lunch with God and Soyara was serving them. The priest, his mind being impure, could not see God as his mind was impure. Soyara spilled the curd on Vithoba's clothes by mistake. Chokha exclaimed, "Oh! Soyara you have soiled Vithoba's clothes". The priest felt it was a deliberate attempt by Chokha to show his devotion and slapped Chokha across his face. Later, having touched a Mahar, he bathed in the river and ferried across the river. The priest was stunned to see Lord Vitthal's swollen cheek. He realised the intensity of Chokha's devotion towards Lord. He went to Chokha, asked for his forgiveness and requested him to pacify the Lord. Chokha's prayers and request pacified Vithoba.

Chokha was forced to return to Mangalavedha as the people there wanted to construct a wall in order to separate people of the lower castes from others. While he was working there, he was killed when the wall collapsed and was crushed. Namdev deeply grieved the death of a great devotee, went to Mangalvedha to find his remains and picked up those bones that murmured Vitthal, Vitthal. The bones were buried at the bottom of the steps outside the gate of the main temple at Pandharpur where Chokha was accustomed to standing all day long. A Samadhi is built there today in Chokha’s honour. All devotees have to visit Chokha’s shrine before climbing up to Vithoba.

In the living tradition of the Warkari community Chokha’s Abhanga continue to be sung, not only by the lower castes but also by communities of pilgrims. He remains in popular memory but unfortunately has never received as much prominence as other saint poets like Namdev or Tukaram.

Saint Banka, his brother-in-law expresses his sentiments about Saint Chokha in his Abhanga thus-

Chokha chokhat nirmala | tayaa angi naahi mala ||
Chokha premacha sagar | Chokha Bhakticha Aagar ||
Chokha premachi mauli | Chokha krupechi sauli ||
Chokha manache mohan | Banka ghaali lotangana ||

Chokha is completely pure | there isn’t any dirt in him ||
Chokha is an ocean of love | Chokha is a store of devotion ||
Chokha is a filled with kindness | Chokha is a shelter of favour ||
Chokha’s mind is rich | Banka prostates before him ||

Saint Namdeo says-

Chokha maazha jeev Chokha maazhaa bhaav | kuldharma dev Chokha mazhaa |
Kaay tyaachi Bhakti Kaay tyaachi shakti | mohi aalo vyakti tayasaathi |
Mazhyaa Chokhiyaache kariti je dhyaan | tayaa kadhi vighana pado nadi ||
Namdeve asthi aanilyaa paarkhoni | ghet chakrapaani pitambar ||

(Chokha is my life Chokha is my sentiment | Chokha is my family deity|
Great is his devotion Great his strength | I came here only for him |
Whoever meditates on my Chokha | May him never be impeded ||
Namdeo carefully collected and brought his mortal remains | with the Lord in my heart)

Ref: articles by scholar Rohini Mokashi-Punekar

Saint Janabai

Saint Janabai

A woman saint whose verses seemed to be the very words of God, and who was revered by all the other saints

Birth: Around 1263

Saint Janabai is one of the popular woman saint-poets to have been born in Maharashtra. Women all across Maharashtra sing her verses while pounding and grinding grain.

Along with saint-poets like Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath, and Tukaram, Janabai has a place of honour in the minds of the Marathi people in Maharashtra, especially the Warkari sect.

Janabai was born in Gangakhed, a village on the banks of the River Godavari in Parbhani district, to a family belonging to the Shudra caste, which is considered to be the lowest in the caste rung. Her father Dama was Warkari and her mother Karunda was a Bhagawad-Dharma devotee. Both her parents were intense devotees of Lord Vitthal of Pandharpur. They would go on the annual Pandharpur pilgrimage every year. Janabai’s mother died when she was very young and her father took her to the city of Pandharpur shortly before his own death, where she became a servant in the household of Damasheth Shimpi, who were Warkari devotees. One of the sons in the family was Saint Shiromani Namdev, who went on to become one of the greatest Saint poets of all time in Maharashtra. Janabai cared for the young Namdev and remained his Daasi (a servant) throughout her life. She would call herself Naamyasi Daasi (servant of Namdev) It is said that they died on the same day.

Janabai became engrossed in devotion towards Lord Vitthal through her association with Saint Namdev. She would say –

Dalita kandita tuzha gaaeen Ananta
(I will sing your name while pounding and grinding O Eternal One)

Saint Namdev was her spiritual Guru. The lineage of Guru – Shisya (Guide – Disciple) was – Saint Dnyandev – Visoba Khechar – Saint Namdev – Saint Janabai. She was blessed in having personally met all the saints in the order of Saint Dnyandev.

