Sants of Maharashtra and Varkari sampraday , bhakti movement .

        Hare Krishna to all this blog is about about Indian religious culture. India is best known as religious country, cultural country. We have rich culture. 

        In India all the people follow some or another religion. Each state has different cultures. Each state follow their religious practices. Each state has different Gods and people living their do worship of God .

        Worshipping God , loving God from bottom of heart  is bhakti yog . Person who practices bhakti yog  is bhakt .In the different states of India has culture of bhakti . Great sants are well known from different states for their bhakti .

     Varkari sampraday of Maharashtra do bhakti of God VITHHAL . Temple of  lord  "VITTHAL " is situated in Pandharpur. Maharashtra state has given great saints . Well known Santas are Sant namdeo Maharaj , Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj , Sant Eknath Maharaj , Sant Tukaram Maharaj, Sant Ramdas swami  such great Saints had done great work in bhakti. These all saints were bhakt of God Vithhal. Work of Santa has importance as they all play play vital role for society. They all spread bhakti and spiritual knowledge for all the people of society.                                                                                      

 Sant Eknath Maharaj

Sant Eknath Maharaj born in  the year 1633 in  paithan in Maharashtra.He was devotee of Lord "VITTHAL"

He started Bhakti movement in  maharashtra .his compositions are many and diverse. They includes Bharud , Gavalan , Abhang.He has stated bhagavat   Dharma in detail and simple manner . He portrayed people's life in Bhavarth Ramayan through the story of Ram .he explained in marathi , the bhakti part of the Sanskrit word 'BHAGAWAT ' . His abhangas shows warmth of devotion. He demonstrated through his own conduct that there is no need to renounce worldly matters for attaining the higher truth , paramarth.

 

Santn Dnyaneshwar Maharaj 

Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj born in year 1275 on the auspicious day of Krishna janmashtami, in Apegao village near paithan.He Is called as "Maulee "which means mother . He was devotee of lord "VITTHAL "

He was great Sant in varkari movement. He wrote " Dnyaneshwari " or  "bhavarth - deepika" which was translation of "Bhagavat Gita" in contemporary marathi language . Original bhagavad gita is written in sanskrit language which was hard for lower cast people of that period .To make higher spiritual knowledge available for such people Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj wrote bhagavat gita in marathi language. He also composed "Amrutanubhav" .

Sant Namdeo Maharaj 

Sant Namdeo born on 26 October 1270 in Narsi , Hingoli, Maharashtra . Later on he  lived in Pandharpur and  devoted his life for doing bhakti of lord "VITTHAL".

He was also great Sant of varkari movement. He was skilled organiser. He used to perform excellent keertans as well .He awakened the sense of equality in men and women belonging to all the casts through the medium of keertans .His  pledge was नाचू कीर्तनाचे रंगी |ज्ञानदीप लावू जगी || his composition are well known. His compositions are including in the Guru Granth Sahib of Sikhs. 

                                            Sant Tukaram Maharaj 

Tukaram  Maharaj born in Dehu which is in Pune in tyear 1608. He was devotee of lord "VITTHAL".

His compositions are very pleasing and lucid , reachingthe greatest poetic and heights .His gatha is a precious treasure of the Marathi language. He asks us to find God by showing love to the unhappy and the tormented in the following lines:- जे का रंजले गांजले |त्यांसी म्हणे जो आपुले|तोची साधु ओळखावा |देव तेथेचि जाणावा ||

      Sant Tukaram Maharaj stressed that bhakti should be coupled with morality . Some orthodox people opposed him for doing social awakening that he had undertaken,and sank his abhangas in Indrayani river. Sant tukaram faced the opposition with  noble courage .

Sant Ramdas swami Maharaj 

Sant Ramdas swami was born on 24 March 1608 in  jamb samarth  of jalna in marathvada , as compared to other sants ,sant  Ramdas was different as he  was very strong and explained importance of physical health. He was bhakt of  lord "Ram"  who is non another than lord VITTHAL .

.He wrote Manache shlok, Dasbodh ,karunashtka .still  his compilations are popular in Maharashtra and many people recite his shlokas .

     Sant Ramdas swami propagated the worship of lord Ram and Hanuman.He travelled far and wide to propagate his thoughts . While travelling in villages he built many hanuman temples there .