Vithoba the Saint.
He is considered as the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Vithoba replaces Buddha in a depiction of the Dashavatar—ten avatars (of Vishnu)—on the door of Sree Balaji Temple, Goa.
The historiography of Vithoba and his cult is an area of continuing debate, even regarding his name. Various indologists have proposed a prehistory for Vithoba worship where he was previously: a hero stone, a pastoral deity, a manifestation of Shiva, a Jain saint, or even all of these at various times for various devotees. Though the origins of both his cult and his main temple are likewise debated, there is clear evidence that they already existed by the 13th century.
Vithoba is a Hindu god worshipped mainly in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is also known as Vithala and Panduranga. He is generally considered a form of the Hindu god Vishnu or Krishna. In stone images and pictures, he is shown as a dark young boy. He stands on a brick with his hands on his waist. His wife Rukmini or Rakhumai stands with him.
Pandharpur town, southern Maharashtra state, western India. It lies along the Bhima River, west of Sholapur city. Easily reached by road and rail, it is a religious town visited throughout the year by thousands of Hindu pilgrims. Four major annual festivals are held in the town in honour of the deities Vithoba, an incarnation of Vishnu, and his consort, Rukmini. The main temple was built in the 12th century by the Yadavas of Devagiri. The town is also associated with the Maharashtra poet-saints devoted to the Bhakti cult.
Vithoba's main temple is at Pandharpur in Maharashtra. It is close to it's border with Karnataka. Two Hindu sects, the Varkari sect of Maharashtra and Haridasa sect of Karnataka worship Vithoba as their main god. The Varkari poet-saints have written devotional poems called abhangas in praise of god Vithoba. The abhangas are written in the language Marathi. The Haridasa poets have also written poems, devoted to Vithoba in the Kannada language. The two most important festivals associated with Vithoba are two Ekadashi in the month of Ashadh and in the month of Kartik
He is a minstrel on the move, sings bhajans in praise of Lord Vithoba and dances with the musical trinkets tied to his feet. Actually it is not a animated dance but the sound of the ghungroos, and the drum beats add to the recital of his praise to a Divinity , that most Maharashtrians believe in.
He visits my shop transporting me on the wings of sound into an ethereal abode...
I had misplaced his picture just found it tucked away, he lives now within you..
Vithoba is a colloquial form of Vitthala, one of the manifestations of Vishnu.
Vithoba of Pandharpur is traditionally one of the most important deities in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh drawing millions of devotees across several cultures and languages of these states. Vithoba is a major focus of the Bhakti and Varkari movements in these states. A very substantial segment of spiritual literature in the Marathi and Kannada languages is dedicated to Vithoba.
The word "Vitthala" is said to be derived from the Marathi word "Vit", meaning "brick". The prescribed iconogaphy of the lord of Pandharapur stipulates that he be shown as standing upon a brick; this is connected to an important folk-legend connected with the deity, which is elaborated upon below. The suffix "ba" is used to denote "father" in Marathi, and is cognate with the south Indian suffix "appa", which has the same meaning and usage.
The main temple of Vithoba (Vitthala) and his consort Rakhumai (Rukmini) is located at Pandharpur in Maharashtra, on the border of that state with Karnataka.
While Padma Purana, Ekadashi prayers and offerings, legend associated with goddess Rukmini and popular beliefs and traditions accept Vithoba being manifestation of God Vishnu.
Certain scholars contest claim saying it may be Buddha or Jain manifestation.
The name Vithoba means Father Vitthala. Vitthala is said to have been derived from the word Vishnu in Kannada Kannada . Pandurang is a sanskritized form of Pandarga, the old name of Pandharpur. Another explanation for the origin of "Pandurang", it means " the white god.”
Thus it theorized that Vithoba may initially be regarded a Shaiva god and later identified with Vishnu. Vithoba (father) is also known as Vitthal, Vithal, Vitthal, Pandurang. He is also worshipped in Kerala, Karnataka.
The saga of Pundalik is one of the most important Mahima legends associated with Vithoba. How Vithoba came to Pandharpur is a story in which a man called Pundalik plays an important part. Pundalik was a devoted son to his parents Janudev and Satyavati. They lived in a forest called Dandirvan. But after his wedding, Pundalik began ill-treating his parents. Tired with their son’s misbehaviour and ill treatment, the elderly couple decided to leave for Kashi.
