Devotional songs (abhangs) of Saint Namdev preaching about making the Human birth meaningful!

Saint Namdev Maharaj is an extraordinary and great devotee of Shri Vitthal. On the occasion of His death anniversary let us pay respects charged with spiritual emotion to the idol of Shri Vitthal in His home in Pandharpur. When Saint Namdev was a child his father told him, “Today you offer naivedya (offering of food) to God”. Namdev complied and waited for God to eat it. Pleased with the child, Deity Vitthal appeared before him and ate the naivedya offered to him. The lines from the Holy verse ‘Deity Pandurang dances gracefully as Namdev sings His glory’ expresses the state of devotion and spiritual emotion of Saint Namdev. Once as Saint Namdev Maharaj was eating, a dog snatched the chapati from His hands. The Saint ran after him with a bowl of ghee so that the dog need not have to eat it dry. Saint Namdev who remained in constant communion with God saw Deity Vitthal even in that dog !

All His life Saint Namdev Maharaj preached the Name of God. On His own He performed the act of travelling till Punjab to preach the Bhagwat Dharma. His compositions of around 2500 devotional songs (abhangs) are well-known. He has composed around 125 songs in Hindi out of which 62 have been imbibed into the Holy text of the Sikhs, the ‘Gurugrantha Sahib’ as ‘Namdevjiki Mukhabani’ in Gurumukhi. Saint Namdev is considered as the pioneer in writing His autobiography and biographies in Marathi. Through three chapters in His composition ‘Adi, Samadhi ani Tirthavali’ He has unraveled the biography of Saint Dnyaneshwar.

शेवटिली पाळी तेव्हां मनुष्य जन्म । चुकलीया वर्म फेरा पडे ॥१॥
एक जन्मीं ओळखी करा आत्मारामा । संसार सुगम भोगूं नका ॥२॥

संसारीं असावें असोनि नसावें । कीर्तन करावें वेळोवेळां ॥३॥
नामा म्हणे विठो भक्ताचिये द्वारीं । घेऊनियां करीं सुदर्शन ॥४॥

Implied meaning : A soul is blessed with a human birth after 84 lakh births in various species. If it makes mistakes in that birth then it has to go through the cycle of birth and death again. That is why let us realise God in this very birth. Despite being in the material world do not get involved in it instead chant all the time. Deity Vitthal waits at the door of a devotee to bring about his spiritual upliftment.

दाही दिशा मना धांवसीं तूं सईरा । न चुकती येरझारा कल्पकोटी ॥१॥
विठोबाचे नामीं दृढ धरीं भाव । तेर सांडीं वाव मृगजळ ॥२॥

भक्तिमुक्ति सिद्धि जोडोनियां कर । करिति निरंतर वळगणें ॥३॥
नामा म्हणे मना धरीं तूं विश्‍वास । मग गर्भवास नहे तुज ॥४॥

Implied meaning : O mind even if you run in ten directions, at the end of time (kal) you will not be spared of the cycle of birth and death. Have immense faith in the Name of Vitthal. This Name itself will destroy the mirage of worldly life and devotion (bhakti), salvation (mukti) and supernatural powers (siddhi) will constantly bow down before you. If you have faith then you will be freed from rebirth.

Devotion of Saint Namdev

Once Saint Dnyaneshwar and Saint Namdev set out on a pilgrimage together. As they travelled through Kashi, Gaya and Prayag they reached Aundha Nagnath, the seat of worship of Deity Shankar. As in other places here too they decided to serve God by singing His glories at His Holy feet.

Offering obeisance to Mahadev, Saint Namdev commenced his kirtan (narration of glories of God through both prose and poetry) which was attended by a large audience. The audience was engrossed in the kirtan. Suddenly there was chaos. So the audience turned behind. The kirtan stopped. Some opponents were standing in the doorway. They were shouting angrily, ‘This is the seat of worship of the nurturer of Kailas, Umaraman. He is not fond of the glories of Hari. Go to Pandharpur and dance there.’

Hearing this the audience responded that both Vitthal and Shankar are one and the same and that there is no difference between Them. Where is it written that kirtan should not be performed in front of Shankar they asked. This irritated the opponents even more and they said, “So, you are trying to teach us ? Get out of here at once. If you do not you will be beaten up.” All stood up calmly. No one was willing to leave. Seeing this the opponents decided ‘we need to first get Namdev out from here’. So they said to Saint Namdev, “Due to Your kirtan the entrance to the temple is being blocked, so continue delivering the kirtan but behind the temple.”

Hearing this Saint Namdev prostrated before the opponents, left the temple and continued the kirtan behind the temple. As the glories of the Lord had to be stopped abruptly, with a clear conscience He beckoned Deity Pandurang.

The yearning in this was so intense that God heard it and the temple of Shankar facing the east came and stood in front of Namdev. The onlookers were awestruck with this miracle. They proclaimed ‘Kailaspati has accepted the devotion of Namdev’.

Just then finishing the ritualistic worship of Shankar the opponents left the temple only to find the kirtan continuing in front of the temple again. They realised that something had happened. When they realised that God himself had changed the direction of the temple they were overcome with shame. Thus God Himself showed which devotee was dear to Him. The dejected opponents then sat down to listen to the kirtan. The temple with its direction turned however is still existing as a reminder of this miracle.

This is the very step in the temple of Shri Vitthal in Pandharpur where Saint Namdev gave up His body after going into the super conscious state (samadhi). To ensure that His ego would never get inflated Saint Namdev merged into the Holy feet of God.

Let us take darshan (vision) with spiritual emotion, of these objects which are unmatched examples of devotion, and pray with surrender so that devotion unto God within us increases !

Source : Dainik Sanatan Prabhat