Understanding Muktabai

 Understanding Muktabai

Another look! 

No matter how much I may have tried to put Muktabai into words after reflecting on her Taatiche Abhang, every time I go back and read, she and the broader circumstances surrounding her become palpable in newer light. Today again a few more considerations gathered in the mind as I was reading through the taatiche abhanga. Comparing her descriptions through these verses with present day experiences it appears that eight centuries later the general situation with the world is not much changed. Or rather, considering how we find the social situation today, it brings a sense of surprise and awareness to find that it wasn’t much different in the times of Muktabai. 

Vishwa raage zale vanhi, she says. The world is ablaze with rage! So the rage we see in our times was there even when Muktabai lived! It could be safely inferred that a society burning with anger and frustrations has forever been there for ages. Whether within a family, within an institution, a smaller or larger community, a political scene, on the freeways, within closed spaces, or, in the modern setting, over social media, tempers are seen flaring everywhere, every day, in varying degrees and for various reasons. It actually doesn’t take much for people to lose their cool. 

Santi sukhe vhave pani ! Her sharp mind realizes that this burning rage needs a coolant! Every era needs people of wisdom to pacify the angry lots. 

Further on she says Vishwa Pata Bramha Dora. A large part of the universe consists of the angry kind, another part consists of saintly people. Yet all of the universe is comprised of the same essence. Reality or changeless unconditioned pure consciousness underlies and provides substance to or remains the material cause of the entire universe. Go figure out! Both ruffled minds and composed minds are made out of the same reality. Everything has the same source. 

Eka pasun anek zale… from the one have come the many. Therefore, she argues, despite our differences, we need to care for everyone! Tyasi pahije sambhalile!

It is the same philosophy of compassion and inclusion that Dnyaneshwar and other saints from every religion and every era, and every part of the world have tried to take to the masses. Each of them, basically trying to pacify the heated temperatures in the society around them. 

An interesting consideration that comes to mind here is that Muktabai did not go around spreading her message to the masses like Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Namdev or Samartha Ramdas.  Neither did Janabai, Soyarabai, Bahinabai or other women saints. None of these have been documented to have done public keertans. None of them known to have a mass following during their life on earth. I am surely not as well read as most people, and scholars can very well correct my ignorance when I share my observation that everything that Dnyaneshwar covered for the layman in 9000 ovis in the Dnyaneshwari( Bhavartha Deepika), Muktabai has condensed the whole wisdom in just eleven short abhangas addressed to Dnyaneshwar, before the Dnyaneshwari was even recited by Dnyaneshwar. This is a testament to the fact that Muktabai did not lack the wisdom that Dnyaneshwar is widely praised for. The abhangas of other women saints too attest to the superiority of their wisdom and experience. Yet the women remained mostly behind the curtains while they lived. Their worth was valued in retrospect. Interesting, isn’t it? Surprising? Not really. The most Muktabai went ahead to directly change the mindset of was her own brother Dnyaneshwar, another contemporary warkari saint Namdev and the yogi named Changdev. 

Incidentally Muktabai was not the first choice of Guru for Changdev. He was impressed by Dnyaneshwar and sought to become his disciple. Nivrittinath and Dnyaneshwar knew Muktabai’s capabilities and qualifications to tame Changdev, therefore they directed Changdev to seek lessons from Muktabai. A young girl who wasn’t even probably in her teens then! If it weren’t for the older brother’s validation of her worthiness, Changdev wouldn’t have submitted to learn from her. Society did not have ears for women in Muktabai’s time, nor Bahinabai’s time nor today. It always needed a man to become the mouthpiece for the exact same wisdom that the women could wake up the world to. This culture remains prevalent in the corporate world, political world, academia and can as well be observed in casual social gatherings, whether in physical or virtual spaces .

Sandi kalpana upadhi, Muktabai has said to Dnyaneshwar. Shed all fabricated ideas, look beyond conditionings! Even Dnyaneshwar at that moment was offended and had become a victim of false ideas and personal grievances. Ordinary people like us are perpetual victims of these fallacies. As a wise teacher, she( Muktabai) is imploring an imperfect human being to cast away the imperfections and rise up to the inherent noble nature in himself, to affirm being a Dnyaneshwar ( God of Wisdom). Taati ughada! Open your heart and mind! 

Sant techi jana jagi, daya kshama jyaanche angi. 

Yogi pavan manacha, saahi aparadh janacha. 

Who will you show compassion, mercy and forgiveness to? A perfect person? Or one who is imperfect? It is those who make mistakes, both big and small,  who need forgiveness and tolerance. Whether a mistake is big or small, who and what decides that? In changing your stance from being harsh, retaliatory or punitive to a little more tolerant, understanding and forgiving, you would be elevating yourself from being an average human to a nobler human, rather than doing any favor to another imperfect human. 

Guess what? A nine year old younger female sibling managed to bring about a change of heart when she argued, with reason and logic, with an older brother. Could she have pulled this off with another man? Probably not. There weren’t many ears open for the voice of women in Muktabai’s time and there certainly aren’t many in the present day. Society has remained the same. Patriarchy and misogyny run deeper than one generally perceives or acknowledges them. These run deep even in the minds of women. Society just casually and quietly shapes the minds of men and women alike. It becomes such a natural trait that they can’t even see it in themselves. Life is too fast and furious to look inside the mind. A handful of the likes of Nivrittinath, Dnyaneshwar and Muktabai exist in any era. Those are the ones who keep trying to put off the fires lit by pent up anger, insecurity, fear, hatred, frustrations and prejudice in the general masses. 

Muktabai was wise beyond her age. She never allowed her voice to be dampened. But she learned much earlier to speak where it would be heard. Her voice still reverberates in the universe. Those who choose to listen to her will do themselves a favor. She has nothing to lose. Wisdom has nothing to lose. Nor anything to gain. It is happy, it is rich, it is secure by itself. It is the unwise who stand to gain anything or lose.

Anytime a Michelle Obama, or another modern day Muktabai, stands on stage to speak, there is a modern day Visoba Khechar who flexes his muscle on the podium and humiliates her with obscenity and insults. Little does he know his own worth, leave alone the worth of a worthy woman. How can we lament over this when we know history? We just see the silver lining and remain grateful for our brothers, the present day’s Nivrittinath, Dnyaneshwar and Sopandev who stand by us and beckon the world to listen to our voice. To look beyond upadhis. Whether the wisdom is coming from a woman or a man, a child or a dog or a bird, or a tree….. listen. Whether it is coming from a certified psychiatrist or a person who has lived her life with eyes and ears open….listen. Bramha jaise taisha pari, amha vadil bhoote sari. Listen respectfully to every voice, regardless of age, race, religion, gender, nationality, place of birth, political affiliation, faith and religion, education, wealth or power. You can learn even from a foe. Whether it is coming from a black woman or a white man, learn to differentiate between love and hate. Recognize a call for peace versus a call for war. Know the difference between a message that seeks to unite and include people and one that tries to exclude and divide. Become the one who puts out fires, not one who adds fuel to it. Grow out of small thought. Rise from a lowly place. Become the Dnyaneshwar that you are deep inside. Jeev mudal thayiche thayi! Amhi avaghe nighote! Find that real perfect soul within you. Not the one that got dyed with every color you played in. Those colors will hopefully be washed off someday if you dip in the Indrayani.

Tumhi taruni vishwa tara….Go for inspired living yourself and inspire others. Every moment the choice is at your doorstep. Continue on the dark path or turn to where the light is coming from. Taati ughada Dnyaneshwara !! Those who followed the light, disappeared into the light. One needn’t say what happened to those who chose to remain in the dark. 

Ujedi rahile ujeda hovun Nivritti Sopan Muktabai…

Indrayani kathi Devachi Alandi 

Lagali samadhi Dnyaneshachi….

The wari is about to begin as it has for over eight centuries. Our wari is ongoing, everyday, inside and outside, if we can see it for what it really is. Realize what walking to Pandharpur really means! 

It is a long walk. But it appears short when you walk with other warkaris. If you don’t find warkaris around you, walk alone. Vitthal meets one on one anyways!