The Lord comes down for His devotee – Story
In the Ramayana, the maidservant of Kaikeyi was Mantara. She was the one who incited Kaikeyi against Rama and added sin to her. She was the one who did the work of applying sandalwood to Kamsa in the incarnation of Krishna.
When Krishna once came to Kamsa’s country, she forgot her true self after seeing him and applied sandalwood to Krishna as well. As a result, Krishna straightened her bent back. In her next birth, she was born as Janabai, a devotee of Panduranga, who is Krishna Himself.
There was a huge crowd at the Pandaripuram temple during the Ekadashi festival of the month of Karthigai. At that time, a ten-year-old girl was singing in a sweet voice at the shrine of Panduranga. All the devotees were listening to her, forgetting her true self.
After the song ended, she did not return home with her parents. She said that Panduranga was her mother and father and stayed in the temple. That divine child was Janabai.
A sage named Namadev who came there spoke to Janabai and understood her state of mind. He was amazed that the child had developed devotion at a young age due to the grace of God. He spoke to her politely and took her to his house.
Namadev, a great devotee of Panduranga, was a great sage from his childhood. He had the privilege of singing a hundred crore songs and feeding the Lord himself. He asked his mother Kunai Amma to take care of Janabai.
Janabai did all the work in Namadeva’s house and spent her time performing bhajans in the temple.
She reached the age of puberty as a young girl.
One night, due to heavy rain with strong winds, the wall of Namadeva’s house collapsed. Seeing this, Pandurangan himself came in person to wash away the suffering of his devotee and built a wall by kneading the soil.
Seeing Panduranga, Namadeva and Janabai fell at his feet and worshipped Him.
Janabai had the privilege of serving Bhagavan. She quickly prepared hot water and bought his muddy silk pitambar cloth, washed it and dried it. Until then, Pandurangan wore Janabai’s rags. It was also suitable for his body.
Panduranga wanted to rest for a while until the pitambar cloth dried. Janabai spread out old clothes and sacks in her room for him to lie down comfortably.
She gently held Bhagavan’s feet. Panduranga, who was sleeping soundly on Adisesha’s flower bed, woke up soundly in his dirty clothes, thinking that he slept better here than in Vaikunta.
Then Janabai served food to Panduranga and he sat down to eat with Namadeva’s family. Namadeva fed Panduranga rice with his own hand, which he accepted with a smile.
Seeing this, Janabai felt sad that she had not been blessed like him.
Knowing this, Panduranga went to her room. He asked Janabai, who was eating there, to feed Him a piece of rice. She gave it to Panduranga with tears of joy.
Panduranga, who was bound by true devotion, laid down with his head on Janabai’s lap.
Then he enjoyed and was delighted when she sang the pastimes of the Lord in the form of a song.
When Janabai ground flour in the mill, he even helped by pushing the grain with his hand.
Pandurangan decided to tell the world about the devotion of Namadeva and Janabai. While his silk pithambar was drying on the flagpole of Janabai’s house, he put on her ragged saree and disappeared.
The priests who opened the door of the temple for the evening prayers were shocked. The beautiful Kashi silk and ornaments worn by Panduranga were missing. A rag was wrapped around the idol.
The priest, who was very familiar with Janabai’s family, said that this was like Janabai’s cloth, and everyone came to Namadeva’s house.
Seeing the silk pithambar drying on the flag, they said that she had stolen Panduranga’s pithambar and ornaments and started searching the house. The ornaments were in her bedroom.
When did you steal her jewelry? Did you even bring back the robe that Panduranga had tied? They asked.
Janabai was not disturbed by all this. I have done nothing wrong. If you think I have done such a wrong, give me whatever punishment you want and stood up straight. The priests, who thought she was lying, complained to the king. It was decided that she should be washed in the public street. Janabai was brought to the gallows.
Looking at the gallows, Janabai clapped her hands and sang, “Vittala Vittala Jaya Jaya Vittala.”
The gallows caught fire. Pandurang ran and embraced Janabai and said that she did this to show the world her true devotion.
Janabai fell at his feet and worshipped him. Janabai’s fame and the greatness of her songs spread throughout the country. Pandurang himself came and wrote and compiled the songs of Janabai and Namadeva. Those elixirs are still being sung by devotees in Pandaripuram today.🙏