History of Sant Namdev
Sant Namdev is recognized as one of the five great saints of Maharashtra, which
include Gyaneshwar, Eknath, Sant Ramdas and Tukaram. He was a great devotee and
an accomplished saint. His entire life was devoted to Vitthal (Lord Krishna).
Namdev’s period is from 1327 to 1407 Vikram Samvat. During this period he propagated
Santmat (the path followed by saints) in the North and the South India. Many of
his compositions have been included in the ‘Adi-Granth’ of Sikhs, which points out
towards his popularity and wide acceptance as a great saint. He was born in a Vaishnav
family. His ancestors were deeply rooted in bhakti, one of whom, Yadu Seth, was
a great devotee of Vitthal. He lived in a village called Narsi-Brahmani near Kanhad
in the Satara district of Hyderabad. Namdev was born in this family in 1327 Vikram
Samvat. His father was Dama Seth and mother was Gonaai. At the outskirts of the
village, there was a Shiva temple. Namdev’s father visited this temple daily to
offer water to the Lord. Once in a year he used to visit Pandharpur for the Darshan
of Lord Vitthal. Later Dama Seth settled at Pandharpur itself. From his early childhood
Namdev acquired the habit of worshiping and reciting the name of Vitthal, as was
the tradition in the family. His parents took care that the child Namdev is brought
up in the company of saints and scholars so that he acquires the qualities of devotees.
A strange incidence is related to Namdev’s childhood. There was a Vitthal idol in
their house. Dama Seth used to perform Pooja daily observing all rituals. Once Dama
Seth was required to go to another village. He, therefore, entrusted the Pooja to
Namdev.Dama Seth used to offer milk to the deity. He asked Namdev to do so in his
absence. Namdev was happy that he had got a chance to serve Vitthal. In the absence
of his father, Namdev took milk in a bowl and offered the milk to Vitthal sitting
with eyes closed in front of Vitthal. His anxiety was growing to find whether Vitthal
has drunk the milk or not. He opened his eyes and got frightened to see that Vitthal
had not drunk the milk. He thought that there was definitely some thing wrong in
his offering the milk to Vitthal because of which Vitthal had not drunk the same.
He thought that his father must be offering milk maintaining purity but as he was
yet a child he must have committed some mistake. He, therefore, thought that until
Vitthal drinks the milk, he would also not eat or drink any thing. As the time passed,
Namdev was getting restless. God looks at the intention and not on the act. So Vitthal
appeared before Namdev and drank milk from the bowl. This went on for a few days
till Dama Seth returned. When he learnt what had happened, he was thrilled. He embraced
Namdev and said that he had made not only their own house but the entire village
auspicious.
Namdev’s bhakti for Vitthal kept on taking deeper roots. At the age of eight, Namdev
was married to a girl named Rajai, who was daughter of Govind Seth. After some time
his father died as a result of which the entire responsibility of the family fell
on his shoulders. His mother and wife wanted that Namdev should take on to some
business but Namdev had already entered the arena of bhakti with all his might.
For him there was nothing greater than getting engrossed in reciting the name of
Vitthal, taking a dip in the river Chandrabhaga and visiting Pundalik. The worldly
affairs had no meaning for him. Living in Pandharpur he used to spend his time in
the remembrance of Vitthal.He started composing melodious ‘Abhangas’ (poetry) to
please Lord Krishna and His consort Rukmaniji. Satsang (company) with saints like
Gora Kumhar and Sanvata Mali was easily available to him in Pandharpur. In their
company he completely got absorbed in the bhakti of Vitthal. Namdev’s bhakti in
Vitthal had grown so much that the Lord could not remain away from him even for
a moment. The Lord used to appear before him in human form and used to do all his
work. On the other hand Namdev also could not live for a moment without his Lord.
The way of love is strange; both the lover and beloved become restless for each
other.
Amongst his contemporary saints, Sant Gyaneshwar was very famous. He came to Pandharpur
to meet Namdev. Sant Gyaneshwar was going on a pilgrimage and wanted Namdev to accompany
him. Both of them were deeply impressed with each other. When Namdev asked him to
accompany, Namdev was very happy that he would have the benefit of the satsang of
Sant Gyaneshwar but at the same time he could not leave Vitthal even for a moment.
He, therefore, said to Sant Gyaneshwar that as he is a great saint and thus the
God personified, he (Namdev) would be happy to accompany him, if the Lord so permits.
