Sant namdev

Sant Namdev (Namdeo, c. 1270-1350 CE) was a precursor of bhakti reformers like Kabir, Ekanath, Tukaram and others. An ardent devotee of Vitthal (also called Vithoba or Panduranga), a form of Vishnu or Sri Krishna, he helped in the growth and development of the Varkari sect, and created a culture of devotion in western India and in Punjab where he spent the latter part of his life. Born on October 26, 1270, Namdev, the son of Damasheti and Gonai, was sixth in descent from Yadusheta Relekar of Narsi Brahmani village in Maharashtra. Soon after his birth, his parents moved to Pandharpur, the holy seat of Vitthal, in district Sholapur. He was married to Rajabai (Rajai), daughter of Govindsheti Sadavarte and was blessed with five children – Nara,Vitha, Gonda, and Mahada (sons) and Limbai (daughter), but his mind yearned for a mystic union with the divine. He evinced little interest in the ancestral business of tailoring and calico-printing, and spent most of his time in the shrine of Vitthal or in the company of holy men. His preceptor, Visoba Khechar, helped him to reach the higher realms of being where external worship is required no more. ‘The anguish of bondage and liberation has been resolved; I now remain ever absorbed in the state of divine bliss. Khechar’s feet are the quintessence of all my endeavours.’ ( SNG, 1370) As with most holy persons, miracles have come to be associated with Namdev. At the age of five he made the idol of Keshavraj drink milk. He once saved Pandh...

Namdev is a central figure in the cultural history of India, especially within the field of bhakti, a devotional practice that has created publics of memory for over eight centuries. Born in the Marathi-speaking region of the Deccan in the late thirteenth century, Namdev is remembered as a simple, low-caste Hindu tailor whose innovative performances of devotional songs spread his fame widely. He is central to many religious traditions within Hinduism, as well as to Sikhism, and he is a key early literary figure in Maharashtra, northern India, and Punjab. In the modern period, Namdev appears throughout the public spheres of Marathi and Hindi and in India at large, where his identity fluctuates between regional associations and a quiet, pan-Indian, nationalist-secularist profile that champions the poor, oppressed, marginalized, and low caste. Christian Lee Novetzke considers the way social memory coheres around the figure of Namdev from the sixteenth century to the present, examining the practices that situate Namdev's memory in multiple historical publics. Focusing primarily on Maharashtra and drawing on ethnographies of devotional performance, archival materials, scholarly historiography, and popular media, especially film, Novetzke vividly illustrates how religious communities in India preserve their pasts and, in turn, create their own historical narratives. This erudite study is an important contribution to several important issues in contemporary social theory, especia...

Over the past couple of days, I have come to a conclusion about my beloved Guru Om Swami. He is a bhakti saint who is doing so much more in this avatar simply to fulfill the purpose assigned to him by the divine mother. The seed for this was planted when I first heard him talk about legendary saint That was my Swami at his core. A bhakta beyond comparison. A simple monk in a complex world. Let me tell you the story Swami narrated about Sant Namdev. That was my Swami at his core. A bhakta beyond comparison. A simple monk in a complex world. Let me tell you the story Swami narrated about Sant Namdev. Sant Namdev lived in Pandarpur, Maharashtra, and prayed to Pandurang Vitthala (Krishna). On one occasion, Namdev was dancing so enraptured in the glory of God that Vitthala himself wore a pitambar and came to dance with him and his band of kirtan wallahs. Krishna danced with such enthusiasm that his pitambar fell to the ground, and Namdev had to request him to slow down so that others could keep pace with him. One day Namdev was lost contemplating on the divine when his wife got him some chappati, ghee, and gud for lunch. Namdev told her to keep the food aside since he did not wish to eat at that moment. After a few moments, a dog saw the food. The dog also Namdev lost in his own world, chanting the name of Vitthala. Sensing an opportune moment, the dog grabbed a couple of chappatis and bolted off. Namdev grabs the ghee and gur and starts chasing the dog. Namdev was shouting Vit...