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Sant Nam Dev Purnya Thiti: July 3

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The Great  Saint Preceptor Of Maharastra

Kaka Saheb Kalelkar

( Sant Nam Dev :1270-1350 : left a deep impact on society  ,especially in Maharashtra in his time when attracted by India’s wealth and glory  Muslim conquerors from Central had started attacking our country. Influenced by the Vaishnavite philosophy, Sant   Namdev’s preachings ,delivered mostly through bhajans, integrated the amarphous  Hindu society. On thePurnya thiti of this great patron-saint we are happy to share with our readers an article written on him  by eminent Gandhian Kaka Saheb Kalelkar,  journalist ,social activist and freedom fighter which we have dug out from our archives. The article was written by him  in the year 1970 eleven years before his death in 1981 – Editor)     

 

New Delhi, 2 July 2024

The sanctity of the Maharashtra ecclesiastical civilization may go back to a date far more distant than 1,000 A.D., but the Vaishnav Cult in Maharashtra was brought to its glorious apex by the great parent worshiper and sage Pundarik about a thousand years after the death of Christ. It was the who created the majestic icon-in-stone of Lord Vishnu in Pandharpur, a holy city about 48 miles west of Sholapur on the left bank of the river Chandrabhga, creating legends of enchanting history around it. In the Marathi language brick is called ‘Vt’ and from it has emerged the word ‘Vitthal’ or the lord standing on a brick. The temple that has been built around this icon is also known as Vitthova Temple.

Those who go on pilgrimage to Pandharpur and return home have traditionally been called who have completed the ‘Pandharpur Vari’. Those Vashnavites who have completed this ‘Pandharpur Vari’ are known as “Varkari Sampradaya”.

How old is this Varkari Sampradaya? It is difficult to say but religious historians believe that this at least in its preseDev was born in Pandharpur --  This was about 674 years ago. Maharashtra, therefore, is observing the 674th Death anniversary of Nam Dev in July 1350.

The legend has it that Nam Dev was the son of a tailor whose father was a stoned  Vaishnavist varkari. The father had disciplined himself to take a daily morning bath in the river Chandreabhaya, perform worship of Vitthal, and thereafter start his day after taking the offering. However, the young son had the customary breakfast without the ritual of a bath in the river or temple worship.

Article at a Glance
 
The Vaishnav Cult in Maharashtra, India, has a rich history dating back over 1,000 years. The cult was brought to prominence by Pundarik, who created the iconic stone statue of Lord Vishnu in Pandharpur.
The temple built around this icon is known as Vitthova Temple, and devotees who complete the pilgrimage to Pandharpur are called Varkari Sampradaya. One of the most revered figures in this cult is Nam Dev, a young boy who demonstrated unwavering devotion to Lord Vitthal.
According to legend, Nam Dev's innocence and determination convinced the statue to eat the offering he made, earning him recognition as a sage. Nam Dev's story has been passed down through generations, inspiring countless devotees to follow in his footsteps. This year, Maharashtra is observing the 674th death anniversary of Nam Dev, a testament to his enduring legacy.
 

Once the father had to go out to a nearby village and the morning duties were delegated to his son. He called this 6-year-old, Nam Dev, and commanded him: “You shall not be having your breakfast tomorrow morning. But shall go out for a river bath, perform worship, and then alone you shall be entitled to take your breakfast.” The son accepted the job with a smile on his face.

The next morning, little Nam Dev took his bath in the river, and with the essentials of worship went to worship Vitthal. He bathed the statue of Lord Vithal, dressed him, and then offered him oblation to eat. Could the icon-in-stone eat? Innocent Nam Dev insisted: “Lord”, you have to eat oblation “ I am young”, he lovingly argued, “You are, therefore, not eating from my hand”. There was no response. The statue was still. With a determined will Nam Dev asserted: “Lord, if you do not eat from my hand, I shall dash my head on the Vit and lay down my life.” The return was “ Eat now”, the little worshiper commanded. But the statue ate not. The determined Nam Dev tried to smash his head on the brick at the feet of Vithal. Lo, the statue bent, and a soft pair of hands took the head off on the cushion-like palms. “Do not lay down the precious life. I will eat oblation, was the voice heard by Nam Dev. Vitthal did eat oblation and happily, Nam Dev returned home.

