Sant Ekanāth
16th century · Paiṭhaṇ, Maharashtra · Vārkarī
Ekanāth of Paiṭhaṇ was a householder-saint, scholar and poet who bridged the age of Jñāneśvar and that of Tukārām. He prepared a careful edition of the Jñāneśvarī, wrote the Ekanāthī Bhāgavat, a Marathi rendering of the eleventh book of the Bhāgavata, and the Bhāvārtha Rāmāyaṇa.
His bhāruḍs — lively, witty songs in the voices of ordinary village people — carried spiritual teaching to everyone. He was known for his calm patience and for serving people of all castes, including those considered untouchable, which drew criticism from the orthodox of his day.
Tradition says a man spat on Ekanāth each time he returned from bathing in the Godāvarī. Each time, Ekanāth quietly went back and bathed again — more than a hundred times — until the man fell at his feet in shame. Another story tells that, carrying holy Gaṅgā water on a long pilgrimage, he gave it to a donkey dying of thirst.
Paiṭhaṇ · Ekanāthī Bhāgavat · Bhāruḍs