Namdev facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shri Sant Namdev Maharaj
Shri Sant Namdev Maharaj
Birth Date	c. 26 October 1270 CE Narsi, Bamani Maharashtra, India
Died on	c. 3 July 1350 CE Pandharpur
Philosophy	Varkari / Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism)

Shri Sant Namdev Maharaj (born around 1270, died around 1350) was a famous Hindu saint from Maharashtra, India. He was part of the Varkari tradition, a special group of devotees. Namdev was a great follower of Lord Vitthal (a form of Krishna) from Pandharpur. He was also a close friend of another important saint, Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj.

Namdev was inspired by Vaishnavism, a branch of Hinduism that worships Vishnu. He became well-known across India for his devotional songs, called bhajan-kirtans. His teachings included ideas about God being both with a form (like Vitthal) and without a form (everywhere). Today, people still remember Namdev in the Varkari tradition. Many people walk long distances on pilgrimages to Pandharpur twice a year. He is also respected in other Indian traditions, including by Sikhs. Some of his hymns are even found in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism.

Life of Sant Namdev

Namdev (second from right) with other saints: Ravidas, Kabir and Pipa.

We don't know every detail about Namdev's life. People traditionally believe he lived from 1270 to 1350. His family name was thought to be Relekar.

As a child, Namdev was said to have performed a miracle. He made an idol of Lord Vitthal drink milk. This story shows his deep devotion from a young age.

Namdev was married to Rajai and had a son named Vitha. Both his wife and son, along with his mother Gonai, wrote about him. Other people who knew him also wrote about his life.

Namdev was born into a family of tailors, called shimpi in Marathi. This caste was generally considered a lower social group. However, his followers believe he and his family were of a higher warrior class.

There are different ideas about where Namdev was born. Some believe it was in Narsi Bahmani, near the Krishna River. Others think it was closer to Pandharpur by the Bhima River.

Namdev is believed to have been good friends with Jñāneśvar, another famous saint. This friendship was mentioned by a writer named Nabhadas around 1600 CE.

Sikhs consider Namdev a holy man, or bhagat. Many such holy men came from lower castes and worked for social change. They wrote devotional poetry that fit with Sikh beliefs.

It is believed that Namdev passed away in 1350 CE, at the age of eighty. Some Sikh traditions say he died in a village called Ghuman in Punjab. However, this is not accepted by everyone. There are shrines in Pandharpur, Narsi Bahmani, and Ghuman that mark his life.

Stories and Miracles

Many stories and miracles about Namdev appeared in writings centuries after he lived. For example, the story of him being found floating down a river was first written around 1762. Earlier stories about him do not mention this. Later stories also added many other miracles, like buildings turning around or the sun rising in the west.

The earliest writings about Namdev, from around 1600, only mention a few miracles. Over time, more and more miracles and life details were added to his biographies. The earliest writings also did not mention his caste. His caste was first mentioned in the early 17th century. These different stories and details in old writings make it hard to know exactly what happened in Namdev's life.

Namdev's Work and Teachings

Namdev's writings were deeply influenced by Vaishnava beliefs and his devotion to Vithoba. His works, along with those of saints like Jñānēśvar and Tukaram, form the core beliefs of the Varkari tradition. He helped spread the Varkari faith, which believes in one God, Vitthal. This faith first appeared in Karnataka and then spread to Pandharpur in Maharashtra.

Namdev and Jñāneśvar used the Marathi language to share their beliefs. Namdev wrote simple songs praising Vithoba. He used a musical style called samkirtana, which made his messages easy for everyone to understand. He taught that anyone, no matter their caste, could find salvation through devotion (bhakti) to Vithoba. He greatly influenced groups of people who were not allowed to study holy texts, such as women and those from lower castes.

The oldest collection of Namdev's works is in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, put together in 1604. It is believed that the songs in the Guru Granth Sahib are very close to what Namdev originally wrote. Many other writings attributed to him appeared later, but only about 600-700 of the 2500 abhangs (hymns) in Marathi are thought to be truly his.

Bhajans: Songs of Devotion

Namdev's poems were not just words; they were bhajans, or songs meant to be sung. A bhajan means "a thing enjoyed or shared." Namdev's songs were created to be beautiful and carry a spiritual message. They followed ancient Indian traditions for music and singing.

His bhajans used specific musical patterns and included his name, Nama, within the poem. They also had a repeated line (refrain) and a rhythm that matched the music. In Namdev's bhajans, the spiritual message in the words was very important. These songs were usually passed down verbally from teachers to students, within musical families.

Each of Namdev's songs was a complete musical and textual piece. These songs often had small parts that could be moved around or left out when sung, without changing the meaning.

Collections of His Work

Namdev's work is famous for its abhangs, a type of hymn poetry. His poems were passed down through generations of singing families. For centuries, memory was the only way to record them. The earliest surviving written copies of his songs are from the 17th century.

Many different collections of his writings exist today. The government of Maharashtra tried to gather all of Namdev's work into one book, called the Sri Namdev Gatha, in 1970.

The Adi Granth of Sikhism includes 61 of Namdev's songs. However, only 25 of these are found in other collections of his work from Rajasthan. Scholars believe that while the songs in the Adi Granth might sound different, they likely came from a very old, shared source.

Who Wrote What?

Out of thousands of Abhang poems linked to Namdev, only about 600 to 700 are truly his. The other poems were given his name by later writers. This happened over several centuries, from the 14th to the 18th. This time was known as a "dark age" in Maharashtra, when Muslim rulers controlled much of India. Some of these later poems were written by another poet named Vishnudas Namadev, who lived in the 15th century. This includes popular Marathi songs for Vitthal, like "Yuge Atthavis" and "Yei O Vitthale."

Namdev's Philosophy

Namdev's ideas were shaped by Vaishnavite philosophy. His poems often spoke of Vithoba, or Vishnu-Krishna as Govind-Hari. Sometimes he mentioned Rama, but not the hero from the epic Ramayana. Instead, he meant a universal, all-present God. Namdev saw Rama as the "one true Teacher" for humans.

For example, he wrote about worshipping one God who is everywhere, rather than specific Hindu gods like Rama or Shiva:

O Pandit, I saw your great god Shiva, riding along on a white bull. In the merchant's house, a banquet was prepared for him - he killed the merchant's son. O Pandit, I saw your Raam Chand coming too; he lost his wife, fighting a war against Raawan. The Hindu is sightless; the Muslim has only one eye. The spiritual teacher is wiser than both of them. The Hindu worships at the temple, the Muslim at the mosque. Naam Dayv serves that Lord, who is not limited to either the temple or the mosque.

– Namdev, Guru Granth Sahib 874-875

He also wrote:

One stone is lovingly decorated, while another stone is walked upon. If one is a god, then the other must also be a god. Says Naam Dayv, I serve the Lord.

– Namdev, Guru Granth Sahib 525

In northern India, Namdev is seen as a nirguna bhakta, meaning he believed in God without form. In Maharashtra, he is seen as a saguna bhakta, meaning he believed in God with a form.

Namdev's writings teach that devotion is the best way to find spiritual freedom. He believed that God (Krishna/Vishnu) and the devotee (Namdev) were deeply connected. Namdev felt that mechanical rituals or pilgrimages were not important. Instead, deep meditation and loving devotion were what truly mattered. Namdev's songs suggested that the divine is inside everyone and everything.

His works, like those of many Bhakti poets, were based on ancient Indian teachings. These teachings say that the highest wisdom, which is not tied to any specific god, can be found through deep devotion and understanding God.

Namdev's Legacy

Namdev on a 1970 stamp of India

Namdev's writings, along with those of saints like Jnanesvar and Tukaram, are central to the Varkari tradition. He helped spread the Vithoba faith, which began in the 12th century. Namdev wrote his poetry in Marathi, making it easy for everyone to understand. His simple words of devotion and use of music helped his message and songs spread widely. Namdev played a big part in shaping the religious culture of northern India.

Namdev brought together people from different social classes and castes during his community singing sessions. His friends and companions during worship included a dancing girl, a barber, a gardener, an "untouchable," a maid, a potter, a goldsmith, and the Brahmin saint Jñāneśvar. The close friendship between Namdev and the influential Jñāneśvar is mentioned in the Bhaktamal. Namdev's songs, also called kirtans, often used the word loka, which means "we the people" or the "human world" as a social force.

Namdev is considered one of the five respected teachers in the Dadupanth tradition within Hinduism. The other four are Dadu, Kabir, Ravidas, and Hardas. Dadupanthi Hindus lived in Rajasthan and collected many Bhakti poems, including a large number of Namdev's songs. They were also warrior-monks who resisted the Islamic Mughal empire in the 17th and 18th centuries. Another group, the Niranjani Sampraday, also respects Namdev as a holy person. Their holy book, the Niranjani Vani, includes Namdev's poetry.

Namdev is also one of the revered holy men in Sikhism. He is mentioned in the Guru Granth Sahib. There is some discussion among scholars about whether the hymns in the Guru Granth were written by the Marathi Namdev or a different saint with the same name.

Namdev's legacy continues through the biannual pilgrimage to Pandharpur in Maharashtra. His paduka (footprints) are carried by Varkari communities from different parts of Maharashtra in a palkhi (palanquin) to the Vithoba temple in Pandharpur every year. Namdev's bhajan-kirtans are sung during these pilgrimage celebrations.

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