However, the elderly couple were not destined to escape their sufferings so easily. Upon hearing of their plans, Pundalik's wife decided to join them and make a pilgrimage. Pundalik and she then joined the same group of pilgrims on horseback. The ill treatment of the old couple continued at the hands of Pundalik. While the youthful son and his wife rode on horseback, the frail old couple walked in bad weather. Pundalik even made his old parents work towards making his own journey comfortable. Every evening when the party camped for the night, the son forced his parents to groom the horses and do other jobs.
On the way to Kashi, the group reached the ashram of a pious and venerable sage named Kukkutswami. Being tired from the journey, they decided to spend a few days there. That night, when all were asleep, Pundalik by chance lay awake. He witnessed a remarkable vision. Just before dawn, he saw a group of beautiful, young women, dressed in dirty clothes, enter the ashram, clean the floor, fetch water and wash the venerable sage’s clothes. After they finished their chores, they went to the prayer-room of the hermitage. When they reappeared after prayer, their clothes were spotlessly clean. Then, they vanished as inexplicably as they had appeared.
Pundalik did not feel moved to raise an alarm; on the other hand, he felt a deep sense of peace as he witnesses this scene. It remained on his mind the whole day, and he resolved upon remaining awake the next night, to be sure that what he had witnessed was not merely a dream. This time however, Pundalik was very curious. He approached the beautiful women and asked him them on who they were.
They said, they were the Ganga, Yamuna and other holy rivers of India in which were revered for their holiness and pilgrims thronged to have a dip in their holy waters to wash away their sins. The holy rivers explained that their clothes were dirty and unclean due to the sins of the bathing pilgrims. "But O Pundalik, you, with your ill-treatment of your parents, are the greatest sinner of them all! "
This incident completely shocked Pundalik and got a transformation in him. He realized his mis- deeds and became devoted to his parents. He made all efforts to make his parents comfortable. And left no stone unturned to make his parents happy, even at the cost of his own comfort.
They say, devotion in any form reaches God immediately. Seeing this outmost devotion of Pundalik to his parents , Lord Vishnu was very pleased. God was so happy with him that He wanted to bless Pundalik immediately, so he left from Vaikuntha (Lord Vishnu’s abode) for bhoolok (Earth)and Pundalik’s ashram.
Lord knocked Pundalik’s door. At that time Pundalik was serving his parents food and was busy. Pundalik heard the door knock and realized it was God who had come to see him. But such was his devotion to his parents, he wanted to complete his duties and only then attend to the visitor, irrespective of whether it was even God at his doorstep. Pundalik threw a brick outside for God to stand on and wait for him until he finishes attending to his parents.
Seeing this devotion & commitment to his parents he was extremely impressed. And the ever-loving God waited for his devotee. When Pundalik came out and begged God's pardon, Lord Vishnu replied that far from being displeased, he was pleased with his love for his parents and granted a boon to him. Pundalik requested God to stay back on Earth and bless all his numerous devotees. Lord agreed to stay back as Vithoba, or God who stood upon a brick. Along with Vithoba, Rakhumai (Mother Rukmini) is also worshipped.
A temple was built at the place where Lord Vishnu stood on the brick. The idol too is “svyambhu” which means it was not built, or carved, it came into existence by its own.
Namdev chi payari
A number of Marathi saints like Namdev, Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, associated themselves with the Warkari Movement and through their abhangas (poetry) and teachings they tried to educate the people about reality.
One interesting tale is also of the first step in the temple called “Namdev chi payari” (step of Namdev). The child Namdev was always an ardent devotee of Vithoba. One day his mother asked him to complete the ritual of “naivedya” (any food made in the house is first offered to God, the ritual comprises placing the offering plate before the idol and sprinkling water around the plate and with a prayer to God). Namdev was pleased to do “naivedya” . After the ritual he waited for God to appear and take the offering. But God did not appear. He was disheartened. He kept praying and requested God to come in person and accept the offering. The child was so unhappy with the non-appearance of God, he started banging his head at the feet of God and begging him to come and take the offering. Seeing the utmost devotion and innocence of a child, God was pleased. He appeared and ate the offering and blessed Namdev. The adult Namdev when blessed by God asked for being present in the "first step" in God’s temple, so that he could be blessed with the touch of infinite number of devotees who would be able to have “darshan” (view) of God. Thus, the first step in the temple at Pandharpur is called “namdev chi payari”.
