Sant Kanhopathra

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sant Kanhopathra!

Chapter – 3

Kanhopathra was not willing to pick up the traditions of the courtesan as a profession, so she has the only choice left to marry somebody and lead an ordinary life.  She did not find her choice; she wanted her groom more attractive than her with good character, and loving.   But that was something which impossible to happen, she was the loveliest woman like celestial Apsara.

There are two legends about Kanhopathra’s journey to the path of spirituality.   One is that there was a female servant Hausa who was the care-taker of Kanhopathra cultivated the essence of devotion in Kanhopathra.  The other legend describes, once it was Ashada Shuklapaksha Ekadashi, a group of Varkari saints was conducting a pilgrimage to the famous shrine of Panduranga.  These huge numbers of devotees walking several miles by foot from their hometown took rest in Mangalweda.   They continued singing and praising Lord Panduranga in the whole night, it enthused the devotion and love for Panduranga in Kanhopathra, the reverberating sounds of musical instruments which she was used to singing and dance with did not bring any happiness all these years were surprisingly sounded nectar to her ears, the whole atmosphere was mesmerizing with the devotion to Lord Panduranga brought her in a state of supreme bliss.  She left home in the dark, joined with the group of Varkari saints, she had a conversation about Lord Vittobha with them, they briefed Lord Vittobha excels the loveliness of Goddess Mahalakshmi who is the epitome of beauty.  Kanhopathra enquired, will Lord Panduranga accept her as she was born in the family of a courtesan.  They said if Panduranga accepts Kubja, Ajamila, and devotees belong to untouchables, he would definitely accept her as his devotee.  It inspired her to conduct a journey in search of Panduranga who resides in the Srikshethram.  That night, she joined with the Varkari saints singing and praising the glories of Lord Panduranga.   She marvelously sang and danced, praising the Leela/pastimes of Lord,  Kanhopathra soaked in tears singing the separation of Lord Krishna from his beloved Radharani,  she spent the whole night in this way and returned home to get permission from her mother to leave to Pandharpur.  The mother and daughter argued for hours, finally, she sneaked out of the home in the darkness.  She joined with the Varkari saints and walked several miles by foot singing in praise of Lord and arrived in the shrine.   She has envisioned the unparalleled beauty of Lord Panduranga, she found all those virtues she  was seeking in her groom; she wedded Panduranga as her husband and spent the rest of the days in Pandharpur.  She spent her days sung in praise of glories of Lord Vittobha, she merrily danced before him, she cleaned the shrine and she has completely withdrawn herself from the worldly matters and lived a life of an ascetic.   She sang and danced before Panduranga in a state of ecstasy.  The people of Pandharpur praised her intense devotion and virtues, thus she had earned huge respect among the people.