Sant Nivriththinath Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Nivriththinath Maharaj!

Chapter – 3

Nivriththinath continued to be under the guidance of Gehninath Maharaj, he undertook extreme Tapasya and meditation.  At home, the three children Gnandev, Sopandev, and Muktha found their parents are missing.  Nivriththinath returned home after embracing Sanyasa under the instruction of Gehninath Maharaj.  The children supported each other’s in their difficult times, they go begging for alms but returned home empty-handed, villagers were refused to offer alms saying that ‘Alms are offered to Bhramins and Saints.”  The children were compelled to move out of their village Alandi due to the hatred of the villagers.  They approached the high intellectuals and scholars of the village Paitan, requested a date to perform the sacred thread ceremony, the children came to know about the verdict of death punishment as atonement imposed upon their parents which were utterly unjustifiable.  Gnandev performed the miracle before the villagers of Paitan to prove that the supreme Lord resides as a soul in all the living beings, he recited Sanskrit verse before a buffalo, it repeated the verses, in this way Gandev instructed the people to respect all the living beings on the Earth.

Nivriththinath and his siblings returned to Alandi after several years.  The villagers received the youthful and charming saints with great respect.  Nivriththinath was not only  an elder brother, but he was also a preceptor to his siblings, he advised Gnandev to write the great philosophical work Amruthanubhav, and Gyaneshwari which is the essence of Bhagavad Gita.  The people of Alandi became fervent devotees of the young saints and highly praised their knowledge. During this period, Mahayogi Changdev Maharaj visited Alandi and heard the fame of young Saint Gnandeva.  Changdev Maharaj send a message in a blank paper to Gnandeva to test his wisdom, he worked a spell on the devotees of Gnandeva, but it was removed by his devotion.  Changdev arrived on a leopard to meet Gnandeva to prove his supremacy.  Gnandeva who was sitting on the wall with his sibilings instructed the wall to move and stood before Changdev.  Finally, Changdev  Maharaj realized the divinity of Gnandeva and took shelter at his feet.  At the age of 21, Gnandev Maharaj attained Mahasamadhi in Alandi, Sopandev undertook Samadhi soon after Gnandev.  Nivriththinath Maharaj and Muktha left Alandi for a spiritual tour, during their journey Mukthabai attained the abode of Lord.  Nivriththinath Maharaj proceeded to Nasik, at the age of 24 attained Mahasamadhi in Thryambakeshwar.

Sant Nivriththinath Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Nivriththinath Maharaj!

Chapter – 2

Nivriththinath was ten years old, the family undertook a journey to Trayambakeshwar on foot, they have traveled through the dense forest in the night.    suddenly he was separated from the family, left alone in the middle of the forest. The family was alarmed; there was no one to call for help, all of a sudden there appeared few tribal people who were in search of the tiger.  They urged the family to hide in a safe place; otherwise, they have to face danger.  Nivriththinath wandered in the dense food and had the encounter with the tiger, he stood calm and serene before the animal, and he stared at it and the tiger left the place amicably.  Nivriththinath proceeded his journey through the woods and reached before a cave in the hills of Anjani.

Nivriththinath went inside the cave where he could hear the utterance of ‘Alak Niranjan’.  He met a saint inside the cave, it was Sant Gehninath who the disciple of Sant Gorakhnath Maharaj was long waiting for the arrival of Nivriththi. Further, Nivriththnath attained Deeksha from Gehninath Maharaj of Nath Sampradaya.

The villager’s cruelty and humiliation to Vittal Panth and his children increased day by day.  The children were mistreated, they were considered as sinners.  Vittal Panth decided to put an end to these kinds of mistreatments; he thought the performance of the sacred thread ceremony to the children would earn new respect in society.  He decided to approach the scholars of the village for getting an auspicious date to perform the sacred thread ceremony.  Rukmini felt miserable seeing her children in extreme hunger and humiliation.  Vittal Panth met the senior scholars of Bhramin assembly, he explained that he had not committed any sin and children are not sinners, he embraced Sanyasa with the permission of his wife while he has no interest in worldly matters, he returned to Grihasthashram at the command of his preceptor Sage Ramananda, therefore he or his children did not commit any severest sin.  The Assembly of Bhramin refused to give a date for the performance of the sacred thread ceremony of the children, instead, they advised Vittal Panth to perform the atonement for the sin committed, so that they may consider issuance of the date for sacred thread ceremony.  Vittal Panth agreed to perform any atonement for the bright future of his children, the Assembly ordered Vittal Panth to give up life as atonement for his sin.  He humbly prostrated before the Assembly of Bhramin and agreed to follow the verdict.  Rukmini decided to follow her husband in death punishment too.  On that night she put her children for sleep and the couple left home and took Jalasamadhi.

Sant Nivriththinath Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Nivriththinath Maharaj!

Chapter – 1

The illustrious Saint Ramanand from Kashi visited the village of Alandi, in Maharashtra.  On his way to the shrine, he met a virtuous woman seeking his blessings.  Saint Ramanand blessed her to live a happy married life with virtuous offspring.  She shed tears of grief; it was Rukmini who was living saintly life from the separation of her husband who embraced Sanyasa,  she was living with her elderly parents in the village, even though she was well married to Vittal Panth.  Saint Ramanand enquired the reason for her sorrow; she described her fate to spend a life of an unmarried even though she was married to Vittal Panth.  Sage Ramanand returned to his hermitage and called for his disciple Vittal Panth, he advised him to return to his village at once, where his chaste wife Rukmini eagerly waiting for his arrival.  Vittal Panth returned to his village, the family was extremely happy to receive him.  In due course of time, the couple had four children, Nivriththinath, Gnandev, Sopandev, and Mukthabai.

The villagers did not treat the family of Vittal Panth with respect; they blamed him irresponsible to carry out neither Sanyasashrama nor Grihasthashrama.  Those days it was considered as a sin to led Grihasthashrama for a Sayansin.  Therefore the family had to face sheer shame in the village; they were treated as lowly creatures.  Vittal Panth had to face extreme poverty and criticism of the villagers who refused to consider him as a Brahmin.  He was refused to participate in any of the festivities or events in the village.  His children had to face constant insult from the villagers; they treated the children from the lowly clan and humiliated in public, it often put off their happiness and peace in the family.  The family had to go through extreme poverty, Rukmini found it impossible to put off the hunger of her children.