Swami Namadev

Om Namasivaya!!! Om Sri Sairam!!!

Swami Namadev was a great Sage of Maharashtra. It was said that Lord Vishnu in the form of Vittala used to come in person to eat food with him daily. So he thought himself as someone great and hence different. One day an assembly of great Saints of Maharashtra took place. Tukharam, Gnaneshwara and many others were there and so was Gora Kumbhar, (the potter saint). When every one was seated, Gnanadeva’s sister Mukthabhai said “Gora, why don’t you use your stick to test all of us to see if we are well done. “She was referring to the stick which a potter uses to determine whether or not all the pots are fully fired. Gora Kumbhar smiled and began to test. He pronounced every one passed except Namadev, about whom he said “This one will have to go back to the oven for some time more”.

Naturally Namdev was angry because he thought of himself as the greatest of God’s Devotee. He went to Vittala and complained. But Vittala said to him” Namadev, Gora was correct and if you don’t believe him. I will test you as well. I will come to you before sunset today, and you must recognize me: otherwise you fail.” Namadev agreed.

In the evening Namdev went out for a walk. On the way Namdev saw a Chandala (Scavenger) and his wife – (who were really Vittala and his wife Rukmini in disguise) cooking their evening meal. Namdev was tired of walking, sat on a rock nearby and rest from where he could see what was going on. The Chandala told his wife “The pot is not full: cut the chickens and put them in the pot“. There were 25 chickens representing twenty five thathuvas, essential principle of universe. Namdev though hearing and looking this could not realize the fact but thought that the Chandala was very violent. But what to do its God’s will.

After some time the Chandala again told his wife “The pot is still not full cut the dogs and put in the pot. There were four dogs – the four Vedas. Namdev still did not realize and was just looking. He thought, “The Chandala and his wife will have to endure the burden of their karmas” All Lord Vishnu was trying to teach Namdev was that after all Thathuvas and Vedas are butchered, cooked only the absolute and undifferentiated reality would remain. He achieved success in worshipping Vittala. But such worship was limited to duality. He should have to go beyond that.

Suddenly the Chandala said to his wife “The pot is still not full. Now let us cut the man sitting there and put in. “Hearing that Namdev forgot everything including God and jumped and started running helter skelter. Vittala wanted to induce him into undifferentiated reality by killing butchering and cooking. Namdev ran as fast as he could and stopped only after reaching a nearby village, saw a Shiva Temple and went in for rest. When he was in he saw an old man with his feet resting on top of the Shiva Linga. Namdev scornfully told the old man “Do you know my good man that you are defiling the sanctity of this temple?” In reply the old man said that as he was very old and weak, he was unable to move his legs and requested Namdev to help him so that he could avoid angering Shiva. But Namdev did not want to dirt his hands by holding the dirty legs of that old man. With much hesitation he picked up the offending foot of the old man and laid them a little distance away. Now the old man called “Nam I still feel something under my foot. Can you please look it. “Here the old man called only Nam and not Namdev because Namdev literally means ‘Name of God’ and he did not reach that stage. Namdev unwillingly lifted the old man’s foot and saw another Shiva Linga there. When he placed down again there sprang another Shiva Linga there and so on. At last the old man asked him to tell him where there was no Shiva so that he can rest his foot there. Namdev realized there was something more to the old man and embraced his feet and took his as his Guru. After learning his last lesson Namdev again went to the assembly of great saints and now Gora Kumbhar tested him with his stick and said “Now this is okay too.”

Thus it is understood that the Guru will never let his disciples loose until and unless the disciple become thorough with what the Guru wanted him to learn.