Vithoba

VITHOBHA

In the banks of Bheema River in Maharashtra, there lived a pious couple Janudeva and Satyavati.
 By the grace of Krishna after long prayers they were blessed with a male child whom they christened Pundalika. 
 The parents loved him, rather doted on him and he became a spoiled brat, expecting all his pleasures fulfilled by his parents. 
 They never complained. 
 The boy was married to Rupavati when he was sixteen. 
 Now the duty of the aging parents was to remain as slaves to the son and daughter in law. 
While the young couple enjoyed life, the parents worked hard at the nearby mills and made food for the four. 
If the parents were slow and did not dance to the whims and fancies of the younger duo, they were abused mentally and physically. 
 Finally when Pundalik and his wife were having their afternoon siesta, the parents fed up with the treatment they received from the son and daughter in law, joined a group of devotees who were going on a pilgrimage to Vaaranaasi. 
 The youngsters at first did not notice the absence but when lunch time was due and no lunch was in the offing they found the old couple missing. 
 They were angry.. 
Who was there now to look after their youthful comforts?
 From neighbours they came to know that the parents were heading for Varanasi by foot.

The youth had a bright idea. 
 They would also accompany the parents to Varanasi after catching them up soon by chasing them on horseback. 
 Worship of the Lord of Varanasi was not their aim but they only intended to be with the old couple so that they can make them do the chores for the son and daughter in law. 
 They caught up with the parents near the ashram premises of on Saintly acharya Kukkutaswamy. The parents were terrified but felt safe in the ashram where the piligrims rested for the night.

On that night Pundalika was late in his sleep. 
 After the pilgrims were fed and honoured by the swami, the ashram went to sleep..

Then as if from nowhere seven damsels of great beauty but dressed in the dirtiest of clothes came to the ashram. 
 Silently they started cleaning and mopping the floor of the abode of the saint. 
 After almost a full nights work they entered the room of the swamy to take his blessings. 
 When they came out their dirty dresses had become spotless white and the ladies were shining with godly lustre.

Pundalika approached one of the ladies and enquired about their visit and its purpose.
 He could not understand why such majestic and godly ladies should do such a menial job.

The first lady replied. 
" I am Ganga, the holy river. With me you can see my sisters Yamuna, Godavari, Kaveri, Narmada, Sindhu and Saraswathi.
 Sinners of all types, visit us and take bath on our waters to cleanse them of their own sins. 
 We also try to receive the dirt of their sins during the day.
 But by the night we are so contaminated that we have to clean ourself. 
 We can divest of the dirt of these sins only by doing service to God , and great souls of that status.
 This swamji is so great that cleaning his ashram today has divested us of all muck."

" I am also on a pilgrimmage" said Pundalik.. 
Can you rivers wash off the sins of my wife and me?.. 
Ganga replied. "Definitely not. You were accumulating sins by ill treating and neglecting your mother and father who should be for you even on a higher pedestal that God himself. 
 Nothing can was off such a sin.

"Then what are we to do?" asked Pundalik.
 Ganga Said, " I can only make a suggestion. It is your parents whom you have ill-treated. They cannot hate you by their own loving nature. So fall on their feet and serve them faithfully for the rest of your life. You may be exonerated".

Pundalika was both convinced and remorseful. He, along with wife fethced the parents back home on horsebacks walking alongside the horse all the way. 
They treated the parents like Gods from that day onward.

Rugmini, the queen of Dwaraka and the Divine mother heard of this. 
She was not prepared to believe this transformation of Pundalika. 
So she took the help of her Krishna and came to the Pandharapura and the couple stood outside the house of Pundalika watching the man's faithful services to the parents. 
 Pundalika saw the divine couple but did not have time to take off to received them, as he was serving his parents. 
So he placed a brick before them and asked them stand and take rest, promising that he would come to them after his service to his parents were over. It took a lot of time, but the Divine Couple waited patiently and with pride. After the work was over, Pundalika came to Krishna and Rugmani and prostrated before them and apologized for the delay. Krishna said that there was no need for apologies.

Service to parents was a greater duty that the service to God.

Punadlika was blessed and he took the boon from Krishna and Rugmani that they will remain manifest standing on the brick and He built a great temple there by name Pandharapura. 
Krishna there is called Vithobha because he waited on a brick for the sake of a devotee.
 The rest is history.

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