BHAKTA BHAGU
INTRODUCTION
Bhagu was a female Varkari Saint and a great poet. Though she belonged to the Mahar caste, she got good knowledge in penning bhakti poems on Lord Vittal, a form of Lord Krishna. She was born in a village in Maharashtra, in a lower caste, to a pious Hindu couple. Her father was a potter, and he earned his income by making and selling clay pots. With the meagre income of her father, the family lived happily.
She was married at her young age, but soon her husband had sent her to her home town, due to the unlimited bhakti shown by her on Lord Vittal. But young Bhagu, didn’t get upset, but she left her home, and joined in a troupe who were on their way to Pandharpur. As soon as she reached the temple of Pandharpur, she felt very happy, and began to sing melodious songs on Lord Vittal. After knowing about her selfless devotion on Lord Vittal, the temple authorities have provided her a shelter and also asked her to make flower garlands for the Lord. She happily accepted the offer, and began to stay in the hut and also done the divine service of making flower garlands.
In order to test her bhakti, one day, Lord Vittal had appeared in the form of a small boy, and gave a golden necklace to her, and disappeared from that place. Bhagu was surprised with the act of the small boy, and she went to the temple priest and offered the necklace to him, in order to adorn it to Lord Vittal. At that time, one of the jewels of Lord Vittal was went missing, and when the temple priest saw the necklace in the hands of Bhagu, he realised that the necklace is belonged to Lord Vittal, and mistakenly he thought that the ornament was stolen by her, and he tied her in the pillar of the temple, and reported to the king of Pandharpur about the theft.
The king went inside the temple, and he decided to hang her, without getting any explanation from her side. When the hang man hanged her in a rope, suddenly Lord Vittal appeared in that place, and he began to lift Bhagu in his hands, he saved her life, and gave his divine vision to everybody in the temple. The Lord had narrated the entire incident to everybody in the temple with his sweet voice, and disappeared from that place. The king had realized his mistake, and asked Ma Bhagu to apologise him, and he provided a proper house and also provided all sorts of facilities to her. She lived her life by keeping the divine thoughts of Lord Vittal in her mind, and after her death, she has attained the lotus feet of Lord Vittal.
“JAI SRI VITTAL MAHAPRABHU KI JAI”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR
