Pandharpur is the nucleus of the Varkari tradition, considered part of the Bhakti movement. The Varkaris worship Vitthal or Vithoba, a form of Vishnu, by singing abhangs or abhangas composed by the sants (saint-poets) such as Namdev, Eknath, Chokhamela, Soyrabai, Janabai, Savta Mali, Tukaram, and others. 

The word Varkari refers to those who perform the vari, the annual pilgrimage from the birthplaces of the poet-saints to the shrine of Vithoba at Pandharpur. The Varkari sants taught that God was omnipresent and dwelt in the hearts of humans. Their teachings were not dogmatic or rigid. Although they encouraged their followers to live a life of austerity and self-sacrifice, theirs was a householder mode of Bhakti rather than an ascetic one. Their abhangas reinforce the message that all people are equal before god. 

The music tracks in this collection were performed to lend a rich and meaningful context to the fourth episode of the Radio Azim Premji University series, Bhakti Republic, in which host Amit Basole continues his exploration of constitutional values in the poetry of the Bhakti poets through anecdotes and readings.

“As a Marathi speaker, for me the Varkaris have always been a part of my subconscious mind,” says Basole. ​“A cursory familiarity with the thoughts of Namdev or Tukaram, an acquaintance with Bhimsen Joshi or Lata Mangeshkar’s rendition of the abhangas, and a fleeting encounter with Janabai’s poem were also there. But I had not had the opportunity to dive deeper into this wonderful world until I began working on this episode of Bhakti Republic. What I discovered filled me with joy, wonder and a deep respect for this 800-year-old tradition of Marathi literature.”

Bengaluru-based musician, artist, and producer Bruce Lee Mani has composed and arranged music for the album. 

“Working on this material was an unusual challenge: retaining its essence while bringing it respectfully into a contemporary frame,” says Mani. ​“So the choice and combination of instruments, the elements of surprise to captivate the listener — all had to be in balance. From the urgency of Amhi Vaarika Vaarika to the meditative expanse of Prema Pisey, this collection of songs should resonate with all music enthusiasts.”

Listen on YouTube Music

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Music

Tracks

Nirguna Suguna 

Attribution: Namdev
Vocals: Anjali Malkar
Melody Composition: Anjali Malkar
Tabla and Manjira: Karthik Bhat
Additional Composition, Arrangement, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Programming, Mixing & Mastering: Bruce Lee Mani

नामदेव : सगुण निर्गुण नाही त्या आकार 

निर्गुण सगुण नाही ज्या आकार
होउनि साकार तोचि ठेला l
जळी जळगार दिसे जैसा परी
तैसा निराकारी साकार हा l
सुवर्ण की धन धन की सुवर्ण 
सगुण निर्गुण ययापरि l
ऐसे पूर्णपणे सहजी सहज 
सखा केशिराज प्रगटला l
पांडुरंगी अंगे सर्व झाले जग
निववी सर्वांग नामा म्हणे l l

In this poem, Namdev perfectly illustrates the attempt to transcend the sagun-nirgun dualism. Namdev refers to the divine as ​“nirakari saakaar”, the formless form. Two metaphors here are worth noting: Just as the coolness of water resides in water, in the same way abstract qualities reside in the concrete. Gold is wealth — the concrete substance (gold) cannot be separated from its abstract quality (wealth).

Prema Pisey

Attribution: Namdev
Vocals: Junuka Deshpande
Melody Composition: Traditional
Tabla, Pakhawaj, and Manjira: Karthik Bhat
Additional Composition, Arrangement, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Programming, Mixing & Mastering: Bruce Lee Mani

नामदेव : प्रेम पिसे भरले अंगी

प्रेम पिसे भरले अंगी, गीते छंदे नाचो रंगी l
वारा धावे भलत्या ठाया, तैसी माझी रंगछाया l
टाळ मृदंग दक्षिणेकडे, आम्ही गातो पश्चिमेकडे l
बोले बाळक बोबडे, तरी ते जननीये आवडे l
नामा म्हणे गा केशवा, जन्मोजन्मी देई सेवा l

More than anyone else, Namdev is credited with establishing the abhang tradition, laying out the poetic forms, using the kirtan mode to take ideas out of temples and houses into the street, in public. But, in this poem, he makes a point that it is the devotion of the bhakta, rather than their musical talent, that is important. He says that even if a child babbles, the mother always finds it loveable.

