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BE 5: The Soul of Varkari Sampradaya – Philosophy and Practices of Bhakti

The Pandharpur Wari’s festivals, bursting with the joy of Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi, light up Pandharpur like a sea of diyas, each flame a bhakt’s love for Bhagwan Vitthal and Devi Rukmini. The chants of “Vitthal Vitthal,” the jingle of ankle bells, and the sweet scent of prasad weave a celebration where every step feels like a dance with the divine. But beneath this festive splendor lies a deeper heartbeat—the Varkari sampradaya, a sacred path of bhakti that guides bhakts to see Vitthal in every heart. Imagine a bhakt standing by the Chandrabhaga River at dawn, the cool water kissing her feet, the air soft with the fragrance of jasmine. She sings an abhanga, her voice trembling with love, feeling Vitthal’s presence in the breeze, the river, the sky. This is the soul of the Varkari sampradaya—a way of life where bhakti is as simple as breathing, as vast as the sky. Let us walk this path, exploring its teachings and practices that make the Wari a living song of love.

The Varkari sampradaya, born in the heart of Maharashtra, is a gentle stream of bhakti flowing to Bhagwan Vitthal. Its philosophy is simple yet profound: love Vitthal with a pure heart, chant his name, and see him in all beings. The sampradaya teaches that bhakti needs no rituals or riches—just a heart open to Vitthal’s love. It breaks all barriers, welcoming farmers, weavers, women, and outcasts to walk together to Pandharpur. The Dnyaneshwari, written by Sant Dnyaneshwar, explains this in Marathi, making the Bhagavad Gita’s wisdom a song for every bhakt. It says: love Vitthal, serve others, and chant his name, and moksha, the soul’s freedom, will come. The air of Pandharpur seems to whisper this truth, its streets alive with bhakts calling each other “Mauli,” meaning mother, their voices warm with love.

The practices of the Varkari sampradaya are like flowers offered at Vitthal’s feet. The heart of these practices is naam-sankirtan, chanting Vitthal’s name. Bhakts gather under banyan trees, their kartalas clinking, their voices rising in bhajans that fill the night with bhakti. Picture a village evening: the sky glows pink, the air smells of woodsmoke and ripe mangoes, and bhakts sway to a kirtan, singing “Hari Vitthal.” Their voices blend like waves, their hearts light as feathers. Abhangas, the soulful hymns of sant-kavis, are another treasure. These songs, simple as a child’s prayer, speak of Vitthal as a friend, a mother, a guide. Bhakts sing them while walking the Wari, their feet touching the cool, wet earth, their words carrying love to the Chandrabhaga’s banks.

A Marathi abhanga by Sant Dnyaneshwar captures this bhakti:

Marathi Abhanga (Devanagari):
विठ्ठलाचे नाम तुझ्या, हृदयात सदा राही।
भक्तीचा दीप लावून, जीवन तुझे न्हाही॥

Poetic Translation:
Vitthal’s name in your heart, forever let it stay,
Light the lamp of bhakti, life’s darkness fades away.

Meaning: This abhanga urges bhakts to keep Vitthal’s name in their hearts always, like a lamp that lights up the soul. It teaches that bhakti, kindled through chanting and love, makes life a sacred journey toward Vitthal’s lotus feet.

Another practice is seva, serving others with love. In the Wari, bhakts share simple meals—steaming bhakri, spicy thecha, and sweet shrikhand—under starlit skies. The taste of shared food, the warmth of a stranger’s smile, feels like Vitthal’s prasad. Bhakts help each other, carrying a tired child’s tulsi pot or offering water to an elder, their hands gentle, their hearts full. The sampradaya teaches that Vitthal lives in every being, so serving others is serving him. Picture a bhakt washing a fellow pilgrim’s feet by the Chandrabhaga, the river’s ripples singing of unity, the air soft with the scent of agarbatti. This seva is bhakti, a quiet offering that makes the heart glow.

The Wari itself is the sampradaya’s greatest practice—a walking prayer to Vitthal. Bhakts join dindis, groups that sing abhangas as they walk 250 kilometers to Pandharpur. The monsoon rains bless their faces, the earth soft under their bare feet. Saffron flags flutter like flames, and the beat of mridangas echoes like a heartbeat. Bhakts carry padukas of sant-kavis in palkhis, their silver bells tinkling, their garlands of marigolds swaying. The journey is tough—dusty paths, aching feet—but bhakti makes it light. A woman in a bright sari sings, her voice soaring over the fields. A child waves a peacock feather, his eyes bright with joy. Every step is a chant, every chant a step closer to Vitthal’s smile.

The sampradaya’s beauty lies in its openness. It welcomes all, from Sant Chokhamela, an outcast whom Vitthal dined with, to Sant Janabai, a maidservant whose broom danced with Vitthal’s love. Sant Kanhopatra, a dancer, found refuge in Vitthal’s arms, and Sant Namdev, a tailor, saw Vitthal as his friend. The sampradaya teaches that caste, gender, or status mean nothing—only bhakti matters. In the Wari, a farmer and a scholar walk side by side, their turbans bright, their voices one in “Vitthal Vitthal.” The Chandrabhaga’s ghats, where bhakts bathe, shimmer with this truth, the river’s cool waters washing away all differences.

Imagine a bhakt in Pandharpur’s temple, standing before Bhagwan Vitthal’s idol. The sanctum glows with diyas, their flames dancing on his dark, smiling face. Devi Rukmini, her sari shimmering like moonlight, looks on with maternal love. The bhakt’s heart trembles, singing an abhanga, the scent of sandalwood filling the air. She feels Vitthal in her soul, in the river, in the stranger beside her. This is the Varkari sampradaya—a path where bhakti is life, where Vitthal’s name is a song that never ends.

This sacred philosophy, woven into every step of the Wari, was lived and sung by sant-kavis who gave their hearts to Vitthal. In the next chapter, we will meet these saints—Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Janabai, and more—whose lives and hymns light the path of bhakti for every bhakt.

This is article 5 in Pandharpur Blog Episode Series. To read all episodes of this series click on the link below:

https://rimple.in/category/blog-episode-series/pandharpur-series

Also Read Jagannath Series: https://rimple.in/category/blog-episode-series/jagannath-puri-series/

Also Read Kamakhya Series: https://rimple.in/category/blog-episode-series/kamakhya-series/

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