The following is a very popular Abhanga composed by her –

Vithu maazhaa lekurwala, sange Gopalancha mela
(My Lord is childlike, he plays with young friends)

She was blessed with the constant company of saints because of Saint Namdev. Her devotional sentiment towards Saint Dnyaneshwar was extraordinary. She has this to say about him –

Parlokiche taru | Mhane maazhaa Dnyaneshwaru ||
(A star from heaven | Such is the greatness of my dear Dnyaneshwar ||)

Around 340 Abhanga composed by Saint Janabai have been published in a collection of saint-poetry, Sakal Sant Gaathaa. They were included by Namdev in the compilation of his own works. Other than these, she also has composed parables like KrishnaJanma (the birth of Krishna), ThaaliPaak, PrahladCharitra (biography of Prahlad), BaalKridaa (Children’s Sport), Harishchandraakhyaan (Parable of Harishchandra), Draupadi Swayamvar. Her softly sentimental compositions ThaaliPaak and Draupadi Swayamvar inspired the great poet Mukteshwar (grandson of Saint Eknath).

Saint Janabai’s sentimental poetry is replete with her love for the God. It is said that because of her devotion to God, she completely succeeded in merging into God by erasing herself. She became detached even before she realised God. She has sketched innumerable of her experiences in life in her compositions. Her compositions are replete with her devotional love for Saint Namdev, her intense sentiment towards Saint Dnyaneshwar, the great devotional strength of Saint Chokhamela, and her devotion towards Lord Vitthal. She has indeed done her future generations a great favour by doing a precise of the life, good characteristics and great work of the great saints in her time like Saint Dnyaneshwar, Saint Namdev, Saint Sopankaka, Saint Goroba, Saint ChokhaMela, Saint Sen Nhavi, etc. Her simple language touches the heart of the common man.

She does not think twice about fighting with her Lord on occasion too –

Are Kaaltondyaa | Mul mayechyaa kartyaa
(O black faced One | Mischievous for true affection)
Some of Janabai's songs tell of the lives of her fellow Warkari and of the various incarnations of Vishnu. There are also those that tell of her personal relationship with the god Vitthal. She calls Vitthal her mother in her poems, which is common amongst the Warkari, but also as her fellow-serving maid, and ultimately herself.

In her poems she sings:

Let me undergo as many births in this world as You please, but grant that my desires are fulfilled. They are that I see Pandharpur and serve Namdev in every birth. I do not mind if I am a bird or a swine, a dog or a cat, but my conditions are that in each of these lives, I must see Pandharpur and serve Namdev. This is the ambition of Namdev's maid.

Give me only this girl, O Hari, that I shall always sing Your sacred Name. Fulfil my only desire that You will accept my humble homage and service. This is all that I desire. Have mercy on me and fulfil my desires. I want to concentrate my eyes and mind on You and have Your Name on my lips. For this the maid Jani falls at Your feet.

That sums up the philosophy of Janabai and how she attained her goal. So intense and sincere was her devotion to Vithoba, it is said, that He Himself used to lighten her household duties, which, on becoming old, she was unable to perform.

The senior researcher R.C. Dhere says that Saint Janabai’s poetry intensely displays affection, delicate sincerity, tolerance, sacrifice, surrender, and womanly sentiments.

Janabai's songs are still widely sung in Maharashtra. Janabai is said to have passed away in 1350 at the main entrance of the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur. But she lives on in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra through her Abhanga.

The Abhanga written by Saint Namdev appropriately sums up Saint Janabai’s greatness –

Janiche Abhanga lihit Narayan | karit shravan sadhu sant |
Dhanya techi jani, dhanya tichi bhakti | Namdev stuti karitisi ||

(Jani’s Abhanga are composed by God himself | all the saints listen to her religiously |
Blessed is Jani, blessed is her devotion | Namdev so praises her ||)

Death: 1350

Saint Janabai

Saint Janabai

A woman saint whose verses seemed to be the very words of God, and who was revered by all the other saints

Birth: Around 1263

Saint Janabai is one of the popular woman saint-poets to have been born in Maharashtra. Women all across Maharashtra sing her verses while pounding and grinding grain.

Along with saint-poets like Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath, and Tukaram, Janabai has a place of honour in the minds of the Marathi people in Maharashtra, especially the Warkari sect.

Janabai was born in Gangakhed, a village on the banks of the River Godavari in Parbhani district, to a family belonging to the Shudra caste, which is considered to be the lowest in the caste rung. Her father Dama was Warkari and her mother Karunda was a Bhagawad-Dharma devotee. Both her parents were intense devotees of Lord Vitthal of Pandharpur. They would go on the annual Pandharpur pilgrimage every year. Janabai’s mother died when she was very young and her father took her to the city of Pandharpur shortly before his own death, where she became a servant in the household of Damasheth Shimpi, who were Warkari devotees. One of the sons in the family was Saint Shiromani Namdev, who went on to become one of the greatest Saint poets of all time in Maharashtra. Janabai cared for the young Namdev and remained his Daasi (a servant) throughout her life. She would call herself Naamyasi Daasi (servant of Namdev) It is said that they died on the same day.

Janabai became engrossed in devotion towards Lord Vitthal through her association with Saint Namdev. She would say –

Dalita kandita tuzha gaaeen Ananta
(I will sing your name while pounding and grinding O Eternal One)

Saint Namdev was her spiritual Guru. The lineage of Guru – Shisya (Guide – Disciple) was – Saint Dnyandev – Visoba Khechar – Saint Namdev – Saint Janabai. She was blessed in having personally met all the saints in the order of Saint Dnyandev.

The following is a very popular Abhanga composed by her –

Vithu maazhaa lekurwala, sange Gopalancha mela
(My Lord is childlike, he plays with young friends)

She was blessed with the constant company of saints because of Saint Namdev. Her devotional sentiment towards Saint Dnyaneshwar was extraordinary. She has this to say about him –

Parlokiche taru | Mhane maazhaa Dnyaneshwaru ||
(A star from heaven | Such is the greatness of my dear Dnyaneshwar ||)

Around 340 Abhanga composed by Saint Janabai have been published in a collection of saint-poetry, Sakal Sant Gaathaa. They were included by Namdev in the compilation of his own works. Other than these, she also has composed parables like KrishnaJanma (the birth of Krishna), ThaaliPaak, PrahladCharitra (biography of Prahlad), BaalKridaa (Children’s Sport), Harishchandraakhyaan (Parable of Harishchandra), Draupadi Swayamvar. Her softly sentimental compositions ThaaliPaak and Draupadi Swayamvar inspired the great poet Mukteshwar (grandson of Saint Eknath).

Saint Janabai’s sentimental poetry is replete with her love for the God. It is said that because of her devotion to God, she completely succeeded in merging into God by erasing herself. She became detached even before she realised God. She has sketched innumerable of her experiences in life in her compositions. Her compositions are replete with her devotional love for Saint Namdev, her intense sentiment towards Saint Dnyaneshwar, the great devotional strength of Saint Chokhamela, and her devotion towards Lord Vitthal. She has indeed done her future generations a great favour by doing a precise of the life, good characteristics and great work of the great saints in her time like Saint Dnyaneshwar, Saint Namdev, Saint Sopankaka, Saint Goroba, Saint ChokhaMela, Saint Sen Nhavi, etc. Her simple language touches the heart of the common man.

She does not think twice about fighting with her Lord on occasion too –

Are Kaaltondyaa | Mul mayechyaa kartyaa
(O black faced One | Mischievous for true affection)
Some of Janabai's songs tell of the lives of her fellow Warkari and of the various incarnations of Vishnu. There are also those that tell of her personal relationship with the god Vitthal. She calls Vitthal her mother in her poems, which is common amongst the Warkari, but also as her fellow-serving maid, and ultimately herself.

In her poems she sings:

Let me undergo as many births in this world as You please, but grant that my desires are fulfilled. They are that I see Pandharpur and serve Namdev in every birth. I do not mind if I am a bird or a swine, a dog or a cat, but my conditions are that in each of these lives, I must see Pandharpur and serve Namdev. This is the ambition of Namdev's maid.

Give me only this girl, O Hari, that I shall always sing Your sacred Name. Fulfil my only desire that You will accept my humble homage and service. This is all that I desire. Have mercy on me and fulfil my desires. I want to concentrate my eyes and mind on You and have Your Name on my lips. For this the maid Jani falls at Your feet.

That sums up the philosophy of Janabai and how she attained her goal. So intense and sincere was her devotion to Vithoba, it is said, that He Himself used to lighten her household duties, which, on becoming old, she was unable to perform.

The senior researcher R.C. Dhere says that Saint Janabai’s poetry intensely displays affection, delicate sincerity, tolerance, sacrifice, surrender, and womanly sentiments.

Janabai's songs are still widely sung in Maharashtra. Janabai is said to have passed away in 1350 at the main entrance of the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur. But she lives on in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra through her Abhanga.

The Abhanga written by Saint Namdev appropriately sums up Saint Janabai’s greatness –

Janiche Abhanga lihit Narayan | karit shravan sadhu sant |
Dhanya techi jani, dhanya tichi bhakti | Namdev stuti karitisi ||

(Jani’s Abhanga are composed by God himself | all the saints listen to her religiously |
Blessed is Jani, blessed is her devotion | Namdev so praises her ||)

Death: 1350

Saint Saavtaa Maali

Saint Saavtaa Maali

A great Saint who explained spirituality in a simple easy to follow language and showed the masses how to realise God through everyday activities

Birth: 1250

Kaanda mulaa bhaaji | Avaghi Vithaabai Mazhi |
(Onion radish vegetable | I find my Lord Vitthal in that too |)

So saying, Saint SaavtaaMaali taught the people to seek God through everyday work and addressing one’s duties and responsibilities. He is an illustrious and senior saint of the Warkari sect. The Lord Vitthal was his sole and ultimate deity. But he never visited Pandharpur, where the prime temple of Lord Vitthal is located, even once. It was the Lord himself who came visiting Saint SaavtaaMaali – such was his devotion. He was a saint who propagated the path of realisation through work:
Karme Ishu Bhajava
(Find God through Work)

