Eknath


Eknath, commonly known as Sant Eknath was an Indian Hindu saint, philosopher and poet. He was a devotee of the Hindu deity Krishna and is a major figure of the Warkari tradition. Eknath is often viewed as a spiritual successor to the prominent Marathi saints Dnyaneshwar and Namdev.

Biography

Precise details of his life remain obscure. It is generally believed that Eknath lived during the latter three-quarters of the 16th-century. He was born into a Deshastha Brahmin family to Suryanarayan and Rukmini at Paithan. His father probably held the title of Kulkarni and kept financial accounts. His ancestors are thought to be descendants of the ancient sage Vishwamitra and worshippers of the Hindu deity Ekvira.
His parents died while Eknath was young. He was then raised by his grandfather, Chakrapani. His great-grandfather Bhanudas was another revered saint of the Warkari sect. Eknath was a disciple of Janardan Swami who was a devotee of the Hindu deity Dattatreya.
Eknath's samadhi shrine is located at Paithan near the Godavari river. Celebrations commemorating Eknath are held every year around the month of March at Paithan.

Literary contribution

Eknath's writings include a variation of the Hindu religious text Bhagavata Purana, known as Eknathi Bhagavata. He also wrote a variation of the Hindu epic Ramayana, known as Bhavarth Ramayan. He also composed Rukmini Swayamwar Hastamalak, a literary piece comprising of 764 owee and based on a Sanskrit hymn of the same name.
His other literary works include Shukashtak, Swatma-Sukha, Ananda-Lahari, Chiranjeewa-Pad, Geeta-Saar and Prahlad-Vijaya. He introduced a new form of devotional melodies called Bharood and wrote nearly 300 of them.