Pandharpur remains the most visited temple in Maharastra. The warkaris start marching from their homes to the temple of Pandharpur in groups called Dindi to reach on Ashadi ekadashi and Kartiki ekadashi. A dip in the holy river Chandrabhaga on whose banks Pandharpur resides, is believed to have power to wash all sins.
In the pre-1947 period untouchables were not allowed to enter the temples, against this communal attitude Gandhian freedom fighter Sane Guruji went on to fast-unto-death, supported by others of the Gandhian movement. He succeeded in getting temple doors opened for all worshipping communities.
Initially all the devotes were allowed to touch the feet of the idol of Vithoba, but due to many years of numerous devotes the stone at the Lord’s feet chiseled. So as a precautionary measure, none of the devotees are allowed to touch the idol. Only priests are allowed to conduct rituals and touch the idol.
The roads leading to the main temple of Vitthala was paved with cobblestones. Outside the temple were small shops selling thick garlands of tulsi leaves, kumkum, abir bukka- used for the auspicious marks on the forehead, and sweetmeats- peda, sugar, candy, and the like. The air would be thick with the fragrance of tulsi. Even today devotees find the whole atmosphere charged with devotion, vibrant with bhajans and kirtans, reverberations with the melodious beats of dhol, pakhawaj, mridanga, tal, and chiplya-drums and cymbals.
Pandharpur is full of temples. One of the favorites is the temple of Takpitya Vithoba (Vithoba who drinks buttermilk). Tradition relates this deity to a simple woman devotee of yore. If for some reason she could not go to the main temple for darshan, she would offer a mixture of buttermilk (tak) and ground lahi (parched jowar, wheat, or paddy) as the naivedya (food offering) to Vitthala at her own home. And the deity, attracted by her ardent and pure devotion, would come to her house and relish the food. The shrine of takpitya Vithoba was built by a Brahmana widow named Radhabai in 1540. We can still get to see the stone bowl that the devotee used for offering food.
The math of Kaikadi Maharaj is a great attraction for children at Pandharpur. It has lots of brightly colored images and paintings of various scenes based on Puranic descriptions. The pictures depicting the punishments supposed to be meted out to people in hell for their past wrongs are awe-inspiring and leave indelible impressions on the minds of children
When we read Sant Jnaneshwar’s virahinis (philosophical poems dealing with the pangs of separation from God) or Sant Tukaram’s abhangas (a particular metrical composition in praise of the deity), we can feel the fervor and intense longing for the supreme presence. Jnaneshwar says, ‘pailatoge kau kokatahe, shakun gem aye sangatahe; the crow is calling on the other side, predicting some auspicious happening. He wishes to adorn the feet of this crow with gold, for it is telling that ‘Pandharirau (that is, Vitthala) would be coming home as a guest’. Tukaram says, ‘bhetilage jiva lagalise asa; the jiva is longing to meet you, O Lord.’ A remarkable intensity of emotion and agony - generated by the separation from vitthala-is expressed through these simple but penetrating words. What, in reality, is the nature of Vitthala? For saints he is the rajasa and sukumara, handsome and youthful, giving rise to spiritual restlessness and passion in the very depths of the hearts of numerous devotees.
Maharashtra has a unique tradition of bhajan. How can one forget the impact of the forceful melody of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s abhangavani or of the abhangas sung by Lata Mangeshkar?
The principle deity of Pandharpur is Sri Vitthala. The chief priests are from the Badve family. The front portion of the temple of Vitthala is known as Gadh or fortress. The temple has three doors each on its eastern and northern sides, and a door each on the south and west. The main door on the eastern side is the one frequently used, so it is called the Mahadwara. It is also called Namdev Darwwaja,. Near the mahadwara, there is the Samadhi-pitha (memorial) of the saint Chokhoba. We have to climb twelve steps to reach it. The first of these steps is known as namdevchi Payari (Namdev’s step). Sant Namdev left his mortal coil at this very place. A brass image of his face is installed here. Namdev firmly believed that if he were to receive the touch of the ardent devotees of Vitthala he would certainly be liberated.. This step is sacred to the devotees. They take care not to step on it.
According to researchers this mandap was constructed in the Muslim era. The Garuda-khamb, covered with gold and silver plates, is the important pilar here. Garuda is the vehicle of Bhagavan Vishnu. He is a great devotee. So the devotees embrace this pillar lovingly and then move onwards for darshan of Vitthala. The entrance to the shrine is to the west, through the door known as Rupyacha Darwaja (the silver door). On crossing this door we reach the Ckahowkhambi mandap (the four-pillared porch). The Hatti Darwaja (elephant door) with carved elephants on both sides is to the south. The image of Vithoba is three and half feet tall and bears a Shiv-linga on the head. Around his neck, vitthala has the kaustubha-mani (a precious gem that was obtained during the mythical churning of the ocean) and his breast is adorned with the footmark of his devotee, known as vastsalanchhana. The back drop of the image is formed by a prabhaval, a decorative silver plate.
