|Dalita kandita tuzha gaaeen Ananta|

 I will sing your name while pounding and grinding O Eternal one.

She recited the verse which she wrote just now, her heart filled with pure love and devotion for Lord Vittal.

She was seated in her cottage, just finishing all her cooking work, concentrating on the verses while she noticed the atmosphere.

Violent gusty wind blew across the village of Pandharpur, as the sky was surrounded by black clouds. 

She got distracted.

Her grip suddenly loosened, the pen in her hand fell down, while she reminisced her past.

It was the month of Karthik (November) when Janabai visited the Pandharpur temple as a pilgrimage.

She was a little girl by then, barely seven years of age. She lost her mother only few months back, so she was accompanied by her father.

Janabai seated herself at the feet of Lord and sang the praises of Lord Vittal. The crowd that was gathered there was mesmerised by her singing. They praised her for her Devotion and dedication to the Lord in such a tender age.

She suddenly declared that she would never return to her village with her father and would remain here till her last breathe, serving the Lotus feet of Lord Vittal as Lord Vittal is both her father and mother from now.

Hearing this her father was astonished. He convinced her in every possible way but she was firm in her decision that he finally agreed. Her father also died after leaving her in Pandharpur.

She eventually became a maid in the house of Namdev, a ardent devotee of Lord Panduranga himself.

She called herself as the maid of Namdev and took care of him and his family.

Eventhough she was not properly educated, she began writing abhangas on Lord Vittal while Namdev also sang many popular verses on the Lord.

Pearls of tears formed her eyes as she visualised her past. She quietly laid down, closing her eyes, while her lips chanted His name as she slowly drifted to sleep.

There was heavy downpour outside as the clouds gave up unable to hold back the rain which fell making thunderous noise into the ground.

Suddenly an erotic wind blew away the roof of Namdev's hut. Lord Vittal on seeing this sent his mighty weapon, Sudharsana Chakra as a roof to revolve around for Namdev and his family, while they all were fast asleep. Not even a drop of rain entered Namdev's hut as His Sudharsana chakra guarded the top. Lord Vittal even rebuilt his hut.

Suddenly Namdev woke up and noticed shining Pitambaram outside his hut. He slowly came out and was greatly astonished to see Lord Vittal standing there with his Sudharsana Chakra.

Namdev fell at his feet, his eyes reflecting pure devotion while his cheeks was wet with tears.

"My Lord, how you are here?", he asked, in a calm yet amusing tone.

"To protect my children from danger, do I need any special invitation? Moreover, your mother Gonai would be very angry with me and would even refuse to talk with me if I hadn't protected you all."Lord Vittal smiled saying so.

Gonai immediately touched the Lord's feet, tears welling up her eyes.

"We are blessed. Our family is blessed because of your presence." Voiced Namdev, hands folded and head bowed down.

Janabai came there all of a sudden. She couldn't believe her own eyes. Her Lord, whom she considered as her mother, is standing there. Her lips curved in to a deep smile and her eyes couldn't hold back her tears. She hurried there and noticed Lord Vittal was fully wet as he was drenched in rain.

She slowly rubbed His back with her saree end with love and affection.

Namdev with due respect asked Lord Vittal to come to his house and have dinner with his family. Lord Vittal gladly agreed.

While Lord Vittal was having his dinner with everyone in the house, he saw Janabai standing in the door step with grief stricken face.

He have no pity for me and so he is not calling me, Janabai thought.

Lord Vittal understood her thoughts.
"I think I've had enough. I am not enjoying my food today. I don't know why.", He said to Namdev.

The whole family stopped eating as Lord Vittal rose from His place.

Namdev offered his bed to Lord Vittal to take some rest and he slept in the floor beside.

Meanwhile, Gonai signalled Janabai to get in and handed over the plate of Lord Vittal's leftover food.

Janabai happily took it to her hut.

After Namdev and his family fell asleep, Lord Vittal went to Janabai's house.

She welcomed Him very happily.