He created a sublime balance between spirituality and devotion, self realisation and amassing people, duty and exemplary behaviour. He was never apprehensive of anyone in vociferously crusading against blind faith, fastidiousness to religious rituals, hypocracy, and ostentatious display with respect to religion. At the same time, he promoted purity of mind, contemplation of real doctrines of religion, exemplary behaviour, fearlessness, good judgement, endurance and other such qualities. He preached that it wasn’t necessary to follow strict religious rituals (like Yog, Yaag, Jap, Tap, TeerthaVrat) to please God, and that it is sufficient to deeply contemplate on God with a pure mind. In his words -

Yog-yaag tap dharma | sope varma naam ghetaa ||
TeerthaVrat Daan Ashtaaga | Yaachaa paang aamhaa nako ||

(Rituals like Yog Yaag Tap | Far more easy and much more effective is repeating His name ||
Rituals like TeerthaVrat Daan Ashtaaga | We do not need to hanker after these ||)

He stressed on repeating God’s name and listening to Kirtan of saints. It isn’t necessary to renounce everything to realise God. Self realisation can happen through dispensing one’s duties and responsibilities religiously too -

Prapanchi asuni parmartha saadhaavaa | vaache aalvaavaa Pandurang |
Mot, naadaa, vihir, dori | Avaghi vyaapili Pandhari |

(Realise God while dispensing your duties | While working, contemplate on Lord Pandurang|
Water channel, draw rope, wells, string | God is everywhere|)

Saint SaavtaaMaali could see God everywhere in his field.

Kashiba Gurav has written all his Abhanga compositions. His dictum in life was if one dispenses one’s worldly responsibilities unassumingly and with God in one’s heart, then that itself would be a path of spirituality. He did not hanker after freedom from worldly attachments. His oath was –

Vaikunthicha Dev aanuyaa Kirtani
(Let us get God down to earth from heaven through Kirtan)

His following verse clearly highlights his life’s dictum -

Swakarmaat vhaave rat, moksha mile hotaa hot |
Saavtyaane kela malaa | Vitthal dekhiyelaa dolaa ||

(Immerse in good work, you will get detachment from worldly matters while the work gets done |
Saavtaa worked in his farm | He saw Lord Vitthal there ||)

His Abhanga compositions are replete with emotions. Of the nine basic emotions, his compositions give the listener an aesthetic experience of affection, compassion, calmness and devotional servitude.

Saint SaavtaaMaali hails from the Aran-Bhend village in Maharashtra. Daivu Mali, a Warkari, was his paternal grandfather. He had two sons, Pursoba and Dongroba. Pursoba was of a religious bent of mind. While managing the fields, he would devote his time to God, through Bhajan and pray, as well as the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur. He married the daughter of Sadu Mali, a Warkari. SaavtaaMaali was born to this devout couple. Ause in the Princely State of Miraj is the root village of this family. Daivu Mali settled in Aran. The village Bhend is located two miles from Aran.

Saint Namdeo says –

Dhanya te Aran, ratnancheech khan | Janmala nidhaan Savtaa to |
Savtaa saagar, premacha aagar | Ghetala avatar maalyaa ghari ||

Blessed is Aran, a treasure of jewels | Savta was born here |
Savta is an ocean, a treasure trove of love | God appeared in the form of Savtaa in the home of a farmer ||

Saint Saavtaa was a senior saint in the order of Saint Dnyaneshwar, in the period 1250 to 1295. Saint Dnyaneshwar was of the period 1275 to 1296. Saav means pure character and behaviour, and therefore Saavtaa means one who is of pure character and impeccable behaviour. Saint Saavtaa became immersed in devotion to Lord Vitthal right since his childhood. Harvesting flowers, fruits, vegetables was his traditional occupation. In one of his compositions he says -

Aamchi Maaliyaachi jaat, shet laavu baagaait
(We are gardeners by caste, we will plant an orchard)

Saint SaavtaaMaali married Janai, who was from the Bhanavase RoopMaali house hailing from Bhend village. She expertly ran SaavtaaMaali’s household. They had two children, Vitthal and NagaTai.

Saint SaavtaaMaali expounded that everyone has a right to devote ones senses towards the Lord while dispensing one’s worldly duties. His own experience was –

Na lage Saayaas, na pade sankat, naame sopi vaat vaikunthachi
(Neither is great toil required, nor will any misfortune befall, contemplating God is the easy path to heaven)

He showed the common man the path to developing ones soul.

Saint Saavtaa lived for a mere forty-five years. Only thirty-seven of his Abhanga compositions are available to-date. He diligently worked at propagating and promoting religion and devotion all his life. His character displays an amazing balance of zeal and detachment.

Saint Saavtaa expired on 12 July 1295. The annual Pandharpur pilgrimage religiously visits his memorial.

Death: 12th July 1295 

Saint Goroba Kumbhar

Saint Goroba Kumbhar

A great Saint in the saint order of Dnyaneshwar who had the honour of deciding who was the greater spiritually among all the saints in the order

Birth: 1267

Saint Goroba Kumbhar (Potter) had spiritually achieved sainthood and was also a saint-poet. He was an intense devotee of the deity Vitthal at Pandharpur. Goroba was the senior most among the Saints. He was affectionately called Gorobakaka (kaka: uncle) He was from the Ter-Dhoki (also called Satyapuri or Terna) village near Osmanabad in Marathwada. Gorababakaka remained detached despite being a householder. He was an authority on spirituality and his words carried weight among the spiritualists. He was a contemporary of Saint Dnyaneshwar-Namdev and it is estimated that he was born in 1267.

He would constantly recite the name of his dear God (Vitthal); he would in fact forget everything else and be completely entranced with his God. The following event illustrates his devotion to Vitthal.

Once, his wife had gone to the village well to fetch water, requesting Goroba to look after their son. Goroba, in a spiritual trance, was treading mud to prepare the mixture for making pots. His child in the meanwhile toddled under his feet, of which he had no clue. On returning from the well, his wife found that their child was already dead. Gorobakaka became conscious when she cried out aloud in anguish. It was, alas, too late by then. Goroba regretted his oversight; he was completely shaken and overcome with guilt. But after a while, a miracle occurred, and through Vitthal’s mercy, the child became alive and returned to his wife. After this incident, his wife too became a Vitthal devotee.

It is difficult to believe in the authenticity of this event. There is no written biography of Gorobakaka found so far. Two or three such events have traversed generations by word of mouth. But we certainly can gather his limitless devotion and his authority on spirituality.

There was a meeting of a number of Saints at Goroba’s residence in Terdhoki where Nivruttinath, Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, Sopandev, Muktabai, Saint Namdev, Chokhamela, Visoba Khechar and others had assembled. There is another event told, of Saint Dnyaneshwar requesting Gorobakaka to test ‘who’s pot (head) was baked well’ by hitting on each ones head (i.e. to test what level of spirituality each had reached); Gorobakaka being a potter, thus the reference.

Goroba’s available poetry is too little. Around twenty of his Abhanga have been included in Sakalasant Gatha (story of all saints). Some of his songs can be found among the documentation available with the Vagdevta temple in Dhule. Goroba was a blessed saint who had actually experienced God.

Nirgunache Bheti Aalo Sugunasange. Tava zhalo prasangi gunateet

(I came to meet that with no attributes (God) with attributes (as human), that’s when I transcended)

This Abhanga illustrates his realisation of Advait (non-dual, self merging with God) philosophy. Mhane Gora Kumbhar (so says Gora Kumbhar) was the alias that he wrote under. It is seen through his poetry that he accepted the devotional path endowed with spiritual knowledge as defined by Saint Dnyaneshwar. He is an exemplary example of being spiritual even while executing worldly activities.

His Samadhi is in the Ter village in Osmanabad Zilla, near Latur.

Death: 1317

Saint Eknath

Saint Eknath

A saint poet who has to his credit creation of an authentic edition of the Dnyaneshwari and prolific literature of high standard, as also a social reformer who awakened the masses through the medium of Bharud

Birth: between 1528 to 1533

Shantibrahma, a great man who achieved sainthood, a social reformer of the highest order, a highly principled man, a thorough scholar of the Sanskrit language, who is known as Dnyanacha Eka (Eka who belonges to Saint Dyaneshwar or Eka who is knowlegeable) in entire Maharashtra - this great personality is Saint Eknath ! An ideal householder, son of Marathi language, a learned Pandit of varied subjects and an ocean of compassion are also other appropriate words to describe him.

Bhaskarpant Kulkarni, who resided in Pratisthan (Paithan), was his ancestor. He was a Deshast Rigvedi Brahman (a Hindu upper caste). Saint Bhanudas was his great grandfather, who is well known to have returned the idol of God Vitthal back to Pandharpur from Hampi, where it had been taken by the King Krishnadeva Raya of Vijaynagar for safety. God Suryanarayan was his family deity. His father’s name was Suryanarayan and mother’s name Rukmini. It is believed that he was born sometime between 1528 to 1533. Unfortunately, he lost his parents at a very young age; he was brought up by his grandparents, Chakrapani and Saraswati. From a young age, he had a fondness for spirituality and Harikirtan.

Sadguru Janardan Swami was an important minister in the court of the Muslim kingdom at Devgad (Devgiri). He was originally a resident of Chalisgaon; his last name (family name) was Deshpande. He too was a Rigvedi Brahman, and a great devotee of the deity Dattatraya. Eknath had secretly accepted Janardan as his Sadguru (Ultimate Guru). Janardanpant was an intellectual and honest man. Saint Eknath toiled hard for six years to serve his Guru. As an accountant Eknath once spent the whole night to find a mistake of one paisa. Janardan Swami was delighted to find such dedication. He directed Eknath’s dedication towards the path of God. The vision of the deity Dattatraya appeared before Eknath. Eknath’s life was blessed by Atmabodh, complete favour of his Guru, and the vision of God Dattatraya that appeared before him. He went on several pilgrimages.

He married a virtuous lady from Vaijapur near Paithan. She was named Girija after marriage and they had two daughters, Godavari and Ganga, and a son, Hari. The son later was well known as HariPandit, and was proud of his heritage and culture. Poet Mukteshwar was Eknath’s grandson.

Saint Eknath was born 237 years after Saint Dnyaneshar, in extremely adverse times. The Muslim dynasty was ruling. The Hindu Kingdom of Vijaynagar was destroyed. The entire society had turned irresponsible. There was total ignorance of one’s duty towards one’s society, self-governance or any patriotism. There was a tendency towards doggedness and simply discharging religious rites and rituals, disregarding religion. Women were kidnapped and converted into Muslims in broad daylight. Under such an exigency, Saint Eknath prayed to Goddess Jagdamba for help in social reform. Baye Daar Ugadh (Dear lady, open the door), so saying Eknath awakened the society using different styles of religious songs like Bharud, Jogva and Gondhal. Saint Eknath was a saint-poet, intellectual-poet and ballad (Shahir) poet. By enrapturing and awakening the despondent society, he guided them on the right path and awakened Maharashtra’s emancipation. Eknath was a devout disciple of his Guru and wrote under the name of Eka-janardana meaning Eka (nath) of Janardana.

He wrote a lot of verses (ovi), Abhanga, Gavlani. The Eknath Bhagwad, a commentary on the eleventh canto of Sanskrit Bhagwat Purana, an ancient script, written by him is very popular. There are altogether 1367 Shlokas (verses), on which he wrote 18,810 Ovi. The original Bhagwat has 12 chapters. It is Purana based poetry that blesses the listener and reader. The Bhavarth Ramayan was written by him for which he wrote 25,000 ovi and was completed by his disciple with 15000 more ovi. His Rukmini Swayamvar is extremely popular. His hymn to God Dattatreya is also famous. This great soul created abundant literature and enriched the Marathi language. Most importantly, he meticulously prepared an authentic edition of the Dnyaneshwari. Eknath was a MahaVaishnav (a great follower of the Vaishnav sect of Brahmins), a devotee of God Dattatreya and also of Goddess Jagdamba.

He has given us a simple and straightforward message:
Eka Janardani Sopa, Vithtalnaam Mantra Japa

(Listen to Eknath, keep repeating the name of god)

In 1599 he took jalsamadhi (jal:water, samadhi:the soul discards the body) by wading into the River Godavari.

Death: 1599 

Saint Tukaram

Saint Tukaram

Epitome of the Bhagwat sect, the Saint that lived and preached philosophy to the masses through his Abhanga, in simple, lucid and yet deeply meaningful language

Birth: 1608
The most revered Saint Tukaram was an enlightened, dauntless and rebellious poet. He carried the Vedanta (traditional knowledge) which was the monopoly of the orthodox Brahmins till then to the commoners through his Abhanga. His Abhanga gained such popularity that they came to be associated with the name of Saint Tukaram. Abhanga became an essential part of every day life in rural India, popular even with illiterate people. Warkari, litterateurs, researchers and common connoisseurs all study and conduct research on this form of literature that is becoming popular day by day.

Vedacha to artha amhasich thava | Itarani wahava bhar matha ||

(Why only you should interpret the Vedas and the others should carry load on their heads?)

This is the question that Tukobarai puts bluntly and with pride to the highbrow Brahmins of those days.

Tuka tari sahaja bole wani | Tyache ghari Vedanta wahe pani ||

(Though Tukoba’s language is very simple, his literature is full of Vedanta and flows just like water)

His Abhanga are full of devotion, knowledge and asceticism. He worships the ultimate Brahman (a concept in Hindu philosophy, meaning unchanging reality) from the depth of his heart as a Monist or Adwaitawadi. His deity was the dark idol of Lord Vitthal standing on ordinary bricks at the Pandharpur temple. It is believed that even the Lord Vithoba, standing on the bricks, comes in person and takes pride in enjoying the devotional Abhanga of Tukoba being sung in such musical tunes!

Amha ghari dhana shabdanchich ratne | Shabdanchich shastre yatna karu ||

(At our home, it is the words that are jewels and we will try to convert our words into weapons!)

In these words he showed his mastery over the language and enlightened the masses in his simple but flowery language. He strongly criticised casteism, explained Adhyatma or philosophy of the Atma or soul and sang in devotion to Lord Vitthal. We can see his poetic brilliance reach beyond country, gender or time.

Vishnumay jaga Waishnawacha dharma | Bhedabheda-bhrama amangala ||

(The philosophy of Adwaita - The universe is one with the only Lord (Vishnu), it is the Religion and all the apparent diversity is only a myth. To discriminate in any way is unholy)

He preached unity and equity as early as in the 17th century. He professed to set aside all divisive tendencies and pride and promoted the principles of equality and unity.

During his time, the Bhagwat religion, a sect in Hinduism was in form, and he was fortunate to be at the pinnacle of the sect. He is engraved in the heart of Maharashtra through his Abhanga which are compiled in a large volume called Tukaramachi Gatha. These Abhanga embrace the ultimate truth. His words have a halo of sanctity in their meaning. It is indelible literature, literature that reflects his own revelations. His language is melodious and lucid and beyond comparison.

Santa Tukaram was born at Dehu in the Pune district in the year 1608 (Shalivahan Shake 1530), on Vasant Panchami, (the 5th day of the first half of the month of Magha as per the Marathi calendar). In 2008, we celebrated his 4th birth centenary (some people believe that he was born in AD 1598 (Shake 1520). He was born in a gentle and cultured family lineage More, having the surname Ambile. The origin of the family line can be traced to Shri VishwambharBua, a devout worshipper of the Lord Vitthal. It was a tradition in the family to visit Pandharpur every year.

His father was Kolhoba and mother, Kanakai. The couple had two other son, Sawaji who was elder to Tukaram and Kanhoba, the younger brother. Sawaji was totally detached and not interested in the family. Therefore, all responsibility of the family fell on Tukoba. Tukoba’s first wife was asthmatic and died early. As per the prevalent practice, he remarried to Jijai (alias Awadi), daughter of Appaji Gulave from Pune.

Tukobarai had a very difficult family life. He encountered a number of adversities. He lost both his parents when he was only 17-18 years old. His elder brother left for pilgrimage, renouncing everything. Tukaram also lost his wife. Around the same time, he had to face the worst famine, during which his elder son, Santu, died of starvation. Most of his livestock also fell prey to the drought. Conditions were so bad that there was no revenue from the land. Tukaram became depressed and lost interest in the worldly concerns. These circumstances strengthened his faith in the Lord Vitthal and he started penance on the Bhandara hill near Dehu. It was during this penance that he attained realisation.

From then onwards, his life was solely given to express consistent, unending and infinite faith and devotion to lord Vitthal, not only from his heart but also by his words, his actions and literature. The annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur and worship the idol of Lord Vitthal became his only important ritual. This was his dictum which shows the importance of Pandharpur and lord Vitthal in his life:

Pandharichi wari ahe mazya ghari | Anik na kari teerth wrata ||

(I do not need to visit other sites of pilgrimage when my whole family has the tradition of going to Pandharpur)

Saint Tukaram was also a scholar of the scriptures like Vedas and Bhagwad-Geeta, Bhagwat, Dnyaneshwari and Purana. His compositions are in simple, chaste Marathi. His self-knowledge based on the hard test of renunciation is very clearly evident from his Abhangawani (the language of Abhanga). In his compositions, he praises virtuous saints and bluntly criticizes heretics and hypocritical persons. He describes formulae to live life with the ultimate truth in mind. Even a single line in his Abhanga is full of deep meaning. For example,

Je ka ranjale ganjale | Tyansi mhane jo apule ||
Tochi Sadhu olakhawa | Deo tethechi janawa ||

(Revere a person as God, who loves the harassed and poor people as his own kin!)

Santanchiye gavi premacha sukal | Nahi talamal, dukkhaKlesh ||

(Where the saints live there is only love and no place for hate and jealousy)

Tuka mhane tochi santa | Soshi jagache aghata ||

(Tuka says the person who suffers at the hands of evil people without complains is the true saint)

Mahpure Jhade jati | Tethe lavale wachati ||

(Big trees are destroyed in huge floods but bushes and small weeds survive)

Aisi kalawalyachi jati | Kari labhawin preeti |

(Empathetic people love for the sake of love and not for material gain)

Sukha pahata jawapade | Dukkha parwata ewadhe ||

(Happiness is as small or as little as a grain of barley while sorrow or unhappiness is as big as a large mountain)

Shuddha beejapoti | Phale rasala gomati ||

(A good quality seed produces sweet and beautiful fruits; similarly good thoughts produce good deeds)

He was also a nature lover and aware of the dependence and relationship of the plants and animals with the mankind. This is evident from the following Abhanga.

Wruksh walli amha sagesoyare | Pakshihi susware gata kiti ||

(The trees and climbers and creepers of the nature are our friends and close relatives, listen to the birds singing sweet tunes)

These thoughts of Tukoba have percolated so deeply in the masses through his Abhanga that people often quote them spontaneously during daily affairs. Many verses have become quotes in Marathi. In the lifespan of only 41 years he composed almost 5000 Abhanga. He spent every moment remembering the Lord Vitthal.

Reciting:

Amhi jato amuchya gava | 
Amucha rama-rama ghywa |

(I go to my abode – Good bye!)

He departed to his heavenly abode. That was on the second day after full moon of the Phalgun month in 1571 as per the shake calendar (AD 1649).

