Nako Devraya Anta Aata Pahu — Sant Kanhopatra Abhanga
Sant Kanhopatra's prayer of total surrender: she asks Vitthal to test her no more, lays her head at His feet, and tradition recalls her merging in Him.
Verses
Test me no longer, O Lord of Lords, Divine King! My very life-breath is on the verge of shattering and departing!
Verse 1
Just as a fish stranded out of water writhes in agonizing torment, so do I, a poor and helpless soul, thrash in painful longing for You.
Verse 2
Who besides You can rescue me from this perilous crisis? Run swiftly to my aid and grant me Your vision, O Life of the Universe!
Verse 3
Kanhopatra proclaims: I have laid my head surrendered at Your lotus feet; now deliver and protect me in this hour of peril!
Verse 4
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
Sant Kanhopatra (15th century) was born to a courtesan named Shyama in Mangalwedha. Blessed with extraordinary beauty, she turned away every worldly attachment and gave her life solely to Lord Vitthala of Pandharpur. Tradition remembers that in a time of great trial she took refuge in the Pandharpur temple, sang this prayer of surrender before the sanctum and merged into the Divine. She is the only saint whose samadhi and memorial tree (a sacred Tarati tree) stand inside the inner courtyard of the Pandharpur temple. The Warkari Gatha tradition preserves her small body of abhangas; this prayer is printed in the Saptarshi Prakashan Sant Kanhopatra collection (Mangalwedha, 2014).
About this Text
Composed by: Sant Kanhopatra
Did You Know?
Samadhi Inside the Temple
Kanhopatra is the sole devotee whose samadhi is located directly within the temple premises of Pandharpur, next to the sacred Tarati tree.
The Agony of Separation
Stanza 2 voices the helplessness of a creature in peril. The displayed version uses the fish out of water, while the printed collection compares her to a fawn seized by a tiger; both express the same longing for the Lord's rescue.
Faithfulness to the Lord Alone
Her life stands as an eternal beacon of feminine spiritual dignity, giving her whole being to Vitthal and to none other.
Vitthal
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