Amhi Vaarika Vaarika

Attribution: Sena 
Lead Vocals: Anjali Malkar, Junuka Deshpande 
Backing Vocals: Narayan Krishnaswamy & Bruce Lee Mani
Melody Composition: Traditional/​Anjali Malkar
Tabla, Khanjira, and Manjira: Karthik Bhat
Additional Composition, Arrangement, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Programming, Mixing & Mastering: Bruce Lee Mani

सेना न्हावी : आम्ही वारिक वारिक

आम्ही वारीक वारीक। 
करूं हजामत बारीक ॥ १॥ 
विवेक दर्पण आयना दाऊं। 
वैराग्य चिमटा हालऊं ॥२॥ 
उदक शांती डोई घोळू । 
अहंकाराची शेंडी पिळूं ॥३॥ 
भावार्थाच्या बगला झाडूं । 
काम क्रोध नखें काढू ॥४॥ 
चौवर्णा देऊनी हात । 
सेना राहिला निवांत ॥५॥

This is a poem fusing ordinary objects of labour with theological or spiritual concepts from Sena, the royal barber of King Uday Singh of Bandhavgarh, in modern-day Madhya Pradesh. Each line of the poem takes an ordinary object — a mirror, tongs, oil — and links it to a spiritual concept. The last line — four varnas bow before us — is reminiscent of the classic Sahir Ludhianvi song Tel malish from Pyaasa: Naukar ho ya malik, leader ho ya public apne aage sabhi jhuke hain kya raja kya sainik.

Ananda 

Attribution: Soyrabai 
Vocals: Anjali Malkar
Melody composition: Traditional
Tabla, Pakhawaj, and Manjira: Karthik Bhat
Electric Piano Solo: Noël Prashanth
Additional Composition, Arrangement, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Programming, Mixing & Mastering: Bruce Lee Mani

सोयराबाई : ऐसा आनंद सोहळा 

ऐसा आनंद सोहळा l निर्मळा पाहे आपले डोळा l 
आनंद न माये गगनी l वैष्णव नाचती रंगणि l l 
जेथ नाही भेदा भेद l अवघा भरला गोविंद l l 
तया सुखाची सुख राशी l वोळलिती निर्मळेशी l l 
सोयरा देखोनि आनंदली 
वेळो वेळा विठु न्याहळी l l

This is a beautiful abhanga by Soyrabai whose husband Chokhamela was also an important saint-poet in the Varkari tradition. This song describes the ecstatic moment when the doors of the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur were opened and those from the so-called lower castes who had been denied entry, could finally gaze to their heart’s content upon Vitthal’s countenance. 

Soyrabai describes a joyous gathering with Vaishnav bhaktas dancing, with no caste barriers between them [जेथ नाही भेदा भेद]. The word न्याहळी in the last line is very evocative. It means to look carefully, lovingly, with curiosity, with devotion (a feminine gaze). She cannot get enough of the darshan because she has waited so long.

Amuchi Mali (Live Recording)

Attribution: Savta Mali
Vocals: Anjali Malkar
Additional Composition, Arrangement, Acoustic Guitar, Mixing and Mastering: Bruce Lee Mani

सावता माली: आमुची माळियाची जात

आमुची माळीयाची जात l शेत लावू बागाईत ll 
आम्हा हाती मोट नाडा l पाणी जाते फुलझाडा l l
शांती-शेवंती फुलली l प्रेम जाई ‑जुई व्याली l l
स्वकर्मात व्हावे रत l मोक्ष मिळे हातोहात l l
सावताने केला मळा l विठ्ठल देखियला डोळा l l

This poem is by Savta Mali, often referred to as Marathi’s first farmer-poet, a contemporary of Namdev. Again we see ordinary objects of labour — the apparatus that irrigates the fields, the crops that are cultivated — being linked to abstract concepts. And Savta boldly asserts that to be absorbed in your own work is the easiest way to salvation. 

Doi Cha (Live Recording)

Attribution: Janabai
Vocals: Anjali Malkar
Additional Composition, Arrangement, Acoustic Guitar, Mixing and Mastering: Bruce Lee Mani

जनाबाई: डोई चा पदर आला खांद्यावरी

डोईचा पदर आला खांद्यावरी 
भरल्या बाजारी जाईन मी l
हाती घेईन टाळ, खांद्यावरी वीणा
आता मज मना कोण करी l
पंढरीच्या पेठे मांडियेले पाल
मनगटावर तेल द्याला तुम्ही l
जनी म्हणे देवा मी झाले येसवा
निघाले केशवा घर तुझे l l

This poem is by Janabai, one of the most beloved poets in the Varkari tradition. Jani, as she is fondly known, was Namdev’s student and also a maid-servant in his house. In this song she describes the effect that becoming a Vitthal bhakta has had on her. She is no longer bound by usual social norms that restrict the freedom of women. She asks boldly: ​“Who will restrain me now?”

Album credits

The Path To Pandharpur — Original soundtrack for Bhakti Republic Ep 4

Radio Azim Premji University 
© 2024 | Azim Premji University. All rights reserved

Performed by Anjali Malkar, Bruce Lee Mani, Junuka Deshpande, Karthik Bhat, and Noël Prashanth

Notes by Amit Basole

Produced by Radio Azim Premji University: 
Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi, and Velu Shankar