Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Bhakta Janabai

Courtesy:Smt.Saroja Ramanujam
Bhaktha Janabai

Jana bai came to Pandaripur with her parents when she was a small girl and seeing panduranga she lost her heart to Him and wished to stay in Pandaripur, She describes Him thus:
Paaya jOdooni vitEvaree
Karatevunee kataavaree
Vittala is standing on the brick with hands on his hips
Roopasaam vale sundhara
Kaanee kundalE makraakaara
How beautiful He is with the fish shaped ear drops
gaLaamaala vyjayanthee
pude gOpaala naachadhee
With vyajyanthee maalaa on His chest and the gopas are dancing in the yard.
garuda sanmukha upaa
mhaNe janee Dhanya Sobhaa
I see Garuda standing with folded hands and it was sheer bliss.
She was so enchanted with Panduranga that she started expressing her joy thus.
Vaikuntee chaa hari thanhaa yaSOdhechyaa gareem
He is the Supreme Lord in vaikunta, in the house of yasodha He is a little boy.
raangathase haa angaNee maathaa jaavaLaachee vENee
He crawls as a little boy in the yard and there is a small plait on His head
Paayeem painjana aaNeevaaLe haadheem navaneethaachE goLE
There is ankle bells on His little feet  and a ball of butter on His little hand.
Dhanya yasOdhaa maaya dhaasee janee vandhee paaya
What penance did Yasodha do , I Janaa worship her feet.
When it was time for her parents to return to their village, Janaa refused to go and wanted to stay in Pandariput itself. No amount of coaxing or scolding could move her.
Namadeva came that way and saw her and asked her why she was argi uing with her parents and crying. Janaa said ,
"My name is Janaa. My parents are here only, Panduranga and Rukmayee. I do not want to leave Pandaripur. " Namdeva told her parents that he will take her to his house and she could help him in the worship of Panduranga and Janaa gleefully went with him.
The other devotees asked Namdeva about the girl. He said that she was the hunchback in Mathura whom Krishna transformed into a beautiful girl. She was born again as Janaa to unite with the Lord in this janma.kl
Janaa was always singing the name of Panduranga.  There was an incident which shows the depth of her bhakthi. She used to prepare cowdung cakes for fuel . Once her neighbor stole some of hers and Janaa found that a few were missing. She accused the neighbor of stealing her cowdung cakes and that lady denied it saying that they were hers. Then Janaa said,
"I can prove that the ones you have are mine. " The lady laughed and said ,
"Is there your name on it?"  Janaa said " No not my name but the name of Vittala. If you put it near your ear you can hear the name of Vittala because when I made them I was chanting His name ."
The lady did not believe this and took one and brought it near her ear. Wonder of wonders! There was a clear chanting of the name of Vittala coming from that . Then she apologized and gave them back after prostrating in front of Janaa.
The story goes that Panduranga used to go to namdeva's house and help Janaa bhai in her chores and also He wrote the songs she composed on Him.
She sang,
thujee naahee kElee sEvaa
dhuhkhavaatE maajE jeevaa
My heart pains when not doing your service.
nashtapaapiNa mee heena
naahee kElE thujE dhayaaLa
You showed mercy on me who sinned in not contemplating on you.
jE jE dhuhkha jaahlE malaa
thE thvaam sO silE vittalaa
You took over my  problems and showered your grace on me.
kshmaakaree dhevaraayaa
dhaasee janee laagE paayaa
I bow down to you forgive all my faults. 

Janaa bai enjoyed the presence of Vittala in Namadeva's house where all the devotees used to assemble. She describes the bhaktah vaathsalya of the Lord thus:
naamadheva keerthan karee premabhare naache paanduranga
Namadeva sang and Panduranga danced with love.
Janaabhaayee  mhaNe dhevaa bOloom abhang
Janabhai said , "Oh Lord will you not sing abhang?"
abhang bolathaam keerthaneem ranga votavaLaa
The song escalated and Rangan danced enchanted
Premaachiyaa chandhEm dheva naachoom laagalaa
He danced wheeling around filled with love
naachathaam dOlathaam dhevaachaa galalaa peethaambar
When he danced round and round His peethambar was slipping.
saavatha hoyee dhevaa aisE bOlE kabeer
Kabeer said " Be at peace, oh Lord" and the Lord acceded.
Ekachi gardhee jaalee chandhrabhaagE vaaLuvantee
maajaa naamadheva maajaa jnaana dheva
All devotees saw this and were overjoyed and Namadeva and Jnanadeva too.
Naamayaachee janee lOLE santhaachE paayeem
janmamaraNa paasuni muktha karee kE vitaabhaayee
Jana also rolled over the dust of the feet of the devotees, crying "Rangaa will you not remove my rebirth and give me mukthi.

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