SANT KRISHNA DAS
INTRODUCTION
Varkari saints are those spiritual people, who have dedicated their entire soul on Lord Vitthal, a form of Lord Krishna, and these saints are considered as the Bhagavathas, since they used to glorify Lord Vitthal Mahaprabhu by the way of praising and singing excellent songs on Lord Vitthal. Each and every cell contained in their body would talk about the glories of Lord Krishna, and would sing songs on him.
Similar to the great Varkari Saints like Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram, Sant Krishna Das is also a famous Varkari Saint who lived during the 16th Century AD at a village in Pune, Maharashtra, and his father was a farmer, and his mother was a house wife. Krishna Das was the only son of his parents, and hence they have given lot of privilege to him, and brought up him in a proper manner. From his young age onwards, Krishna Das developed sincere bhakti on Lord Vitthal by visiting his temple at Pandharpur during festival days. He also got good knowledge of composing excellent songs on Lord Vitthala.
A famous song written by Sant Krishna Das was very popular during his period, and the meaning of the song is, “Lord Vitthala of Pandharpur is giving salvation to his devotees, similar to his staunch devotee Pundalika, and he also makes us to move towards him, he is the one who looks very beautiful, blesses his devotees with a lovely smile, and adds sweetness in their lives”.
Every year, Krishna Das used to walk hundreds of miles to reach the sacred town of Pandharpur, and he used to compulsorily visit the Pandharpur temple during the Aashaadha Ekadashi festival day. Sant Krishna Das was a strict vegetarian, he used to observe fasting on Ekadashi days, and he lived a simple life, by worshipping Lord Vitthala.
Krishna Das daily used to perform puja to Lord Vitthala in his home, offer food to the participants of puja, and then only he used to consume food. Once there occurred a severe famine in the village of Krishna Das, and as a result he didn’t have sufficient food grains in his home. Though he and his family were suffered from severe poverty, but he continued his regular puja on Vitthala and also offered food to the guests at his home.
One day, only a small quantity of rice was available at his home. When his wife boiled the rice into Kanji, and the entire family were prepared to drink it, suddenly a small boy with a bright face, had appeared before him, and asked for the Kanji. Krishna Das and his family were very much pleased with the appearance of the boy, and they happily offered the entire Kanji to the boy, by considering him as Lord Vitthala. When the small boy drank the Kanji and when he was satisfied with the food offered by them, everyone present in the house felt as if they have eaten enough food, and their bellies were also filled fully. Immediately Krishna Das and his family members were realised that the boy was none other than their beloved Lord Vitthala.
The boy was disappeared, and at his place, Lord Vitthala had appeared before them, and blessed all of them. Due to the blessings of the Lord, heavy rain was showered in the village, and as a result, the poverty of Krishna Das was also removed from his life. Due to his hard work, he once again became the owner of agricultural lands, and he has become rich. After rendering selfless service to the Lord and to the people for many years, at his old age, Krishna das and his family had attained salvation.
“PUNDALIKA VARADA PANDURANGA VITTHALA NAMO NAMAHA!”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR