Mangalvedhe Bhoomi Santaanchi : Part 2

 

The Saints of Mangalvedhe ( मंगळवेढे)

Part 2

Sant Chokhamela( चोखामेळा)

His lifestory:

It was the turn of the thirteenth century in Maharashtra. Sant Dnyaaneshwar and his siblings had endured the harsh treatment from the orthodox upper class in the earlier part of their lives. Through their penance, perseverance and extraordinary saintly disposition they had overcome the societal isolation and gained acceptance and respect from the highest to the lowest strata of society. Dnyaaneshwar’s brilliance was tapped by his elder brother and Guru Nivrittinath and the result was the timeless classic, an exposition on the Bhagwad Gita in Marathi in the form of Bhavartha Deepika, more commonly known as the Dnyaaneshwari. 

Until then study of the sacred texts and scriptures was the privilege of the upper castes. The Shudras or lowest strata of society were denied access to holy shrines as well as learning from the holy books. Their social advancement and spiritual growth were both restricted. Dnyaaneshwar and his siblings as well as the other saints of their times such as Namdev were spiritually awakened souls who saw the divine presence in all creation. For them all men and creatures were equal . By explaining the deeper meaning of the verses from the Bhagwad Gita, in a language and manner that a common man could understand, Dnyaaneshwar opened the doors to the sacred truth for many. It was a handbook for social justice, the right way to live as well as for preparing for the afterlife. 

The result of the broad minded revolution and reforms of these saints was that many a virtuous soul belonging to lower strata of society found a voice and direction of their own. Until then they had lived a life of repression. 

One such man who benefited from the spiritual democratization was Chokhamela. He was born in the family of mahars, the lowest of the social ranks at the time. People belonging to this community were assigned tasks such as cleaning toilets, cleaning gutters, disposing off dead animals etc. Tasks that nobody wanted to do. They were also given the task of memorizing the boundaries of properties, details regarding change of ownerships and called in as witnesses in cases of disputes over above matters. 

The details of the birthplace, birth date/ year and parents of Chokhamela are not known with certainty. Many historians point towards a town called Mehunraja in Buldhana district, on the banks of the river Nirmala as Chokha’s birthplace. There are some legends woven regarding this which can’t be relied on for accuracy. However from these legends one can sense a shroud of mystery tinged with reverence about his life constructed by people who came after him. One such legend is that his parents were entrusted with the task of delivering mangoes from Mehunraja to the priests at the Pandharpur Vitthal temple. On the way a poor Brahmin approached them and asked for food. After much thought the lady( Meera, later Chokha’s mother) gave one mango. The brahmin sucked on it and returned it half eaten saying it was sour. Meera carried it in her garment so it doesn’t contaminate the good mangoes. Upon reaching Pandharpur the priests questioned them about the missing mango from the count mentioned in the letter from the sender. As Meera started narrating the story of the Brahmin and opened the wrapped garment, to everyone’s surprise, they found a baby instead of the half eaten mango. They named the baby Chokha mela, Chokha meaning sucked. It is left to each person to decide based on their individual faith how much credence to apply to the legend that is passed down.

What is known with certainty is that Chokha lived most of his life in Pandharpur and passed away in the little town of Mangalvedhe which is 20-25 km from the better known city of Pandharpur. 

Chokha had a predisposition for devotion from an early age. Despite having born in a family of Mahars, being raised in poverty and surviving in unhygienic conditions, he followed remarkable austerity. His home was humble but kept clean. He did not utter words that would be hurtful, dishonest or foul. He believed in working with dedication because that was what God had assigned him to do. 

Yet he also had a very sensitive mind. The ill treatment meted out to him and his community caused him great pain. They were denied food, clean water, clean living besides being banned from social participation and education. They were treated with utmost disregard and insult despite their hard work and contribution to the day to day workings of society. Often they were beaten up and subjected to verbal and emotional abuse. Chokha used to lament being born in this community but consoled himself into thinking that his actions in previous births were reason for the present suffering. 

He had heard about the glory of Lord Vitthala of Pandharpur and began to go there frequently with his family. For hours they would stand in the sun trying to catch a glimpse of the noble saints and longing for a darshan of Vitthala in vain. They were not permitted entry into the temple.

On one such day he had the good fortune to listen to a keertan( spiritual discourse) by a man clad in clean white upper garment and matching spotless dhoti while waiting outside the Vitthala temple. This man looked pious, peaceful and compassionate and his words were in sync with his appearance. This man was none other than Saint Namdev. The keertan that day was about how God is present in all beings equally. Such was the earnestness and love in the message of Namdev that tears began to flow from the eyes of Chokha. After the keertan most people went to touch the feet of Namdev and seek his blessings but Chokha stood afar knowing he is an mahar and not allowed to touch Namdev. 

His dilemma had not escaped the attention of Namdev who then himself went closer to Chokha and put his hand on the latter’s head. A simple gesture overwhelmed Chokha’s mind so much that he couldn’t contain himself. He broke down into tears. Namdev’s kindness had given him a glimpse of hope that his life is not entirely worthless. He mustered the courage to ask Namdev that if indeed God is present in all beings then why are Mahars prohibited from getting a darshan of the Lord? Namdev assured him that the day wasn’t too far when the council of saints would make the authorities change their stance in this matter and open the doors of the temple for all. Chokha’s joy knew no bounds when he got this reassurance from Namdev.

A few months passed since that meeting. Chokha was already inspired and empowered by Namdev. He became increasingly drawn to the thought of Vitthala and would often forget himself in meditation. Poetry began to flow from his mind into words. He began to compose abhangas and singing the praises of God. The thirst for darshan of Vitthala was getting stronger by the day. 

One day he made up his mind that, come what may, he would go avail of the darshan. He with his wife and young son walked in scorching heat from Mangalvedhe to Pandharpur. Once they reached the temple he climbed a few steps and tried to stand on his toes to catch a glimpse of Vithoba. A group of priests were entering the temple at the same time and one of them accidentally touched Chokha. Another priest saw this and yelled that the priest who came in contact must purify himself before entering. This priest in turn was so angry that he brought his wrath upon Chokha and started to beat him up for standing in the way. Chokha’s wife and son shielded him to the best of their ability, pleading for mercy. An elderly brahmin showed up that moment from nowhere and rescued Chokha from more beating. Bruised and hurt, Chokha returned to Mangalvedhe without darshan of the idol of his deity.

He recovered from the physical blows but the humiliation had taken a heavy toll on his mind and spirit. He began questioning Vithoba about why he was subjected to such second class treatment when God considered everyone equal ? 

The more he thought about it, more he was determined to get the darshan. So he decided he would go to Pandharpur again. It was early morning. The priest in charge of the temple was leaving for bath at the river Chandrabhaga. Chokha entered the temple and went directly into the main shrine. Suddenly there was a bright illumination in the chamber. Vitthala emerged from the stone idol and put his garland around Chokha’s neck. Chokha stood stupefied, unable to believe what had just happened. Before he could come to his senses the priest had returned from his bath and found Chokha standing inside the shrine with the garland around the neck. He summoned other priests. They were aghast. A mahar walking straight into the main sanctorum and stealing the Lord’s garland was a sin beyond their imagination. They chained him and called for a trial by the town council. The elders in the council found him guilty of overstepping his boundaries and “contaminating” the temple. They ordered him to be dragged around town by tying him to the feet of a pair of rowdy bulls. A rope was tied around Chokha’s hands and feet and this in turn was secured to the hind legs of the untamed bullocks. The bullocks were then set free to run. Normally they would have immediately scampered off but this time they would not move. They were whipped. Yet they refused to move. This went on for some time. No matter what they did to instigate the bulls, the bulls did not budge. Finally Namdev stepped in and addressed the crowd. He praised Chokha as a man of God, a man of highest devotion and a pure heart. He chastised the men who were ready to inflict suffering on the servant of God out of their ill advised beliefs of purity and untouchability. 

From that point on Chokha gained the recognition as a true devotee. His abhangas and teachings were accepted with reverence. He spent a several years in Pandharpur and wished to do so until the last day of his life. At that point the news of Dnyaaneshwar’s samadhi and subsequent samadhis of Dnyaaneshwar’s siblings had reached his ears. He too became eager to leave his mortal body. 

At that point he was summoned on a job to Mangalvedhe, much against his wishes. He did not want to be separated from Panduranga. When he went to Mangalvedhe the political scene was much different. Muslim rulers had taken over. They summoned the Mahars and forced them into hard labor. Chokha’s spiritual awakening meant nothing to them. His nobility was disregarded. He was forced to work like others from his community. One day in the month of Vaishakh in 1338 while working at a construction site of a city wall there was a massive mudslide and several workers were buried alive. Chokha was one of them. Several days later the dead remained buried under the pile of mud. 

Namdev had a dream in which Vitthala appeared before him and ordered him to go to Mangalvedhe to find the remains of Chokha and give him fitting last rites. Accordingly Namdev went to the site of the mudslide and put his ears to the ground. At one particular point he heard the sound Vitthala Vitthala. Excavating there he recovered the remains of Chokha. The chants were coming from these remains. Naamdev performed the last rites. The ashes of Chokha were partly immersed in the holy waters of the Chandrabhaga river and partly enshrined near the steps of the Vitthala Mandir. The man who was barred from and beaten up for being on the steps of the temple, through a life of unwavering devotion, had earned a permanent place at the feet of his beloved deity. 

In the early part of the fourteenth  century he had highlighted the issue of evils of the caste system and shown that the value of a man comes not by his birth lineage but by his virtues and purity of heart. Nobody should be barred from advancing his education or social and spiritual development. Opportunities should be based on merit, not caste. He proved that a man from humble beginnings can reach the highest spiritual goals through single pointed devotion and a life of purity of thought and action. He struggled to restore dignity for his community, not retaliate against another community. He insisted on equal rights, not special rights. It is a different story how in the present day his teachings are lifted out of its full context to serve the narrow agenda of a few. Most people who cite his story and  tout issues under his name live a life exactly opposite to what Chokha stood for. Very few try to understand the man. 

The next two posts will be devoted to two of Chokhamela’s best known compositions. They will give a glimpse of not just his spiritual maturity but also the clarity in his thought and the literary genius of a man who never had the privilege of formal education.

Saree is a handspun handwoven cotton in indigo with woven border in maroon and jamdani buttis on the body