If we approach the Vitthala shrine from the southern door, we get to see the image of the saint woman Kanhopatra in a niche on the wall. Behind the Vitthala shrine to the northwest, is the shrine to Rukmini, the consort of Vitthala. The shrines to satyabhama and Rahi are also close by.
That Rakhumai (the popular name of Rukmini) and Vithoba have separate shrines is a unique feature of this temple. There is a story among the Dhangars-who have traditionally been shepherds, herdsmen, and wool weavers, regarding this permanent parting. The story goes like this: Vithoba’s wife actually had the name Padmavati and she together, Vithoba and Rukmini represent humans with divine qualities. So was fondly called Padubai. She always had to remain busy with her household chores. Once she was extremely tired and so refused to serve Maliraya, a guest of her husband. Vithoba turned furious and pronounced a curse that she would go mad and be separated from him. Vithoba’s curse came true. Padubai went to the forest and died under a tamarind tree. Her parents Janakohi and Kamalaja ran to see her when they heard of this sad turn of events. But Vithoba assumed the form of a snake and sat blocking the way. He would not allow anyone to go near Padubai’s corpse, even as kites and vultures ate it up. He then had clouds pour showers and wash Padubai’s bones to the sea. This tragedy badly upset Maliraya as he felt he had caused it. So he undertook penance by the seashore for the next twelve years. The sea was pleased with his tapas and Maliraya requested the sea to return Padubai’s bones. He then reverentially immersed these bones in Padmatirtha, a lake by the Chandrabhaga River, and a beautiful lotus emerged from its waters.
Meanwhile, Vithoba was tormented by the separation from Padubai. He was wandering restlessly in search of Padubai when he reached the shores of Padmatirtha and saw the beautiful lotus.. He plucked it, and lo! Padubai appeared before him bearing the name Rukmini. But Vithoba had by now got over his attachment for samsara. He said, ‘ My words cannot be untrue. Our household life has come to an end. We shall not be staying under one roof. But we shall meet everyday, communicate with each other, and dedicate our devotees.’ This is how their shrines got separated.
This story has a symbolic meaning. Vithoba is the symbol of non-attachment; he is portrayed as the conqueror of kamini and kanchana. Together, Vithoba and Rukmini represent humans with divine qualities. So they accepted their suffering and a life of duty, devotion, forgiveness, and truth. They decided to live for the sake of their devotees.
Satyabhama is the wife of Krishna and Radha is his dear friend. Rahi is Radha. In the stories and legends of Maharashtra, Rahi is the wife of Vitthala.
Besides these main temples there are the images of Kashi Vishwnatha, Rama-Lakshmana, Kalabhairava, Rameshwara Shiva, Dattatreya and Narsoba in six different rooms. A seventh room lies vacant. These rooms were built by Kanbawa Badve. There is a narrow walk between these rooms and the Solakhambi mandap. At the eastern end of this walk, there is piece of inscription known as Chauryanshicha Shilaledh (the stone inscription of eighty-four).
There are numerous other temples at Pandharpur. These include the temples to: Takpitya vithoba, Pundalika, Vishnupada-Venunada, Gopalakrishna of Gopalpur, and Muralidhara; Gondavalekar Rama; Malikarjuna, Bhuleshwara, Tryambakeshwara, Koteshwara, Vateshwara, and Amriteshwara; Nagareshwara Sarkarvada Mahadeva, Bhadalyacha Mahadeva, Garecha Mahadeva, and Bericha Mahadeva; Ganapati, shakambhari, Chandrabhaga and Paravaril Datta; Panchamukhi Maruti, Tambada Maruti, and kala Maruti; Khajgivale Murti; Padamvati, Vyasa, Ambabai, Lakhubai Yamai and Jyotiba, and Namdev. There is also the Samadhi-pitha of Sridhara Swami and Mahaprabhuchi Baithak (Mahaprabhu’parlour).
Researchers hold varying opinions about the history of the Vitthala temple and image. The main temple was built by the Yadavas of Devgiri in the twelth century though the deity was well-known several centuries earlier. During the Muslim invasion in the sixteenth century the image had to be kept hidden for fear of desecration.
