The Great Saint NAMA DEVA
Namadeva, who lived during the end of the 13th century and the first half of the 14th in Western Bharat, is one of the countries best known saint poets. A contemporary and associate of Jnanadeva and other great mystics, Namadeva lived in constant communion with Lord Panduranga. Hundreds of 'abhangs' (devotional songs) composed by him are lovingly sung by devout people to this day. The man with a saintly appearance was having a roti and a little gee for his lunch. A dog came by, snatched the roti from his hand and ran away,
He at once jumped to his feet, and taking the bowl of gee in his hand, he ran behind the dog.
"0, my friend, why do you eat that dry roti? Have some gee also" - shouting like this, he pursued the dog. At long last he was able to catch it. He smeared the roti with gee and fed the dog.
Many were marveled at this sight. Some called him mad. Some laughed at him. Some praised his goodness. Neither they’re derisive laughter nor their praise caught his attention. All that he was interested in was feeding the dog.
This compassionate man was Namadeva the saint. (Saint means a great man whom, with his mind set on God, desiring nothing for himself, leads a pure and good life.) What he saw even in a dog was the element of divinity. He was a great soul. He lived, throughout his life, with the conviction that there is divinity in every living being.
Small wonder then that he who treated a dog with such love preached and practised that all mankind is one.
Enlightenment Put To Test (A
must read!!!)
One day Panduranga asked Namadeva, "Are you always aware of the fact that this entire world is filled with me?"
"I look upon all life in the same light," answered Namadeva.
We have already seen how when a dog snatched the bread from his hand and ran away, Namadeva pursued the dog with a view to feeding it with gee too.
Namadeva told that this attitude of his was due to the teaching of his Sadguru Visoba.
It was Ekadashi (the eleventh day) of the month of Kartik. Namadeva was fasting that day. An old Brahmin came to him begging for food.
"Today, you know, is Ekadashi, the day of fasting. I should not treat you to any regular meal. I can get you some fruit if you want," said Namadeva.
"If I don't get a meal, I will die of starvation. The sin of killing a Brahmin will be on you."
"I know nothing about sin or meri good deed," said Namadeva.
"You don't seem to have the slightest mercy. Yet you show off your philosophical knowledge in empty words. Do you allow this old man to die of starvation?" demanded the Brahmin.
"If you die today for want of food, let me face the same fate," declared Namadeva.
But then the eyes of the Brahmin started rolling up. The very next moment he was dead.
Namadeva without a second thought carried the corpse to the bank of river Bheema. He prepared a pyre to burn the body and laying himself on the pyre beside the Brahmin’s body, he set fire to the piles of wood. His wife also was making ready to follow her husband. At this juncture Panduranga showed himself in his glorious divine form with four hands, saved all of them and showered his blessings on them.
Namadeva went and lived in the northern country when all the contemporary saints departed from this world. Just as he had written many Abhangs (abhangs means a song composed and sung by the saints in Maharashtra in praise of God's glory) in Marathi, he wrote Abhangs in Hindi also. To love God with all their heart, to lead a pious life surrendering everything to him with steadfast devotion is the way of devotees. it is called the cult of Bhakti. Through- ages South India had built up a tradition of Bhakti. After Namadeva went and settled in North India, a similar tradition was set up there also.
This great saint passed away in 1350 A. D. He was then eighty years of age. His whole life was dedicated to Vitthala. He was a divine light guiding many a pilgrim on the path of devotion.
There are two kinds of Abhangs in Namadeva's compositions: those, which express the yearing of the devotee for the vision of God, and those, which express the bliss of fulfillment after God realization. The total number of all his compositions is said to be 2,375.