Rukmabai (14th century AD) was a staunch devotee of Lord Panduranga, and she was born in a village in Maharashtra. Her Panduranga bhakti is considered similar to MuktiBai, MeeraBai and ChakkuBai. She was born to a pious Brahmin parents, and her father had served as a Veena player under the then king of Maharashtra. She learned music and Dance from her father, and became a great vocalist. Due to her previous good karma, she considered Lord Panduranga as everything for her. She saw his form in all the objects, and when she ate food, she saw Panduranga in rice, and when she slept in the bed, there also she saw the form of Panduranga.
Though her parents were very much satisfied with her bhakti on Panduranga, but the local villagers began to call him as “MAD GIRL”. Whenever she met any people, she used to touch their feet, and would call them as Panduranga, since she saw the face of Panduranga in the face of everyone.
In order to test her pure bhakti, once Lord Panduranga took the form of a young chap, and he wore rich clothes and costly ornaments on his neck. He reached the home of Rukhmabai and began to call her by mentioning her name. When Rukhmabai was arrived at the spot, the young man smiled and suddenly he touched her hands. Without knowing about the true form of the young man, Rukhmabai shouted at him, and began to run away from her home. The young man stood before her, and he had shown his true form to her, as Lord Panduranga. Young Rukhmabai felt very happy, and she was ashamed for her act, and asked apology to the Lord.
The Lord smiled at her, and removed the fear from her mind, and asked her to continue worshipping him for a few more years. After reaching her teenage, when she was singing a nice song on Lord Panduranga in the Panduranga temple, suddenly a bright spark was formed from the shrine of the Lord, and she was disappeared in that, and attained the lotus feet of Lord Panduranga.
“OM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR