Sant Sakkubai
Pranams at the lotus feet
of Sant Sakkubai!
Chapter – 1
Sant Sakkubai was born in a
poor Brahmin family lived in Pandharpur. Her
parents were staunch devotees of Lord Vittobha.
This couple had a contented life; they sincerely prayed for a child to
Vittobha, as they have yearned, shortly the couple blessed with the birth of a
girl child who has intense devotion and faith in Lord Krishna.
She was named Sakkubai, this little girl spent her days in the recitation
of Vittal Nama and worship of Lord Panduranga. She was soaked in the pure love for Krisha from the early years of childhood.
As the years passed, Sakkubai was grown up to a beautiful young maiden. The people in the village praised her virtues and firm devotion to Lord Krishna.
At the age of twelve
Sakkubai was married to a son of wealthy
Pandit of Karaveerapuram, a small village located near the river banks of Krishna. Sakkubai’s parents were immensely pleased to
send their daughter to a rich family, at least she could spend a comfortable life in her in-law’s home for the rest of her life.
She had been living in poverty since childhood. Her parents are not aware of the real nature
of the groom’s family. The reality was these family members were wicked and selfish, they are non-believers
in God, her mother-in-law has complete control over the family, her son and
husband follow the wicked command of her. Soon
after the marriage, Sakkubai was taken to the house of the groom, her mother-in-law
employed her as a servant maid at the tender age of twelve; she was verbally
and physically abused. She had no
support system in the family, her husband follows all the wicked command of his mother. The whole villagers were aware of the nature
of this family, they felt pity for the young bride Sakkubai. She had to travel a long way to fetch water
from the pond, grind flour, taking care of cattle, feeding cows, cooking and
serving the family members. Her days
start with the veneration of Lord Krishna, an idol she was brought while
leaving home after marriage, she installed the idol in her small attic and
conducted worship. Her mother-in-law and husband were not happy with it, but she continued her practice of veneration
of Lord Krishna in the early hours of
dawn, picking flowers from her small garden, decorating the idol with flowers
and garlands, lighting the earthen lamp, worship of Ma Tulsi and offer water. They make Sakkubai work so hard, she was
served with stale food or sometimes she had to starve, in the long run, it took a toll on her health. Though the family
was so rich, they do not offer even a morsel of grain as a charity. Her mother-in-law was dominant, she showed
all her aggression on the young bride.
Sakkubai served all the members without any hesitation. In this way, Sakkubai lived the life of a slave in her own house, she had accepted all the ill-treatment of
the family members as her fate, without any complaints she continued her
service, relentlessly chanting the name of Lord.
