Three Women Sants of Maharashtra Muktabai, Janabai, Bahinabai by Ruth Vanita Page from a handwritten manuscript of Sant Bahina’s poems at Sheor f”kÅj ;sFkhy gLrfyf[kukP;k ,dk i~’Bkpk QksVks NUMBER 50-51-52 (January-June 1989) An ant flew to the sky and swallowed the sun Another wonder - a barren woman had a son. A scorpion went to the underworld, set its foot on the Shesh Nag’s head. A fly gave birth to a kite. Looking on, Muktabai laughed. -Muktabai- 46 MANUSHI THE main trends in bhakti in Maharashtra is the Varkari tradition which brick towards Krishna for him to stand on. Maharashtra took the form of a number of still has the largest mass following. Krishna stood on the brick and was so sant traditions which developed between Founded in the late thirteenth and early lost in Pundalik’s devotion that he forgot the thirteenth and the seventeenth fourteenth centuries1 by Namdev (a sant to return to heaven. His wife Rukmani had centuries. The sants in Maharashtra were of the tailor community, and Jnaneshwar, to come and join him in Pandharpur where men and women from different castes and son of a socially outcasted Brahman) who she stands as Rakhumai beside Krishna in communities, including Brahmans, wrote the famous Jnaneshwari, a versified the form of Vitthal (said to be derived from Vaishyas, Shudras and Muslims, who commentary in Marathi on the Bhagwad vitha or brick). emphasised devotion to god’s name, to Gita, the Varkari (pilgrim) tradition, like the The Maharashtrian sants’ relationship the guru, and to satsang, the company of Mahanubhav, practises nonviolence and to Vitthal is one of tender and intimate love. the good, as the path to self realisation. vegetarianism. In addition, they also They scarcely ever use the erotic or bridal By teaching in Marathi, the sants prescribe certain other practices, metaphors prevalent in other regions and contributed to developing a culture and especially an annual pilgrimage to do not dwell on Krishna the lover of the its language. They composed verse in the Pandharpur, a practice said to have been gopis or of Radha, as northern bhaktas abhang form, based on an old folk song started by Jnaneshwar. Their emphasis on do Instead, they relate to Vitthal as loving form called ovi. Most sant poetry was leading a devoted life while living as a friend and companion. Intimacy with god transmitted orally until the early householder, and their use of musical results in an inability to distinguish seventeenth century. devotion (bhajari) and congregational between self and god. One striking image There are five main sampradays or sant gatherings (kirtari) attracted ordinary used is that of two mirrors facing each other traditions in Maharashtra. The people. Maharashtra’s major sants, — which reflects which? The identity of Mahanubhav Sampraday, established in Chokhamela (Mahar), Savarta (gardener), the self with god often results in the sant the thirteenth century in Vidarbha by Eknath (Brahman) and Tukaram (Shudra) as guru being reverenced by other Chakradhar Swami, acknowledged no deity belonged to this tradition. It also had a bhaktas as god. The numerous legends other than Krishna. They established number of women sants, as well as many of Vitthal coming in different shapes to maths, and encouraged devotees to women followers. perform lowly service for different undertake the life of a wandering ascetic, The Varkari tradition drew upon both devotees reinforces this notion. living on alms, although they also had Shaiva and Vaishnav traditions. Conversely, service of other devotees, householder sants. Jnaneshwar’s older brother and guru, indeed of all living creatures, is seen as The first woman poet in Marathi, Nivritti, received initiation from a Nath the highest form of devotion, since god is Mahadamba (1233-1308) belonged to this guru, and Jnaneshwar states that the indistinguishable from the universe. tradition. She was a Brahman child widow, mantra transmitted by him was originally Almost all the sants have stories attached granddaughter of a learned woman priest. received from Shiva. The Varkaris’ deity, to them about their impoverishing She became Chakradhar Swami’s disciple Shri Vitthal of Pandharpur, themselves and distressing their families and composed two narrative poems on the iconographically combines Shaiva, by their generosity to others. One such wedding of Krishna and Rukmani. Vaishnav and folk traditions in himself. He story told of Namdev is that he ran after a The Nath tradition was an ancient is identified with Krishna but has a Shiva dog that had stolen his bread, in order to Shaiva cult, very popular, especially among ling on his head. Not just Vaishnavs but offer it his curds as well. the lower castes. Today, it survives in many Shaivites, Buddhists and Jains also Another metaphor these sants very certain regions. The Datta tradition acknowledged him as a deity. The Varkaris’ commonly use is that of Vitthal as loving combines Shiva and Vishnu worship in the emphasis is on the name of god, and parent, especially mother. Vitthal is form of the deity Dattatreya, an incarnation Jnaneshwar states that it does not matter frequently addressed as a female, Vithai. of the three gods, Brahma, Vishnu and whether this name is that of Shiva or Vitthal’s yearning for his devotees is Shiva. The Samarth tradition was founded Vishnu. figured as often greater than his devotees’ in the seventeenth century by Ramdas, a Shri Vitthal’s defining characteristic is yearning for him. One of Janabai’s most Brahman, devotee of Ram, who became overwhelming love for his devotees. The popular verses gives a charming depiction Shivaji’s guru. His spiritual successor most popular story regarding the origin of of Vitthal as a loving parent of the devotees Akkabai was a woman, and so was one of his name exemplifies this characteristic. — men and women from different castes, his chief disciples, Venabai (1627-1678), This story is about Pundalik, a devotee including the untouchable Chokhamela, also a poet. Both were Brahman child whose devotion took the form of tireless thus imaged as equals, brothers and widows. Venabai herself was a guru to service of his parents. Hearing of sisters: many, including another woman poet, Pundalik’s virtue, Krishna came to his “My Vithoba has many children — a Baiyabai, Thus, the sect has a tradition of house at Pandharpur to visit him. Pundalik company of children surrounds him. He initiating women. was busy washing his parents’ feet and, has Nivritti sitting on his shoulder, and By far the most popular tradition in without interrupting his activity, threw a holds Sopan by the hand. Jnaneshwar NUMBER 50-51-52 (January-June 1989) A sage lives on the temple dome: of him, the great yogi asked : Moonlight by day, heat by night - how can this be brought about? Said the sage : Death quakes before a champak bud, knowledge and madness are one. That one is threaded through the universe, Easily Vitthal sets it free. The unexpressed, without form, is revealed in Vaikunth, Mukiai says, yet people seek wrong ways. Muktabai - 48 MANUSHI walks ahead, and beautiful Muktai behind. with, their wives, accepted women bhaktas who, in different ways, came to be Gora the potter is in his lap, and with him their disciples and inspired them in turn especially significant — Mukta, a founder are Chokha and Jiva. Banka sits on his become teachers. of the Varkari tradition; Jani, a maidservant back, and Namdev holds his finger. Jani The presence of these exceptional men whose devotion exemplifies the sants9 says, look at this Gopal who loves his as sants did not substantially change the emphasis on humility; and Bahina, for bhaktas.” (30)2 image of women in sant teachings and whom devotion becomes a life-line when Legends relating to the Varkari sants tradition; indeed, the women sants she is being crushed by the humiliating often depict them as coming into conflict with religious authorities the priestly Brahmans, because of their heterodox style of devotion, such as Chokhamela the untouchable coming to the temple, or Namdev singing and dancing in public amongst a crowd of devotees of different castes, thus disturbing ritualistic observances. The legends always end with god in person coming to the aid of the devotee or making some sign, such the temple swinging round to Namdev who was sent by the priests to the back of the temple. Brahmans are compelled to give way and recognise the bhaktas’ devotion as legitimate. Brahmanical hostility almost never reaches the point of the devotee being martyred. Women sants appear to be integrated in the Varkari tradition right m the start. The prominent ones usually from bhakta households do not individually have to face social slander or flout public convention when they express their devotion. Neither do they become wandering wise women nor do they appear miraculously at a young age. They seem to live relatively ordinary lives yet the tradition is able to make space for them as teachers and sants. They are referred to with the same honorific prefix: “Sant Janabai” as are the males: “Sant Namdev.” The integration is also suggested in that each has a clear guru parampara or lineage, which is important in sant tradition. The paradox, however, lies in the fact “My Vithoba has many children...” Modern religious illustration of Jani’s poem.” that these gurus, as indeed most sants, in their teachings strongly emphasise the themselves sometimes endorse this image. lot of the average woman. need to stay away from women. Woman, Also, most of them remain subordinate to Mukta, whose name means “liberated”, in the songs Eknath and Tukaram, is not a male guru who is often a relative and was born in 1279.