At home an uneasy fate awaited him. The mother asked:

“Have you completed the worship? Give me oblation the Lord’s prasad” Vitthal has eaten it. I have none”, was the little. The mother wept: “The child has become prone to telling lies. This young age, and this crude story. Where could he learn to fabricate such false tales?” She said “ The child used to daily morning breakfast has eaten, she convinced herself and lamented at the future of the child.

 

In the evening the father came. Amid tears of remorse and sorrow, the mother recited the said story and felt sorry for the “great lie told by her Little son.”

“It cannot be a lie. I trust my son”, was the consoling answer of the father who added, “I shall go tomorrow morning and know the truth”.

The morn came. Nam Dev and his father went to worship Vitthal.

In utter calm little Nam Dev performed the ritual again – a bath to the Lord, a dress for him, and then the offer of a Naived to be eaten. According to the belief of the admirersriters of Nam Dev:” The epic of yesterday was enacted again”. Little Nam  Dev begged the icon-in-stone to eat, but the statue moved not. There was silence. The father became pensive, thoughts of innumerable designs crossed his mind. Taking the opportunity Lord Vitthal signaled with his eyes instilling a message in the heart of Nam Dev: “Your father is here, how can I eat ?” The silence broke. Nam Dev said, “Yesterday my life was involved. Lord, if you would not have eaten, my life was no more. Today, it is different. It is my life alone no more. Today, it is different. It is my life alone no more. Today, it is different. It is my life along with my honor that is at stake” The Lord saw the need to preserve the young life and save the honour of Nam Dev.

Lord bent left the way as he had done the previous morning at ablation behind a part for the father and son to carry home, where the future sage’s mother was waiting to know the reality.

Soon, word went around the Lord Vitthal for oblation from the hands of Nam Dev and Devotees flocked in number to watch the miracle.

 

There is a saying “ Miracle brings salutation to the sage”. Little Nam Dev rose into the estimation of the pious minds in a very short time.

Jnaneshwar, his two brothers, and his sister Mukta, all of them young orphans with devout minds, heard of the fame of Nam Dev and on invitation, they met to become fast friends. The legend goes that as a customary routine, these children used to sit in a circle/ every evening and touch each other’s feelings to announce their mutual respect as sages and their belief in equality.

 

Once sister Mukta, the youngest among the young sages, did not touch the feet of Nam Dev. Her brothers resented and she replied:” I touched the feet of all who are sages. Nam Dev is not as yet sage”. Her brothers reflected: “Mukta may be very young. But her learning of theology is profound”.

Leaving her pensive brothers to ponder further, Nam Dev left for Lord Vitthal’s advice. “See Lord”, he said,” Have you eaten Naived from the hands of any other sage, except those of mine? How am I not yet a sage? How am I imperfect?

There was a different icon: “Every sage is imperfect unless he has a Guru at whose feet he sits and learns the cardinal print replies and disciplines of sagehood”.

“ Then tell me whom should I make my Guru,” asked Nam Dev and Lord Vitthal directed,” Go to Vishova Khachcchar. He lives in the village of Kaskari Salasi. Make him your Guru”.

 

Nam Dev went, searched, and became his disciple. There are many interesting stories about the teaching by the Furu and the precepts implied by the disciple.

But, Nam Dev and jnandeva remained friends It is stated that they together came out for the pilgrimage of holy shrines of northern India. On his second visit to the North, Nam Dev combed Pujbad preaching Vaishnavism and converting masses to his alluring faith. At Jhuman village in Punjab, it is said, that he discarded his earthly body for a heavenly abode. But the relation of v\Vaishnavism in Maharashtra with great emphasis and zeal that Nam Dev left his doby two or three steps up at the Vithova temple of Lord Vitthal.

Historical evidence that Nam Dev, after his your of Pubjab returned to Maharastra and died at Pandharpur research scholars found that

One of the great disciples of Nam Dev might have died in Punjab quit birth to the legend.

It is customary the world over for devotees to exaggerate stories about their preceptor Guru, or profot I remember having read come of the couplets of  Nam Dev which Statye-in-stone does not eat”. How, then is the initial story of his childhood to be believed? But there is a saving grace. As has been very common in India, the couplets of sages have been expanded or made more reasonable by the introduction or substitution of new phraseology in the preceptor’s writing. To make the couplet sound more logical the epithet has been introduced by a devotee forgetting that his might be read against his sage Nam Dev’s early life.

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