These were the words of a Bhakt (devotee), recommendation of a saint like Gyaneshwar
and the matter was in the court of the Lord Pandurang. Sant Gyaneshwar pleaded before
the Lord and the Lord agreed saying that Namdev is very dear to Him and if Sant
Gyaneshwar wanted to take Namdev with him, he must take care of him (Namdev) on
the way. Such was His Grace on Namdev.With the permission of the Lord, Namdev accompanied
Sant Gyaneshwar on the pilgrimage. On the way Sant Gyaneshwar explained him that
God is omnipresent and all pervading but Namdev was deeply rooted in Sagun bhakti
(in the bhakti of Lord in the form of Vitthal). He told Sant Gyaneshwar that Lord
Vitthal alone is worth the worship; one should engage in reciting his name and in
His remembrance; the love for Lord Krishna is the essence of life and that Lord
Pandurang is the essence of his life. The Nirgun Gyan of Sant Gyaneshwar was of
no interest to Namdev. All along he was rooted in the remembrance of Vitthal. After
visiting Prabhas and Dwarka etcetera when they were returning, a strange incidence
occurred with them near Bikaner. Both of them were very thirsty. They spotted a
well in the village named Kaulavat. Gyaneshwar was a Siddha-yogi (an accomplished
yogi, who had acquired various Siddhis). He used Laghima-Siddhi by which he became
small, entered the well, drank water and brought some water for Namdev, as well.
Namdev was a Bhakt; he refused to drink the water saying humbly that his Lord Vitthal
would definitely take care of his thirst. Hardly had he uttered these words that
the water in the well rose up to the brim of the well and Namdev quenched his thirst.
This is how the Lord serves his Bhakt and takes care of even their slightest needs.
While returning from Kashi to Pandharpur, they stayed with Gora-Kumhar, a family
man and a great saint. Gyaneshwar and his sister Muktabai held him in very high
esteem. Muktabai was accompanying Gyaneshwar on this pilgrimage tour. During their
stay there, once during satsang spotting a Thapi (a wooden instrument used by potters
for patting pots) she asked him in a lighter vain as to what it was. Gora-Kumhar
replied that it is a Thapi, which helps in judging whether a pot is Kachcha (half
baked) or Pakka (fully baked-ready). She said-‘We are also like mud-pots. Are we
Kachcha or Pakka’?
Gora-Kumhar said okay, we shall find out and then he started patting their heads
with the Thapi. When Namdev’s turn came, Gora-Kumhar said that he was Kachcha. On
his asking Gora-Kumhar explained that Namdev had not yet taken the shelter of a
Guru and, therefore, he was not Pakka. Namdev after returning to Pandharpur put
this matter before Vitthal, Who supported Gora-Kumhar. It was revealed to Namdev
that though he was very dear to the Lord but still he was required to take shelter
of a Guru at whose feet he must surrender his ego; till he did so he would remain
Kachcha. Namdev then took Visova Khechar as his Guru on the direction of the Lord.
Visova Khechar was an accomplished saint through whom Namdev acquired the knowledge
of Truth. A strange incidence in this regard is related to Namdev. Vitthal had directed
Namdev in his dream to take Visova Khechar as his Guru. Namdev went out looking
for him. He was informed that Visova Khechar was resting in a Shiva temple. There
Namdev saw an old man resting with his feet on the Shivalinga. When Namdev objected,
he asked him to shift his feet to another place away from Shivalinga. Namdev pulled
his feet to another place but to his surprise a new Shivalinga suddenly appeared
at that place. Namdev then understood that this old man himself was Visova Khechar
and took initiation from him. In his Abhangas Namdev has written a lot in the praise
of his Guru Visova Khechar. In one Abhang he has written that ‘my mind is like a
needle and my body is like thread. I have fallen at the feet of my Guru Visova Khechar,
who has made my life auspicious. I have forgotten about all my afflictions and my
heart is now full of bliss. My Guru has applied the collyrium (lampblack-Kajal)
of true wisdom in my eyes, without which my life was like a snake without the Mani
(a precious stone believed to be hidden in the hood of snake). With the grace of
my Guru I remembered the Lord and it got me absorbed in the Lord’. Thus the journey
of Namdev with Gyaneshwar fructified in Namdev taking the shelter of Visova Khechar
and getting completely immersed in the love of Lord Pandurang. For some time Namdev
also lived in Dhomangaon of District Gurudaspura in the Punjab state, where he composed
many verses in the Hindi language while spreading the message of Krishna-bhakti.
Many of these verses have been included in the Guru-Granth Sahib. The early part
of his life he spent in Pandharpur and the later part he spent in the North India.
He was one of the early saints of the Varkari sect. In Maharashtra he propagated
a mix of Vishnu bhakti and Sant-mat. He saw the Lord everywhere in the form of Vitthal.
