Book Review

Sant Eknath: One with the Lord
BY: Judith Sankaranarayan
Publisher: Delhi, India: Radha Soami Satsang Beas, 2024.
ISBN 978-93-48134-83-7

Sant Eknath (1533–1599 CE) was one of the most beloved of the Maharashtrian saints. A prolific writer, Eknath wrote in his native Marathi so that his works were accessible to all. His writings include philosophical works, numerous translations of Hindu scriptures into Marathi with accompanying commentary, biographies of saints who came before him, and more than four thousand simple verses. Sant Eknath: One with the Lord is divided into four main sections, three describing his life, teachings, and works, and the fourth offering translations of some of his poetry.

Eknath had an early yearning for bhakti or devotion. Even as a boy, he demonstrated a masterful knowledge of the scriptures, and by the age of twelve his elders advised him to find a guru. He was led to Janardan Swami, who recognized his devotion and earnestness. Eknath says of his initiation: “When his palm touched my head, the whole world, I felt, vanished into nothingness. The firmament was completely filled with an ineffable light, along with overflowing bliss.”

After a short period of study, Janardan sent Eknath on extended travels, where he met with people from all walks of life and started teaching the way of devotion. He realized his life’s work was to bring spiritual light to all people – high or low, rich or poor, educated or illiterate. The author writes:

Eknath treated all people alike, irrespective of their caste, creed, colour, gender, religion, standing in the society, or profession. His attitude towards caste hierarchy and the equality of all, no matter their social position or religion, is clear from his writings. For example, in his Eknathi Bhagavat he writes: “The low-born who is bound by love to the Lord is greater than the brahmin who has turned his back on Hari (God).”

The “Life” section of the book includes many such examples of Eknath’s compassion, generosity, and empathy.

In the “Teachings” section we learn Eknath’s message, that, through devotion or bhakti to Nam and guru, we human beings, the very crown of creation, can realize our oneness with God. But human life is fleeting:

In the deep sea of earthly life,
Nam is the ship of salvation – so make haste!

When you are drowning in the sea,
the Lord is the ship – so make haste!

Kal has not attacked you yet,
so don’t delay, but hurry, says Janardan’s Eknath!

Eknath counselled seekers of God to constantly remember God and practise feeling his presence within.

Those who ceaselessly repeat the master’s Nam
and whose daily routine is the master’s seva
become the Lord.

He states clearly that his advice is based on the reality he himself has experienced:

With meditation I vanquished my mind
and attained mystical stillness –
there is no separation between me and the Lord.

To unite with the Lord, it is imperative to keep him close
at all times, says Janardan’s Eknath.

Eknath often expressed his teachings through vivid metaphors. In praise of Nam, he wrote: “Mountains of sins are blasted by the thunderbolt of Nam.” Calling the guru “the season of spring,” he described the arrival of the guru: “The withered and parched leaves of ignorance have fallen and tender new leaves with the colour of desirelessness budded sublimely. A profusion of blossoms appeared on the trees – these blooms are the flowers of Sohang, I am That.” To show that God is the only reality in the whole universe, he says, “Just as the thread which forms the warp and woof of a piece of cloth gives existence to the cloth, so is the world completely made of Brahman.” Comparing the human body to farmland, he says: “I inherited it through the Lord’s grace and embarked on the journey of working it well, sowing the seeds of the master’s words within. A crop of love emerged – even the sky was not high enough to store it.” To demonstrate the fleeting nature of life on this earth, he states: “The world is like a ripple on water; it is like a doll made of salt that will dissolve in water. So will the body perish, says Janardan’s Eknath.”

In the section “Works” the book describes his prolific output: his translations and commentaries on various scriptures; his Bhavartha Ramayana – a Marathi rendition of the great epic, the Ramayana; his philosophical works; his tributes to saints and sages; his abhangs (short verses); and his bharuds (folk ballads). Short excerpts from these works are presented in this section, and longer selections in three appendices.

The “Poetry” section is divided into two parts: the first includes a selection of his simple and inspirational verses organized by theme with short introductions, enabling readers to easily find verses by subject matter; the second gives other examples of his verses organized by first line in Marathi. Several of these verses were included in the RSSB book Many Voices, One Song.

The three appendices of this book bring together extensive excerpts from Eknath’s most popular works. The Eknathi Bhagavat is his translation and commentary on the eleventh canto of the Bhagavat Purana, one of the great classics of bhakti scripture. His Rukmini Swayamvar (Rukmini’s Wedding) – a metaphor of the soul’s love for the Lord expressed through the story of Rukmini’s love for Krishna and Krishna’s battle to win her – is based on the tenth canto of the Bhagavat Purana.

The third appendix presents a selection of Eknath’s bharuds, folk ballads which were performed by traveling groups who went from village to village, dramatizing deep truths in entertaining ways. Here we see Eknath taking on the roles of a wide assortment of characters. As a watchman he warns us: “Wake up, my friends! Don’t let sleep devour you. Here it comes! Here it comes! Death – the Lord’s noose!” Taking on the role of a fortune teller, he chants: “I am the fortune teller of Nirgunpuri; O friends, listen to your fortune! Do not run after the mind – it has deceived many great ones…. Janardan’s Eknath gives everyone this same fortune: those who repeat Nam will surely be saved in good time.” As the village sweeper, he says: “I, a lowcaste servant, am a saint from the kingdom of the Lord. Please accept my heartfelt greetings!… Eka, a disciple of Lord Janardan, exhorts all people to be vigilant about the way to benefit their true self! Follow the path of the Lord and keep repeating the Lord’s Nam, O my respected ones!”

In summing up Eknath’s life and teachings, the scholar L.R. Pangarkar says that this “beloved of all saints” was “an ornament of the Lord’s devotion, … a beloved of his master and a storehouse of knowledge and dispassion.” This book is a soothing voice in a chaotic world, giving down-to-earth advice on how to live a life of devotion. It will be enjoyed by anyone seeking to follow Eknath’s example and dedicate themselves to the divine.

When these eyes became one,
I stopped looking outward.

Hearing the Unstruck Sound,
I realized I was yours –
silent, tranquil – wedded to your Word.