Pasayadan of Sant Namdev

 

Aakalp Aayushya 

The Pasayadan of Sant Dnyaaneshwar is popular. It is a prayer for the well being of all people. A similar prayer is made by Dnyaaneshwar’s contemporary Sant Namdev Maharaj. You can listen to this song in the voice of classical music singer Ajit Kadkade. This abhang is embossed on silver and displayed on the pillar of the shrine inside Namdev Wada ( the ancestral home of the saint) in Pandharpur. His descendants still live in this home. I have been very fortunate to visit the place a couple of times thus far, most recent visit being last week. 

Let us look at what Namdev Maharaj is saying in this abhang. When we ask anything from God we are thinking of mercy and forgiveness for our sins, freeing us from our troubles, asking for our happiness, our prosperity, our health and for our family. For the saints, the entire world is family. When they pray, what they ask for is out of the ordinary. It is magnanimous and long lasting.

आकल्प आयुष्य व्हावे तया कुळा।

माझियां सकलां हरिच्या दासा ।।१।।

कल्पनेची बाधा न हो कोणे काळी ।

ही संतमंडळी सुखी असो।।२।।

अहंकाराचा वारा न लागो राजसा।

माझ्या विष्णुदासा भाविकांसी।।३।।

नामा म्हणे तयां असावे कल्याण।

ज्या मुखी निधान पांडुरंग।।४

- संत नामदेव

Let us understand the word by word meaning.

आकल्प आयुष्य व्हावे तया कुळा।

माझियां सकलां हरिच्या दासा ।।१।।

Aakalp:

Kalp कल्प refers to one full cycle of creation that starts from the Big Bang and culminates with the apocalypse. The visible universe exists only between these two points in time. In fact Time itself is said to be created at the beginning of the universe. Prior to that, during the prevalence of the universe and after its dissolution, Brahman is the only entity that exists throughout and remains unchanged. 

Aakalp आकल्प means through the entire kalp or cycle of creation, as long as the manifest universe exists! 

Kul कुळ is family lineage. Kula कुळा means for the lineage.

May the entire family tree of all (सकलां) the devotees/ servants of God (Hari chya daasaa) be granted life(आयुष्य) that survives through the entire cycle of creation(आकल्प). May that family not perish at any time. May the lineage continue unbroken until the apocalypse. 

कल्पनेची बाधा न हो कोणे काळी ।

ही संतमंडळी सुखी असो।।२।।

After asking for the families/ descendants of the devotees to be protected, Namdev asks for their happiness and wellbeing. ही संतमंडळी सुखी असो. But this is not the kind of happiness that people ordinarily seek. 

Namdev has specified the brand of happiness he hopes for the good people.

कल्पनेची बाधा न हो कोणे काळी ।

Kalpana is imagination. Baadhaa बाधा is hindrance or nuisance or limitation. 

May these people never be limited by the disease of delusion! May they see reality as is without distortion. 

In spirituality, philosophy as well as psychology, mind is considered the biggest hindrance in seeing things as they are. It precludes the ability to experience reality due to its inherent biases, unfounded beliefs, unrealistic assumptions and expectations. The delusion caused by imperfect perception and understanding is cause for misery. A well known analogy used in spiritual literature to explain such delusion is that of a rope and snake. In dark places( metaphor for ignorance) a rope lying in the path( reality) is perceived to be a snake( misconception) and this evokes fear, anxiety and aversion. Subsequently we react negatively to our environment without ascertaining the truth. At every level, interpersonal, inter racial, international, such misunderstandings, misconceptions have an impact on relationships. Peace, harmony and happiness, as well as enlightenment, are elusive as long as delusions are not cured. 

Knowing this deeper problem fully, Namdev is praying that may the good people be never afflicted by delusion so they can be happy. 

अहंकाराचा वारा न लागो राजसा।

माझ्या विष्णुदासा भाविकांसी।।३।।

Ahankar is ego. Just like delusion is the consequence of ignorance, egoism is also the result of ignorance. It’s a stain on the character of a person. It is what provokes selfishness ,hatred, injustice and wrongdoing. It leads to the downfall of even a virtuous person. 

Namdev is asking God for keeping his devotees protected from the harmful winds of egoism. Raajasa राजसा means the passionate ones. Passion( Rajas ) when it accompanies sattva can be the driving force for devotion. It is also the motivation for activity, whether righteous or unrighteous. But when you do something it risks making you arrogant with the doership. So actions invite strengthening of ego. Being industrious is a good thing, but being arrogant about achievements is not. Hence Namdev prays for devotees to remain humble at all times and defer the credit for their actions to God. To acknowledge that they are merely instruments in the unseen hands of God. 

नामा म्हणे तयां असावे कल्याण।

ज्या मुखी निधान पांडुरंग।।४

नामा म्हणे Nama says…..

May those whose goal and wealth in life is chanting the name of God( Panduranga) achieve auspiciousness in every way. 

The poem is testimony to not only the generosity of Namdev’s heart but also to his understanding of human vulnerability and life in general. His clarity on what is desirable and what is to be avoided is evident. It is a reflection of his character and wisdom and serves as a valuable reminder of why paying heed to his teachings can benefit us. Namdev was exceptional amongst the saints from Maharashtra in that his teachings crossed the frontiers of geography and religion and found acceptance as far north as the state of Punjab and were incorporated in the holy book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib. A memorial to him stands in the town of Ghuman in Punjab. His samadhi sits on the doorstep of the Vitthal Rakhumabai temple in Pandharpur. Live keertans, pravachans, bhajans and such devotional services continue within the premises of his home in Pandharpur. His palkhi has a place of honor during the annual Pandharpur wari on Ashadhi Ekadashi. The enlightened saint continues to be a guiding light for us through his words. 

He has prayed for us. We need to understand what we need to ask when we pray for ourselves. We need to prioritize cleansing our minds of ignorance and to stand clear of ego. All other desires ought to be secondary. 

Swayambhu idol of Vithoba in Namdev Wada. It is considered as one of the rare idols with a smiling gesture on the face.

Mural of Namdev’s disciple Janabai being helped in her chores by God himself.

Legendary rocks that are said to have turned into Gold by Vithoba.

Interiors of Namdev Wada where spiritual discourses are held.

Portrait of Namdev in his home in Pandharpur.

Behind me in this last photo is Namdev payari, where are the last remains of Namdev and many other of his followers including Sant Janabai.