Kannada Vittala becomes Marata Vittoba

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Kannada Vittala becomes Marata Vittoba

By

Shir A N Parashuram

Darmaprakash Journal September 1978

(with kind permission from Sri Ragupathi Rao)

 

" The Kannada Vittala is standing on the banks of BhIma river. His darshana

is good and His looks are lovely " , was the ecstatic description of the

Lord of PandarIpur by NAmadeva, the great devotee who wrote in Marathi

many thousands of devotional lyrics called 'Abhangs'. NAmadeva lived to a

ripe old age and passed away in 1350 AD. How this Vittala Deva celebrated

in Karnataka came to be venerated and worshipped in the MarAtha country is

the story of the amazing transformation of a thoroughly selfish, pleasure

seeking person called PunDalika into a pious, parent worshipping sage.

 

PunDalika came of a village variously called PanDarangapalli, Pandarige,

Phaginapur and Pandari. He led a sensuous life, neglecting his aged

parents so completely that they felt it better to leave for Benares on

foot. Probably out of jealousy that his parents may gain more merit from

the trip to Benares, PunDalika and his wife set on horseback to precede

his parents.

 

The gods in high heaven laughed and PunDalika lost his way. He was

compelled to spend a night at the hermitage of saint called Kukuda. When

the saint told PunDarika that he, had never gone to Benares or bathed in

Ganges, PunDalika's scorn of the saint knew no bounds. He was however

intrigued when at predawn he heard voices of women moving about the

hermitage. He became curious to know who they were and what business they

had with the saint at that hour. He began watching intently. He saw

apparently aged, ugly women sweeping the courtyard with water and adorning

it with yantras and flowers. He approached them to find out who they were.

Even as he was looking on, they grew younger and fairer with each service

they were performing. PunDarika was compelled to ask them their names and

was thrilled to learn that they were none other than Ganga, Yamun and

Saraswati. They had to wash away their sins and impurities left with them

by the thousands of pilgrims who bathe in the rivers. They were able to

shed away their impurities and regain their beauty by the service to saint

Kukuda.

 

PunDarika was wonder struck at the spiritual eminence in which these 3

deities held saint Kukuda. To repeated questions on how saint Kukuda

acquired such merit, they replied that he was absolutely devoted to his

parents.

 

In a flash PunDarika stood transformed. A tremendous conviction dawned in

him that there was no act holier than service to parents. He and his wife

paid obeisance to saint Kukuda and left in search of his parents.

PunDarika's parents too were pleasantly surprised to see the change in

their son. All four went to Benares and duly performed all religious

rites. On the return journey, PunDarika bought his parents on horseback.

Various explanations have been given to account for the total change in

PunDarika's life. The very resolve to go to Benares, it is said, initiated

the reformation. The night in Kukuda's hermitage was another step in the

same direction. Seeing the deities and hearing from them was of the

importance of serving one's aged parents was mantradIksa, as it were.

Enabling his parents to complete their journey was spiritual acceleration.

 

 

PunDarika's devotion to his parents became the talk of the town. The story

spread like wild fire. It even reached DwAraka, where at the particular

moment there had developed a minor misunderstanding between Lord Krishna

and His consort Sri Rukmini Devi. The latter had been displeased by the

unusual favors shown even in DwAraka to the Lord's boyhood friend Sri

RAdhA. To win over her Lord, Sri Rukmini started a penance on the banks of

the river BhIma. Lord Krishna hastened to explain his conduct and win back

His devi. But, she was deeply hurt to be easily won over. The Lord was

compelled to stage a counter penance at the same spot to win back Sri

Rukmini.

 

Meanwhile, PunDarika's spiritual merit had accumulated so much that it

perforce drew Lord Vishnu to bless His devotee. Anybody who carried out

the commandments of God is a devotee of the highest order. The Srutis and

the SmRtis have preached the commandments of God. One of the ordinances

is that one's parents should be paid divine honors. Vishnu and

VittalaDeva stood at the entrance gazing with wonder and appreciation at

the absorption of PunDarika in his service to his aged parents. PunDarika

did not even note that the Lord was standing at his door. To draw

PunDarika's attention the Lord projected a little of His divine halo.

PunDarika now recognized who the visitor was. He just offered Him a big

piece of brick to stand up on in lieu of an Asana and signaled him to

wait. PunDarika continued his immediate task of attending to his parents.

The Lord out of His abounding grace, was content to accept the pedestal

offered to Him knowing that PunDarika could not do anything else without

interrupting his service. Had PunDarika gone about looking for away of

honoring the Lord he would have broken the commandment to honor parents

like deities. So by honoring his parents he was honoring the Lord.

Probably this is the reason why at Pandaripur of Vittoba stands on a

pedestal 3 feet high on what is apparently a brick symbolizing the one

offered by PunDarika.

 

The Lord stands holding in His two hands a conch and a lotus. But both

the hands are placed on the hip and His wide-open eyes gleamed with

affection and admiration for PunDarika. And even today he is waiting.

PunDarika's extraordinary filial piety gave VittalaDeva to Maharashtra and

the Lord continues to stay on there to please His devotee. In the Gita He

says that He gladly accepts a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water

offered to him with love. At Pandiripur, He seems to be saying He is

pleased even with a brick!

 

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Keshav Bhat

 

 

 

 

 

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