Chhatrapati Shiwaji Maharaj was a dynamic personality. His activities in the Deccan were being watched very closely not only by the Sultans of tha Bahamani Kingdoms but also by the Mughals ruling at Delhi. The expansion of the teritory of the Maratha kingdom was a direct challenge to the Mohomedan rule. The Sultans in the Deccan and the Mughal Emperors of Delhi tried their best to curb this rising power; but the strategy of Shiwaji and his skillful use of his army went on scoring successes after successes and the Maratha kingdom went on expanding upto the end of Shiwaji's life; but the cunning Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb knew fully well the statesmanship of Shiwaji and was therefore well aware that so long as Shiwaji was alive, he will not be able to undermine the Maratha power. He was also aware -that the Maratha leadership after Shiwaji was not so efficient as to face him boldly. Therefore immediately after Shiwaji's death, Aurang¬zeb started for the Deccan along with his huge army of over a lac of soldiers and the entire wealth of the, Mughal empire.
The Mughal army stayed in Maharashtra for nearly twenty-five years upto the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 A. D. This army did not fight only against the Marathas but it destroyed some Bahamani Sultanats also. As the main object of this army was destruction, it went on ransacking the entire Deccan. Though the great Mughal Emperor failed in his prospect and was ultimately buried in his tomb in the Maharashtra state, his army created enough unrest in the Maharashtra state for over twenty years. Nobody felt secure. All Hindus feared that their temples may be razed to ground any time. They were also constantly fearing that they may be converted forcibly at any time. Under such circumstances we can imagine very well the plight of the subjects of the Maharashtga State of that time. Here a saint who suffered a lot in this insecure period and had to migrate from place to place in order tolsave himself and his family from the Mohomedan aggression.
Though the pen name If this saint was Krishnadayarnava, his proper name was Narahali and as his family originally came from a village known as Kftoarudha or Koparde, his sirname was Kopardekar. This village! known as Koparde, is located in the Satara District and is situated at a distance of thirty miles on the south of Satara city on the bank of the Krishna river. The Kopardekar family, staying in that village, held a Watan and lived happily. Round about Shaka 1550 one learned Brahmin, Shambhu-sharma by name, was born in that family. He had studied the Vedas and was known in the vicinity for his lore.
In due course Shambhusharma got a son and he was named as Narayan. Shambhu .harma brought up his son very carefully and educated him according to the custom of the time. This Narayan was so bright and he grasped everything that was tought to him so quickly that he proved to be much more sharp than his father. Though Narayan had acquired so much learning and had a dutiful wife, still he was not quite happy and his wife Bahinabai was especially unhappy because there was no issue in the family for a long while after their marriage. She, there¬fore, started praying god and sewing the Ashwatha tree and continued it assiduously for twelve years. This long prayer of Bahinabai had the desired effect and she got a son after her penance for twelve years. This son was named as Janardan. After this she also got a second son in Shaka 1596 (1674 AD) and they named him as Narahari. This same boy later on be¬came famous as Krishnadayarnava.
Shaka 1596 is famous in the Maratha history; because it was only in this year that Shiwaji got himself crowned as king and came to be known as Chhatrapati because of that. These, days were prosperous for the people staying in Maharashtra; they had a king who was caring for the good of his subjects; but even in these prosperous days Narahari had not the good fortune to have a happy family life. He lost his mother -when he was only one year old. This motherless child was then brought up by his father with the help of other female members in the household. It was customary in those days to perform the thread caremony of the boys at an early age. Hence no sooner Narahari attained the age of five, his thread ceremony was performed and at the same time his education was also started. Narahari was quite receptive. He was learning every thing very quickly and hence he finished much of his studies in a short time. In Shaka 1604 i. e when Narahari was only eight years old, his marriage also took place. After the death of his mother, Narahari had the protection of his father; but round about Shaka 1612 i. e. when Narahari was only sixteen, his father also left this world. This was a great blow to Narahari. He was quite young and inexperienced in worldly life; still he had to shoulder the responsibility of his whole family. The situation in the country was also worsened because Chhatrapati Shiwaji had expired in ;1680 A. D. (i. e. Shaka 1602). His son Sambhaji had come to the throne; but he -had differences with his ministers and the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was constantly on his heels. He had come in the Deccan with the determination of liquidating the Maratha Kingdom. The armies of Aurangzeb had created havoc in the whole of Maharashtra and everybody was insecure. This had effect on Narahari's life to a great extent. He could not stay at a place for a long time. He had, therefore to leave his native village of Koparde and had to migrate from place to place in search of safety and security. In his book "Harivarada" Narahari (Krishnadayarnava) has given a graphic description of these troublesome and turbulant days.
Narahari left his village and sought refuge at Ambejogai. It was only at this place that saint Dasopant had spent a major part of his life. Hence Narahari might have chosen this place for his residence with the hope that he might find solace at this place, and his expectations proved to be true. It was at this place that his life took a different turn.