There is another interesting debate about Vitthala. There are arguments suggesting that Vitthala is a Karnataki or Kannada deity rather than a Marathi deity. Jnayaneshwar says: kanada ho vitthalu karnataku, yene maja lavile vedhi; this Vitthala who is kanada (difficult to understand) and karnataku (from Karnataka, or kara nataku, playful) has put me in the state of constant remembrance.’ Saints like Eknath and Namdev have also referred to him as kanada vitthala. Those who vouch for his being Marathi emphasize that kanada means ‘inaccessible, indescribable’.Geographically; Pandharpur is on the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The ancient name of Pandharpur was Pandarage. So the Karnataki shades of PanduraVitthala cannot be easily wiped out. In fact, a closer look at the history of Pandharpur reveals that Vitthala has also had Buddhist and Jain aspects.
To the saints, there is no point in such regionalism. All of them bear a tender affection and innocent love for Vitthala. For them, Vitthala is ‘savale parabrahma; Para-brahman with a dark complexion; he is Hari in the form of a gopa (cowherd) he is also Shiva and Vishnu. There are many Kannada saints and poets who have sung the glory of Vitthala with loving devotion. In his poem ‘Panduraanga Mahatmyamu’, the Telugu poet Tenali Ramadrishna too sings praises to Vitthala: pundarikundu kshetra palundu golichi yunda navyaktamukhya samyuktundaguchu pandurangandu bhaktakalpandrulila nishthaphalasiddhi dorahattinchu ninti (O Parvati), accepting the services of Pundarika and kshetrapala (Kala-bhairava), becoming the wish fulfilling tree by assuming a subtle body for the sake of devotees, fulfilling their wishes, the deity Panduranga resides in that temple.
This shows that Vitthala is an impressive symbol of synthesis He became the centre for the emergence of a unique social and spiritual movement. The devotee saints declared war against hollow rituals and hypocrisy. They were not interested in the shallow vulgar show of erudition. On the contrary they wanted to experience the spirit of the ‘one without a second’ in their own life. Why do we need temples? Because temples and deities represent humbleness which, along with goodness and the spirit of synthesis, we need to protect. If this purpose is not served, then sacred places and temples are mere heaps of stone. Tukarma says: tirthi dhondapani, deva rokada sajjani; holy places are made of mere stones, God is in wisdom and in the pious’.
The Varkaris fondly address Vitthala as Vithoba Mauli (Mother Vithoba). According to legend he is related to both Shiva and Vishnu. Panduranga is another of his popular names. Scholars have provided interesting insights into the etymological meanings of these names.
If the image of vitthals is black, why is he called Panduranga (white colored)? R C Dhere has pointed out that though the Skanda Purana mentions ‘Panduranga’ as a synonym for ‘vitthala’s, shrine. Just as ‘Kashi Vishwanatha means ‘vishwanatha of kashi’, ‘Panduranga vitthala means ‘Vitthala of Panduranga. According to the deshinamkamals of Hemachandra the deity is Pandarango ruddammi and is related to Rudra-Shiva. A copper plate dated 516. records the grant of five villages is Pandarangapalli. Similarly, there is the Sanskrit-Kannada inscription 1236. carved on a beam in the Solakhambi Mandap of the main temple of Vitthala where Pandharpur is referred to as Padaranga.
In a copper plate found at Bendigere near Belgaum, Pandharpur is referred to as Paundarika Kshetra and Vitthala is described as Vishnu. Elsewhere, Pandharpur is called Phagnipur. In the Jnaneshwari, King Ramadevarai Yadava is described as ‘pandhari-phada-mukhya. Pandhari refers to the tutelary village god and phada is a place of public business. So Ramadevarai was the chief of the business centre Pandharpur.
Several etymological derivations have been suggested for the term vitthala. The deity stood and waited on a brick (vit in Marathi) thrown by his great devotee Pundarika, so he is Vitthala.
Tukaram says, ‘vicha dela thoba, mhamoni nav to vithoba; the learned say that Vitthala is one who is gracious towards innocent people devoid of knowledge. A more esoteric explanation is as follows: vit means knowledge and that means shunya (void); so vittha signifies ignorance and the suffix la one who accepts. So vitthala is the one who protects ignorant jivas. Or, as he is all-pervasive, resides in akasha or viyat-sthala (space), and is absorbed into akasha, he is Vitthala.
