One day, Saint Chokhamela was working near his home on the banks of the Chandrabhaga River. His heart was filled with thoughts of Vitthal, and his lips were constantly chanting,
“Vitthal, Vitthal, Panduranga!”
That day, a kind devotee gave Chokha a few ripe bananas. To others, they were ordinary fruits, but to Chokha, they were a precious gift — perfect to offer to his Lord.
So, he washed the bananas carefully, placed them on a small leaf plate, and with tears in his eyes, said:
“Vitthala, I cannot come near Your temple. But please, accept these bananas, my Lord. They are given with all my heart.”
Then he lovingly held one banana up toward the sky — toward Pandharpur — and said softly,
“Vitthala, eat this. You must be hungry.”
The Lord Accepts the Offering
At that very moment, in the Sanctum of the Pandharpur temple, Lord Vitthal smiled. Before the astonished eyes of His consort Rukmini Devi, He picked up a banana that appeared miraculously in His hand and began to eat it!
Rukmini playfully said,
“Prabhu, won’t You give me a share?”
Vitthal smiled and handed her half a banana.
Thus, both of them partook of the humble offering made by their beloved devotee Chokhamela.
The Priests’ Anger
The next morning, when the temple priests opened the sanctum doors, they were shocked. They saw banana peels scattered inside the temple!
“How could this happen?” they shouted. “Someone has polluted the sanctum!”
Soon they found out that Chokhamela, the so-called “untouchable,” had offered bananas from outside the temple the previous day. In anger and arrogance, the priests ran to him. They beat him cruelly and drove him away, accusing him of defiling the holy shrine.
Chokha did not resist. Tears rolled down his cheeks — not for himself, but because the Lord was being blamed. He fell at Vitthal’s feet in his heart and said:
“Deva, forgive them. They do not understand Your love.”
The Temple Doors Refuse to Open
The next morning, when the priests came to perform the aarti, the temple doors would not open.
They tried again and again, but the locks stayed sealed tight — as if the Lord Himself had shut them.
Terrified, the priests prayed and fasted. That night, Lord Vitthal appeared in the temple head priest’s dream and said:
“You have hurt My devotee Chokha. Until you bring him here with full honor and ask his forgiveness, I shall not open My doors.”
Chokhamela Brought in a Palanquin
At dawn, the priests went to Chokhamela’s hut with great humility. They placed him in a palanquin — a seat of honor usually reserved for saints and kings — and carried him through the streets to the temple.
As they reached the sanctum, Chokha stood before Vitthal with folded hands and said:
“My Lord, please forgive them. They are Yours too, as I am. Open Your doors once again for the world.”
The moment these words left his lips, the temple doors flung open by themselves!
A divine fragrance filled the air, and the bells began to ring on their own. Everyone fell to the ground in awe and devotion.
From that day, the people of Pandharpur understood the truth:
The Lord belongs to the devotee who loves Him — not to the one who boasts of purity or ritual.
Saint Chokhamela taught that God sees no caste, no rank, no outer form — only the heart.
Even today, pilgrims visiting Pandharpur bow their heads at Chokhamela’s Samadhi, which lies outside the temple gates — a reminder that a heart full of love can open even the closed doors of God’s own temple.
चोखामेळा म्हणे, माझा कुळा कष्टाचा,
वंद्य तुझे नाम पंढरीनाथा!
मलीन अंग, मलीन वेश,
तरी माझे अंतरीं पांडुरंग देश।
देह मलीन, चित्त निर्मळ,
तुझे नाम घेता होई उजळ।
तुला न पाहे माझी जात,
पाहे भक्ताचे अंतरीं भावात।
चोखामेळा म्हणे, तू माझा नाथ,
हे पंढरीनाथ, तूच माझा प्राणनाथ॥
Chokhamela says, “My lineage may be humble, my body weary and lowly,
Yet Your Name, O Lord of Pandhari, is pure and worthy of worship!”
My body is unclean, my garments torn,
Yet within my heart, Panduranga shines like the morning sun.
Though the flesh be impure, the mind is bright —
It glows with Your Name, radiant with light.
You, O Lord, do not see my caste or birth,
You see only the love in the devotee’s heart.
Chokhamela says, “You are my Master, my soul’s delight,
O Lord of Pandharpur, my very breath and life!”
