Saint Namdev's mother Gonai and wife Rajai gave voice to faith and household worries in abhangs

Sant Namdev Maharaj holds an important place in Maharashtra's saint tradition. Through his abhangs he carried the glory of Vitthal devotion far and wide. Having formed a bond of friendship with Vitthal, Namdev Maharaj was not only a foremost saint of the Warkari sampradaya. He was a saint-poet who set before people the ideal of making God one's own through devotion.

Looking at Namdev Maharaj's devotional life, the contribution of the women of his family is equally significant. His mother Gonai and wife Rajai also expressed their feelings, their experiences of running a household and their faith in Vitthal through abhangs.

The atmosphere in Namdev Maharaj's home was steeped in Vitthal. Every member of the family had a relationship of their own with Vitthal. Mother Gonai felt tenderness for her son, while wife Rajai felt the weight of household responsibilities. At the centre of both feelings was Vitthal. For this reason, their abhangs show a different, human and realistic face of devotion.

Gonai's relationship with Vitthal was deeply intimate. She was happy to see her son devote his whole life to Vitthal devotion. But the neglect of the household troubled her. As a mother, she expected Namdev to shoulder his domestic responsibilities too.

Namdev Maharaj would become so absorbed in devotion to Vitthal that he lost awareness of everything else. In such circumstances, Gonai's anguish comes through in her abhangs. She seems to demand an answer from Vitthal. The sense of her complaint is: you have set my son on the path of devotion, so who will now bear the responsibility of his household?

This complaint carries no distrust of Vitthal. It holds love for her son and a claim on Vitthal. As a mother speaks to a person close to her son for his good, with the same ease Gonai speaks to Vitthal. In Gonai's world of feeling, devotion and motherhood blend beautifully.

The life of Namdev Maharaj's wife Rajai also shows the struggle between devotion and household. On one side was her husband's devotion to Vitthal; on the other were the daily needs of the home, financial hardship and the responsibility of raising the family. In such conditions Rajai had to keep the household going.

In Rajai's abhangs one sees the feeling that when Namdev Maharaj remained immersed in chanting Vitthal's name, the work of the home did not get enough attention. When there is a shortage of grain at home and the family's needs are not being met, what is the use of remaining absorbed in devotion alone? It was natural for this question to arise in her mind.

Her abhangs therefore reflect the sorrow of the household, financial worry and displeasure towards Vitthal. Even so, this displeasure cannot be seen merely as distrust. It is the anguish of a woman who runs a household. It is a voice that makes one feel the hardships of real life alongside the ideal of devotion.

The distinguishing feature of Rajai's abhangs is their realism. The devotional side of saints' lives feels familiar to us, but little thought is given to what effect that devotion had on the lives of the other members of the family. Rajai's world of feeling brings this aspect forward.

In Rajai's devotional journey, displeasure and reverence towards Vitthal appear side by side. The crises of the household unsettled her, yet she did not give up her relationship with Vitthal. On the contrary, she spoke of her sorrows and troubles to him alone.

In the Warkari devotional tradition, conversation with the deity is given special importance. A devotee need not only offer praise before the deity. The sorrow, anger, expectations and helplessness of the heart can also be laid before him. This sentiment is felt in the abhangs of Gonai and Rajai.

Their faith was that Vitthal is the support of the devotee. For this reason, the urge to run to him even in times of household difficulty is visible in their abhangs. From their world of feeling, the meaning emerges that devotion is not a state that arises after all questions have ended. Devotion means the disposition to remain connected with God even while questions and crises remain.