Namadeva lived in 13th Century to whom Jnanadeva, mukthabai, Gorakumba , Kabeer and some others were not only contemporaries but also they have met as companions in their journey along the path of bhakthi. These great souls showed to the world that attainment of mukthi is possible through namasankeerthana alone in the era when the country was under the rule of moguls.
Janabhai a great devotee sings in one of her abhangs,
Vitumaajaa lenkaruvaalaa
Sage lenkuraanchaameLaa
Vittal is carrying the burden of His devotees, see around Him always,
Eknaath kanthyaavaree
kabeeraath haathdharee
Ekanath is on His shoulders,Kabeer is in his hand.
pute saale jnaanesvar
maaye mukthaayee sundar
On His back is jnanadeva and on His chest there is Mukthaabhai.
Ghoraakumbhaa mandeevaree
chokaameLaa barobharee
Ghoraakumbha is on His thigh and Choka Mela is standing near.
Bangaabase khadiyevaree
namaa karaanguleedharee
Banhaa is on His hips and Namadeva is holding His hand.
These are the most important devotees of Panduranga.
Namadeva was the son of a tailor Dhamshet. He and his wife Gunabai were great bhakthas of Panduranga and would eat only after offering the food to Panduranga every day.
One day Dhamshet and his wife were feeling sad. The reason was that they did not have a son. That night Panduranga appeared in the dream of Dhamshet. Panduranga said " Tomorrow you will find an infant in Chadrabhaga river. Take him and bring him up as your son."
Dhamshet went to take bath in the river the next day and what did he see? A big shell was floating on the river and came near him. He took it and opened it because he remembered the dream and a baby will not float on its own but only in a container! He heard the cry of a baby inside and found a baby boy and gleefully took him home and gave him to his wife. Both of them marveled at the grace of the Lord and brought up the boy, naming him Namdev.
Who was the boy and where did he come from? He was supposed to be Uddhava , the unparalleled devotee and frind of Krishna, sent by the Lord to spread bhakthi. Namdev grew ingrained in bhakthi
Once Dhamshet had to go away and could not take the food to be offered to Panduranga and his wife told Namdev to take the food . The boy in his all innocenc took the food and offered it to Panduranga . When he placed the food in front of the Lord he called Him to come and eat it. But Panduranga did not come. Namvdev pleaded with Him thus:
Pandarinivasa sakhaa panduranga
Kari angasanga bhakthaaciyaa
Oh Panduranga , who is in Pandaripur, my friend, will you not come and embrace me , your devotee ?
He called again and again but the Lord did not appear. Then he cried with anguish,
Vaaravaara thusa laaja naaheem dhevaa
bolare kesavaa mhanE naamaa
How many times I have called you oh Kesava are you now ashamed in keeping silent . Why don't you talk to me.
Then moved by his devotion Panduranga came in person and ate all the food!
Namdev went home with empty vesse and told his mother that Panduranga haad eaten the food.
Then the father came home and hearing what Namdev said , he could not believe it not could he suspect the child of telling a lie, seeing his innocent face. The next day the father took him to the temple and again Namdev asked the Lord to come and eat the food. But He did not come. The Lord will not oblige those who are not having staunch faith in Him as the innocent souls like Namdev.
But Namdev pleaded again and said " Panduranga if you do not come and eat the food my father will think that I lied yesterday and have eaten the food myself. Fid you not prove the words of your devotees like Prahlada eartlier. Why do you test me like this?"
Then a miracle happened Panduranga came in person and ate the food in the presence of Dhamshet, while Namdev gleefully fed him. After this incident Fhamashet and his wife understood that their son is not an ordinary mortal.
Namdev attained youth and his bhakthi also grew. Along with him.and his parents wanted to get him married. One day Dhamshet went to bed with this thought in mind. He saw Panduranga who said , "Go and ask the hand of Rajabhai for Namdev."
Dhamshet woke up baffled and told his wife about the dream. "But," she said, they are the richest family in Pandaripur and how can we ask their daughter for our son, whose father is a tailor?"
Dhamshet said, " Nevermind. I will go to their house because Panduranga has told me to go. Rest is in His hands."
Dhamshet went to the house of the father of Rajabhai and told him about the dream and asked the hand of his daughter for Namdev. The man said he wanted 1000 gold coins as kanysulka, thinking that Dhamshet could never give it. Damshet went home disappointed and told Panduranga, " Oh Lord I have acted asper your command . More than this is not in my hands."
But how can anyone go against the will of the Lord? Panduranda wished to teach a lesson to the rich man and in that night Dhamshet and his wife heard a great noise as though somethinghas fallen down . They rushed to see what was the matter and what they beheld was a miracle!
A thousand gold bars have fallen from nowhere into their courtyard! Dhamshet took all of them to the rich man and said, " You asked for 1000 gold coins and I have brought 1000 gold bars. The man could not believe this and asked how Dhamshet acquired those gold bars. When he was told what happened he was awed and realized what a great soul was going to be his son in law, if Panduranga Himself wanted to pay the kanyasulka for him. He said, "Pardon me , you are blessed by the Lord. I will gladly give my daughter without any kanyasulka to your son. She must be fortunate to have such a husband who is the best of devotees." Then Namdev was married to Rajabhai.
Namdev was a good husband and father to his children but he was all the time engrossed in namasankeerthanam and soon they were impoverished. Once he had gone to the temple and his wife was complaining to her neighbor that her husband was not at all taking care of the needs of the family spending all his time in singing the glory of the Lord.
Namdev could not hear this since he was in the temple but can the Lord who is everywhere help hearing this accusation about His devotee who was most dear to Him? Has not he said 'ananyaaSchinthayantho maam ye janaaH paryupaasathe theshaam nithyaabhiyukthaanaam yogakshemam vahaamyaham?'
"For those people, who think of me without any other thought and persistent in my devotion always , I take care of their welfare."
He cut vegetables in the house of Ghorakumbha, prepared cowdung cakes for Bhaktha Jana, helped in the daily worship for Ramanuja and some others, repaid the loan of Badrachala Ramadas, protected the money given to Thyagaraja by a devotee from the thieves, what ever He did not do for His devotees! It produces horripilation even to mention these acts of love of the Lord and they are countless, starting from early yugas right down to Kaliyuga.
A man came to Rajabhai saying that his name was Kesavadas and he was a great friend of Namdev and came to give him money he owed him. Then he gave a lot of money and went away. She happily spent the money in buying food clothes etc. and Namdev , on returning home was surprised and when he was told about the visit of Kesava das, he said that he never knew anyone with that name. Then he realised that Panduranga Himself came as Kesavadas.
Namadev said " Why should you take so much trouble Oh Lord to redeem my name? " What have I done to deserve this? You seem to have said you owed me all this . It is I who owe you this janma and this bhakthi which without your grace I could not have had." Panduranga smilingly stood on the brick as though saying, my greatest wealth is my devotees and I have to recompense you for your love towards me. Don't you know that for mere two handfuls of flaked rice I gave Kuchela a fortune? You are singing to me doing namasankeerthan in front of me always. Should I not display at least a little of the love I share with you?"
Namdev did not want to keep the money as he thought that it may turn his mind away from his devotion to Panduranga and distributed it among the poor and needy. And he happily started singing the glory of the Lord.
Vittalaasee paahe vittalaasee Dhyaaye
Vittalaasee gaaye sarvakaaLa
Whatever I see is Vittala and whatever I think is Vittala
Vittal is in my song always
Vittala haa vrtthi vittala japaNe
Chittha vittha manasarvakaaLa
Vittala is my work, Vittala comes in japa, Vittala is my wealth and Vittlala is my thought
Sabaahya vittala dhaade ganavata
Vittala is everywere outside and filled in the clouds
daS diSa apaata vittalachi
Vittala is in all ten directions
naamaamaNe thumheem vital ho ooLa
I say, you become Vittala and
abhanga bajana karee thasaam
do abhang bajan
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