The initiation from a guru was considered to be a must in those days. Hence every person was in search of a guru, who would initiate him in a good order. Narahari also was accepted by one guru as his disciple here. The name of Narahari's Guru was Shri Govind and his surname was Choudhari. He was originally in the service of Chhatrapati Shiwaji Maharaj and he had the honour of a Palkhi (Palanquin). This honour was held only by a few officials of high rank. Once a swamiji named Shri Swanandswami had come to meet Shiwaji Maharaj on Raigad. Chhatrapati Shiwaji was a religious minded person and he always made it a point to meet all pious and holy people who were spending their life at different places, in the service and devotion to god and were leading a life of self sacrifice. Though Shiwaji was fighting against the Mohamedan Sultans and Emperors, still he paid homage even to Mohamedan Fakirs and Awalias. In the case of saints, holy persons and places of worship Shiwaji was quite secular, if the modern terminology is to be used. So when Shri Swanandswami was at Raigad, this Govind Guru happened to meet him and had a long talk with him. This talk however aroused in the mind of Govind Guru a distaste for the pleasures of this worldly life and he renounced his office and wealth and became an ascetic. Govind Guru belonged to the Anand cult and when Narahari requested him to accept him as his disciple and to initiate him, he readily agreed to comply with his request. The Anand cult, to which Shri Govind Guru belonged, is dedica¬ted to the spread of devotion to god Krishna. Hence the day of the birth of god Krishna (Janmashtami) the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Shrawana, was selected by his guru as the day for initiating Narahari. In Shaka 1617, Shri Govind, the guru of Narahari, accepted him as his disciple and initiated him in the world of philosophy and religion and showed him the way to eternal happiness and Moksha. Because Shri Govind Chow-dhary was himself a devotee of god Krishna, he advised Narahari to take up the worship of that god. Narahari's guru also advised him to medidate on him. From that time onwards Narahari became a strong devotee of god Krishna. Among the idols that were daily being worshipped by Narahari, the idol of god Krishna held an important place and that idol, which he worshipped throughout his life, is still kept at Paithan by his decendants.
After this initiation ceremony, Narahari was permitted to beg alms in Ambejogai, where he was staying. At the same time he started the study of Shrimadbhagawadgeeta and Dnyaneshwari as per the advice of his guru. When Narahari used to go for begging alms, he used to call out "Krishnadayarnava" (the sea of the favour of lord Krishna). Because of this habit of Narahari, he came to be known in Ambejogai as "Krishnadayarnava". Later on when he started writing books, he also thought this name to be appropriate for him, as Lord Krishna bestowed upon him lot of favours and he adopted that same name as his pen name and he became famous only by that name.
Pilgrimage to holy places in the country was an important feature of the life of all religious minded people in those days. Hence after spending some days, in this fashion, in the study of Gecta and Dnyaneshwari, Shri Govind advised Krishnadayarnava to go on a pilgrimage with him. Hence the Guru and his dis¬ciple visited Kashi, Manas-sarovar and came to Gaya after visiting other holy places in North India. At Gaya the guru directed Krishnadayarnava to study the Vedas and the Shastras and thus prepared the ground to shape his student well as a learned man having the standard knowledge that all the learned persons of those days used to have. Mere study of the books was not thought to be enough for a person to have authority in the religious and philosophical matters. He must do some penance in order to qualify himself in that line. According to the direc¬tions of his guru5 Krishnadayarnava therefore observed penance at Gaya for one and a half year. .During this period he was eating only the leaves of the Neem tree. The leaves of this tree not only cure all bodily ailments, but they also help a person to have control over his mind because of the sound health that they help a person to attain.
After completing the pilgrimage of the important holy places in the North, Krishnadayarnava turned towards the West. He was a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna and therefore all the places connected with his life were of great importance to him. He therefore decided to go on the pilgrimage of Dwarka in the Saurashtra and accordingly completed the pilgrimage of that holy place in Shaka 1629. Though the places like Mathura and Vrindawan have close connection with the life of Lord Krishna, because he spent his childhood in these places, still Dwarka also is equally important in his life. Lord Krishna is believed to have spent most of his later life at Dwarka and it was only at this place that the Yadawas made their home. Krishnadayarnava was therefore quite happy to have visited this place, which was puri¬fied by the residence of his favourite deity, Lord Krishna for a long time. He prayed in the temple of Lord Krishna to his heart's content and achieved complete mental peace in that holy place. After this pilgrimage was over, Krishnadayarnava started remembering about his home, from which he was away for a very long time. Hence he thought of returning to Ambejogai and reached that place in due course of time; but alas! After his return to Ambejogai what did he find there? He found that the Mohomedan agressors had destroyed a number of houses there including his own house. The dilapidated houses in Ambejogai and the gloomy atmosphere that pervaded there gave rise to a great mental depression in Krishnadayarnava!
(to be continued )
Topic: SAINT KRISHNADAYARNAVA By Dr. S. D. Parchure M. A., Ph. D. (Read 3158 times)