Namdev - DEVOTEE OF PANDURANGA VITTALA

Lord Narayana asked Uddhava to make an avatar in this world to bring people into the bhakti cult. There was a pious tailor by the name Dhamaji in the village of Pandharpur. Every morning he would bath in Chandrabagha and then go to the temple to worship Vitthal and only then have his food. His wife Gonai, was also pious and dutiful. They dint have a child and one-day Gonai asked her husband to pray to Vitthal and ask for a child. Dhamaji then went to the temple, prostrated, and told the lord that his wife desires for a son. That day Vitthal came in his dream and told him that he has given him the gift of a son, and when at sunrise if he goes to bathe in the river his son will come floating down the stream. He told this to his wife and the next morning Dhamaji came early to Chandrabagha, he quickly had his bath and finished his prayers. Just then he noticed a shell floating down the river and he opened it and found a baby inside. He took the baby and went home to show it to Gonai. They then named him as Namdev. 

Nama grew up as a pious kid and always used to go to the temple with his dad. One day Dhamaji went to the market and so he sent Nama to the temple with the offering to be given to Vitthal. His mother told him to show this to Vitthal and come back home. Nama came to the temple, prostrated before the god, and worshiped the god. He then placed the plate of food that he had brought and asked the god to have the food. Nama was under the impression that god always really eats whatever is offered to him. He waited for the god to eat. He then thought that the god was angry as he was late. He then told the god that his father had gone to the market and hence he was delayed. He then started crying asking the god what wrong he had done and why the god was not taking his offerings. Seeing Nama’s pure love god appeared in front of him embraced him and then ate the offering given by Nama. The god then told Nama not to tell this to anyone. Nama then came home and returned the empty plates. Gonai asked him what happened to the food and he said that god ate it. The next day when Dhamaji came back Gonai told this to him. Dhamaji and Gonai dint believe this and they asked Nama how is it that god ate, lets go to the temple now and show us how that happened. They both went to the temple worshiped the lord and then made the offering. Nama then asked Vitthal to come and take the offerings. Vitthal answered to him that he would not be visible to his father and would be visible only to him. Nama then pleaded the god to show himself to his father too and Dhamaji could also see the god having the food. They then went home and Dhamaji told the whole story to his wife.

Namdev

Nama grew up and was then married to Rajai and had a child named Narayan. Nama would never bother about work and would always be in the temple singing about Vitthal. After Dhamaji’s death Gonai, Rajai and the children dint have a good dress to wear and hardly had even one meal a day. Rajai was complaining about this to Gonai and Vitthal on hearing this came as Keshav Seth to meet them. He went to their house and said that he is a friend of Nama and has come to meet him. Rajai then said that Nama is not there and asked him to come later. She also said that there is no food for people at home but Nama always brings Saadhus to have food at home. The god then said that his name was Keshav Seth and that he knew that Nama was suffering from debts and not having any money so he bought some gold coins to be given to him. On hearing this Rajai, asked him to come in and be seated. The god then asked Rajai, not to trouble Nama and gave her a bag full of gold coins and left their house. Gonai had gone out to get some grains and was not aware of this. On her way back she went to the temple and complains to God that Nama has not been taking care of the family and only spends time in the temple. She then shouts at Nama and brings him back home. When they reach home they see that Rajai has cooked many dishes and a feast was ready at home. They were all wearing new dresses and ornaments. Nama seeing all this wealth felt sad and asked his mother how this had come. Gonai told him that she was not aware of this. He then asked his wife Rajai and she did not utter a word about that. Jani, Nama’s servant came in and told him what happened. Hearing this tears flowed from Nama’s eyes and asked God why did he take this trouble for him. He then called the brahmans and distributed all the wealth to them.