The great Saint of Maharashtra - Sant Eknath Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Eknath Maharaj!

Chapter – 1

Eknath  Maharaj was a well known Marathi Saint, scholar, and religious poet of Varkari Sampradaya.  He was lived during the period of  1533 -1599.  He was born in a Maratha Rigvedi Bhramin family; his parents Suryanarayana and Rukmini were passed away in the early years of his childhood.  Those days it was believed that a child born with birth star Moolam causes the death of parents.   He was taken care of by his grandparents Chakrapani and Saraswathibayi.  His grandfather Chakrapani was also a Sant of Varkari Sampradaya, all the members in this family were great scholars and intellectuals. Undoubtedly all those virtues were inherited in Eknath as well.  He has lots of interest in listening to the stories from scriptures, worship of deities, visiting shrines, and performing Namasankeerthana.  He was a studious child, learned scriptures, Veda, Vedanta at a young age. 

 Eknath was twelve years old, he visited the nearby shrine of Lord Shiva, there he could listen to a divine voice commanding him to go to Devgad/Devagiri where he could meet his preceptor Janardan Swamiji and attained Deeksha.  One day he left to Devgad after listening to this divine voice, he traveled by foot from Pandarpur to Devgad which is located more than three hundred miles from his native village Paitan.  In Devgad he met Janardan Swamiji and prostrated before him, and revealed his purpose of visit.  Swami Janardan was extremely happy to hear from Eknath and accepted Eknath as one of the disciples.   He learned Vedanta, Nyaya, Mimamsa, Yoga, etc.. from Swami Janardan.