The poet Vaman Pandit says about him:

Jayachi wade purna Vedanta wani | Mhanawe kase ho taya lagi wani ||
Parabramharupi asa jo Tukawa | Tayache tuki kon duja tukawa ||

(Who will call him a grocer from whose lips pour out the Vedanta!
Who can be greater a saint than Saint Tukaram, who is one with the Universe?)
In 1936, the Prabhat Film Company produced a feature film on the life of Saint Tukaram. It is believed to be one of the top feature films in the world. In this film, the role of Saint Tukaram was played by Vishnupant Paganis. Vishnupant studied the life and literature of Tukaram and became so emotionally involved with the role that he transformed himself into the character he was performing for the rest of his life, believing himself to be Tukaram.

The film itself is an excellent introduction to the life and work of the Saint. More information can also be found on the website www.turakam.com

Death: 1649 

Saint Dnyaneshwar

Saint Dnyaneshwar

Birth: 1275 (Shake 1197)

Saint Dnyaneshwar was a 13th century Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and a yogi of the Nath sect. His works Dnyaneshwari, which is a commentary on Bhagvad Gita, and Amrutanubhav, another compilation of compostions, are considered to be milestones in Marathi literature.

Dnyaneshwar was the second of four children of Vitthal Govind Kulkarni and Rukmini, a religious couple from the village Apegaon on the banks of River Godavari near Paithan in Maharashtra. Four children were born to the couple; Nivrutti in 1273, Dnyaneshwar was born at midnight on the eighth day of the waning moon in the Hindu month of Shravan in 1275, Sopan, in 1277 and Mukta in 1279. According to some scholars their birth years are 1268, 1271, 1274, 1277 respectively. Their grandparents were Govindpant and Meerabai.

Vitthal had abandoned his wife and had wandered in search of becoming a Sanyasi but in order to fulfil his duty toward his wife, his teacher Ramanand Swami ordered Vitthal to return home to his family. Vitthal settled down in Alankapuri also known as Alandi. The couple was excommunicated from the Brahmin caste as Vitthal had broken the law of accepting GrihasthAshram after SanyasAshram, which was not allowed since the latter was considered the last of the four Ashrams. His four children too were ostracized from the society. It is believed that later Vitthal and Rukmini ended their lives by jumping into the waters at Prayag where the river Ganga meets Yamuna hoping that their children would be accepted into the society after their death. Now, Nivrutti, their elder brother was like a parent to the three younger children.

Dnyaneshwar learnt and mastered the philosophy and various techniques of kundalini yoga, which is considered as the speciality of Nath cult, from Nivrutti. The children moved to Nevase, a village in Ahmednagar district where Dnyaneshwar began his literary work. Nivrutti instructed Dnyaneshwar to write a commentary on Bhagvad Gita. He used to give a discourse on Dnyaneshwari to select audiences. There were a few notable personalities in the audience like his contemporary saint Sant Namdev and many others from the Nath tradition. It is believed that SacchidananandBaba wrote Dnyaneshwari during such discourses by Dnyaneshwar. This is also known as Bhavartha Deepika. Through the medium of Dnyaneshwari, the divine knowledge trapped in Sanskrit was translated in the common man ‘s Prakrit language and was made available to everyone.

The Dnyaneshwari is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Marathi literature. It is composed in a meter called Ovi. It constitutes of 18 chapters. The book reflects the outstanding intelligence of Dnyaneshwar, his understanding of the subject, and his command not only over Marathi but also over Sanskrit language at such a young age. Acharya Vinoba Bhave feels that Marathi literature minus Dnyaneshwari equals zero, while Saint Namdev states that at least one ovi should be read in a lifetime from a literary work as great as this.

Dnyaneshwar penned his book Amrutanubhav sometime after he completed Dnyaneshwari. It is quite complicated as compared to Dnyaneshwari. It constitutes 10 chapters and 806 Ovis. The basis of this book is Advaita Siddhanta (non dualism). This book is one of the most highly respected books in Marathi literature.

Apart from Dnyaneshwari and Amrutanubhav, Dnyaneshwar also wrote Changdev Paasashti. It is said that Changdev was a great Yogi who lived for fourteen hundred years but he was proud and had a big ego. Dnyaneshwar wrote a collection of 65 Ovi addressed to Changdev. Dnyaneshwar also wrote Haripath, which has 28 Abhanga. It stresses the importance of chanting of God’s name as a path to salvation. The society at that time was very unjust toward Dnyaneshwar and his siblings but a mention or response toward this attitude never entered in any of Dnyaneshwar’s writings.

Dnyaneshwar was the unofficial leader of the contemporary saints like Saint Namdev, Saint Gora Kumbhar, Saint Sawata Mali, Saint Narhari Sonar and Saint Chokha Mela.

After composing Amritanubhava, Dnyaneshwar went to on a pilgrimage along with Namdev and other saints of his time. After completing their visits to the holy places, Dnyaneshwar felt that the mission of his life was over. He therefore, expressed his intention to take live Samadhi. Dnyaneshwar entered into Sanjeevan Samadhi, a yogic path to salvation at the age of 21 at Alandi on the banks of River Indrayani. After Dnyaneshwar took the Samadhi, his siblings also decided to end their existence in this world and within a year's time they too reached the ends of their lives.

Sanjeevan Samadhi: 1296 (Shake 1218)