He had surrendered himself completely to the Lord and had risen above the caste
and creed considerations. He has stated that ‘I bow before that Supreme, Whom my
Guru had shown to me.’ He also said that the Lord was his all-in-all and that he
had no argument with any one; his only goal was the lotus feet of his Lord. Many
miracles are associated with Namdev. Once he went to a place named Alavati. There
he sat in front of a temple and engrossed deeply in the love for the Lord started
singing a Bhajan. The priests took him as one of the beggars and pushed him towards
the back of the temple. To their surprise the front door of the temple also shifted
from the east to the west.
Once his hut caught fire. Seeing that things lying on that side of the hut were
gutted in fire, he started throwing the remaining things also in the fire. In the
red-hot flames he had a glimpse of his Lord Vitthal. He stated, ‘O my Lord! I am
sacrificing all my belongings in this Agni-Yagya. Due to my ignorance I had taken
all these things as belonging to me. Now by accepting them, shower Your grace on
me.’ The fire turned more severe and burnt the entire hut. Namdev was not even the
least bothered about it but then his Lord appeared in the form of a laborer and
reerected his hut.Once Namdev stayed in a deserted house in a village. The villagers
told him not to stay there, as that house was haunted by a Brahm-Rakshas (a powerful
ghost of a dead Brahman). For Namdev, however, the entire world was the abode of
his Lord and Vitthal alone existed in the form of all creatures. For him even that
Brahm-Rakshas was also Vitthal. At mid-night that Brahm-Rakshas appeared before
Namdev. His body was very long and dreadful. Namdev started singing in the praise
of Vitthal stating that ‘My Lord Vitthal You have appeared in an elongated form
of Brahm-Rakshas today. Your head is touching the heavens and Your feet are on the
earth. No one can describe Your this form fully. You are my Lord; shower Your grace
on me.’ Instantly Namdev saw the Lord Pandurang showing His glimpse with conch,
chakra, mace and lotus flower in His hands.
Once Namdev cooked some pan-cakes (Roti) for himself in a jungle. As he got up to
relieve himself, he saw a dog running with the pan-cakes in its mouth. Namdev picked
up the bowl containing ghee (butter-oil) and started following the dog saying ‘O
My Lord! Let me apply some ghee on these pan-cakes. Without ghee you would not like
them.’ The Lord cares for the feelings. Instantly He showed His glimpse in the form
of Vitthal in place of the dog. Namdev fell at the feet of his Lord, Who embraced
him. Once a person named Shamnath visited Namdv along with his son named Tatya.
Shamnath was a devotee and used to attend satsang regularly but his son did not
do so inspite of his father telling him repeatedly. Shamnath mentioned this to sant
Namdev. While they were talking, it got a little dark in the evening. Namdev took
both of them in the rear of the temple, which was a big area and a lamp was lighting
in one corner.
Namdev purposely took them to the other side where the light was very dim. Tatya
asked Namdev as to why were they not sitting near the lamp. Namdev remarked, ‘this
is what your father is telling you all along. You can acquire the purity of mind
only by attending satsang, as it lightens up the mind.’ Tatya got the message and
started attending satsang. Chokha Mahar (Chokha Mela) was a contemporary saint of
Namdev in Maharashtra. Once Namdev went to the village Vedha with his associates
for Kirtan and stayed in the village. People requested him to take food at their
house but Namdev said that he would take food at the house of the most pious man
of the village and went to 89 Chokha Mahar for food along with people accompanying
him. The villagers were surprised as Chokha Mahar belonged to a low caste and he
used to peel off skin of dead animals. Namdev explained to them that although Chokha
Mahar was engaged in that job, which was his family tradition, his heart was pure
as he was always immersed in the thought of the Lord. When he saw that people did
not believe this, he took them to the
temple of Vitthal. Chokha Mahar, however, did not enter inside the temple and stood
outside the gate. There was no end to the astonishment of people when they saw that
the flower garland from the neck of the Lord flew on its own and landed in the neck
of Chokha Mahar. His Samadhi is situated at the gate of Vitthal temple. At the age
of eighty years Namdev left this mortal world at the main gate of the Vitthal temple
Chokha Mahar for food along with people accompanying him. The villagers were surprised
as Chokha Mahar belonged to a low caste and he used to peel off skin of dead animals.
Namdev explained to them that although Chokha Mahar was engaged in that job, which
was his family tradition, his heart was pure as he was always immersed in the thought
of the Lord. When he saw that people did not believe this, he took them to the temple
of Vitthal. Chokha Mahar, however, did not enter inside the temple and stood outside
the gate. There was no end to the astonishment of people when they saw that the
flower garland from the neck of the Lord flew on its own and landed in the neck
of Chokha Mahar. His Samadhi is situated at the gate of Vitthal temple. At the age
of eighty years Namdev left this mortal world at the main gate of the Vitthal temple
in front of his Lord Pandurang in 1407 Vikram Samvat. His Samadhi is located in
Pandharpur.