Sant Sri Namdev 

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Namdev Maharaj!

Chapter - 6

One day Namadeva entered in the shrine of Lord Shiva, he found a stranger in ragged clothes sleeping close to the Linga keeping his two legs on top of the Linga.  Namadeva was shocked to see this, he was furious and asked the stranger to remove his legs from the idol.  The stranger asked his whereabouts, Namadeva introduced himself as an ardent devotee of Lord Panduranga, the stranger said even the beggars utter the name of Lord for receiving alms, so there is nothing superior in this.  Namdev was angrily told the man to keep his legs down from the Linga, he refused to do so, instead, he revealed his pitiful state and has no strength to move his leg an inch,  he asked Namadeva to remove his leg from the Linga.   Namdev removed his leg from the Linga and prepared to keep on the floor, soon there appeared another Linga, in this way wherever he placed his leg there appeared Linga, Namdev was mystified.  Soon the stranger assumed the form of Vishoba Khecchar who was his preceptor.   Namdev reverentially prostrated before him.  He advised Namdeva that his Abangs are most powerful, he is beloved of Panduranga who consume offerings from his hand, he has to leave Pandharpur and take a journey all through the sacred lands of India and spread Namasankeerthana.  He blessed Namadeva that the people who intend to get Dharshan of Lord Panduranga would prostrate before him before they proceed for the Dharshan of the Lord, later it had become true.  At the instruction of his preceptor, Namadeva conducted a journey to Punjab to spread Namasankeerthana and inspired multitudes of people to engage in the selfless service to Lord and recite his glories.    Namadeva enthused people with his lectures and glorious verses of Abhang.  His nectar-like speeches about the significance of Namasankeerthana was " The utterance of sacred names of Lord would provide liberation from worldly existence, ultimately worshiper would reside in the abode of Sri Vaikundham.  The miseries of worldly existence can be fought with the weapon of Namasmaran.  Therefore, let everyone ride on the ferry of Namasankeerthan and cross the unfathomable ocean of worldly existence."

In the year 1350, at the age of eighty Sant Sri Namdev Maharaj attained the lotus feet of Panduranga.  After his demise, he assumed as a stepping stone in the shrine of Pandharpur so that he would stay in constant touch of the feet of innumerable saints and devotees of Lord.  Sri Namdev Maharaj composed 125 glorious poems praising Lord Vittala, which was known as Abhang and sixty-one of the verses are included in the holy Guru Granth Sahib as Namdevji Ki Mukhbani.  He lived twenty years in a village called Ghuman in Gurdaspur district in Punjab, in the early fifties he returned to Pandharpur and continued spiritual service till his demise.