"I am hungry. Can you please give me some food?", Lord Vittal asked in an innocent tone.

Janabai hesitated. She didn't have any food with her.

"Food... Sorry.. Please forgive me. I don't have any food other than one which you left unfinished earlier." She replied, her voice so dull, her eyes not meeting His in hesitation.

"Please bring it for me." Lord Vittal said.

"I am very happy and satisfied for what you offered me. I haven't had anything more tastier than this", He said, His voice filled with much satisfaction.

Janabai then offered Him to have rest in her hut.

Lord Vittal suddenly rose and saw what Janabai was doing.

While she was preparing to grind the grains, Vittal thought of helping her and cleaned the mill.

Though she restricted Him in helping her, he Himself grinded the grains and requested Janabai to sing abhangs.

After finishing the work, Vittal saw there was still much time for the dawn. So he rested in the bed of Janabai, the bed made of her old sarees.

"I don't have any other bed other that this worn-out bed. You wouldn't feel comfortable in this", she hesitantly said, feeling bad.

"You are wrong. This bed gives me more comfort and peace than what you mentioned as 'comfortable' bed." saying so He drifted to sleep.

After a while Janabai woke Him up saying that it is already dawn and He should be in the temple by now as everyone would be searching for Him.

He hurriedly got up and went to the temple.

Janabai couldn't believe anything. She was smiling continuously thinking of the sudden happenings around her.

In the temple:

When the Priest opened the Sannidhi of Lord Vittal, he was surprised to see some ordinary robe on Vittal.

One of the devotee said that the robe belonged to Janabai. When the head priest removed the robe, he noticed that the necklace was also missing.

A group of devotees went to Janabai's house and accused her of stealing  Lord Vittal's robe and necklace. They also searched in her house and found that.

Janabai pleaded to everyone that she never stole anything and even told then about the past night's scene.

No one believed her words and accused her of saying lied too.

Namdev tried his best to make everyone understand but he couldn't.

The news was passed to the King and he ordered that Janabai must be tied to a iron rod as a punishment. 

She was taken to the river bank to execute the punishment.

Janabai cried helplessly to Lord Vittal to save her.

If the Ganga flows to the ocean
and the ocean turns her away,
tell me, O Vitthal,
who would hear her complaint?

Can the river reject its fish?
Can the mother spurn her child?

Jani says,
Lord,
you must accept those
who surrender to you.

Janabai sang, her heart and soul calling for Lord Vittal.

She was going to be tied to the iron rod when suddenly a miracle happened.

The iron rod turned to water all of a sudden.

Lord vittal appeared there, his divine aura filling the atmosphere, radiating calmness.

The whole crowd that gathered there started to sing the praise of Lord Vittal.

Janabai rushed to Him and fell at his feet, her tears cleansing the feet of Lord.

Jani has had enough of samsara,
but how will I repay my debt?

You leave your greatness behind you
to grind and pound with me.

O Lord you become a woman
washing me and my soiled clothes,

proudly you carry the water
and gather dung with your own two hands.

O Lord, I want
a place at your feet,
says Jani, Namdev’s dasi.

She again sang, pure devotion and love filling every pore of her body.

He slowly raised her up. "I played this leela to show your pure devotion to the world. To acknowledge your selfless love and devotion, I myself will compile every verse of yours and spread your peotic knowledge all over the world", the Lord of Pandharpur, Panduranga, blessed her thus.

She completely surrendered her to Him, her lips chanting His name, eyes welling up with tears, her hands reluctant to let go of His feet.

Jai Jai Vittala Panduranga!
Jai Hari Vittala Panduranga!
Jai Jai Vittala Panduranga!
Jai Hari Vittala Panduranga!

The crowd recited in chorus, their hands folded, the divine aura sorrounded every one of them while chanting His name.

PS: This is a real story, the story of Janabai, Lord Vittal's devotee. The verses I used above was also sung by her. I have interpreted it and presented this chapter accordingly.  I hope you liked it. Please share your views too. Thank you!