1. पंढरीची वारी (Pandhari chi Vāri)
देह माळीण, चित्त शुद्ध,
पंढरीनाथा पायी वंदन बुद्ध।
चोखामेळा म्हणे माझा नाथ,
तुझ्या चरणां लागो प्राणनाथ।
Deha mālīn, chitta shuddha,
Pandharināthā pāyī vandan buddha.
Chokhāmēlā mhaṇe mājhā nātha,
Tujhyā charanāṃ lāgo prāṇanātha.
My body may be impure, but my heart is pure.
O Lord of Pandhari, my mind bows only at Your feet.
Chokhamela says — You are my only Master,
May my soul ever rest at Your lotus feet.
2. अंतरी ठेव पंढरीनाथ (Antari Thev Pandharinath.
अंतरी ठेव पंढरीनाथ,
बाहेरी काय मळकट वस्त्र।
ज्या ठायी भाव, त्या ठायी देव,
चोखामेळा म्हणे तेच खरे ठाव।
Antarī thev Pandharināth,
Bāherī kāy maḷakaṭ vastra.
Jyā ṭhāī bhāv, tyā ṭhāī Dev,
Chokhāmēlā mhaṇe techa khare ṭhāv.
Keep Lord Panduranga within your heart —
What matter if the clothes outside are dirty?
Where there is true feeling, there resides God,
Says Chokhamela — that alone is the real temple.
3. विठ्ठल विठ्ठल नाम घेता (Vitthal Vitthal Nām Gheta)
विठ्ठल विठ्ठल नाम घेता,
मनी होई शांती।
नाही कळे जाती पाती,
तोच माझा पांडुरंग निती।
Vitthal Vitthal nām ghetā,
Manī hoī shānti.
Nāhī kaḷe jāti pāti,
Toch mājhā Pāṇḍuraṅg nītī.
When I chant “Vitthal, Vitthal,”
Peace fills my heart.
He knows no caste or creed —
That pure Panduranga is mine forever.
4. चोखामेळा म्हणे विठ्ठल माझा (Chokhamela Mhane Vitthal Majha)
चोखामेळा म्हणे विठ्ठल माझा,
तोच गुरू, तोच दाता।
विठ्ठल विठ्ठल गात गात,
माझे झाले तारण होता।
Chokhāmēlā mhaṇe Vitthal mājhā,
Toch gurū, toch dātā.
Vitthal Vitthal gāt gāt,
Māje jhāle tāraṇ hotā.
Chokhamela says — Vitthal is mine,
He is my Guru, my Giver, my God.
Singing “Vitthal, Vitthal” again and again,
My soul has crossed this ocean of life.
5. मोकळी केली दया तुझी (Mokali Keli Daya Tujhi)
मोकळी केली दया तुझी,
चोख्याला दिली स्नेहाची वही।
तुजवाचून नाही दुसरा थाव,
पंढरीनाथा तूच जीवभाव।
Mokaḷī kelī dayā tujhi,
Chokhyālā dilī snehāchī vahī.
Tujhvāchūn nāhī dusarā ṭhāv,
Pandharināthā tūch jīvabhāv.
You have freed me through Your mercy, O Lord,
You have written Chokha’s name in the book of love.
There is no place for me except You,
O Lord of Pandharpur, You are my very soul.
These abhangs are sung even today by Varkaris (devotees walking in pilgrimage to Pandharpur), as they carry cymbals and chant —
“Vithoba, Rakhumai, Gyanba Tukaram, Sant Chokhamela Maharaj ki Jai!”
6. चोखामेळा म्हणे माझा नाथ00
(Chokhamela Mhane Majha Nath)
चोखामेळा म्हणे माझा नाथ,
तुझ्या चरणां लागो प्राणनाथ।
Chokhāmēlā mhaṇe mājhā nātha,
Tujhyā charanāṃ lāgo prāṇanātha.
Chokhamela says — O my Lord,
May my soul always rest at Your holy feet.
7. देह माळीण चित्त शुद्ध
(Deha Malin Chitta Shuddha)
देह मा0ळीण, चित्त शुद्ध,
पंढरीनाथा पायी वंदन बुद्ध।
Deha mālīn, chitta shuddha,
Pandharināthā pāyī vandan buddha.
My body may be unclean, but my heart is pure;
O Lord of Pandhari, all my wisdom bows at Your feet.
80. अंतरी ठेव पंढरीनाथ
(Antari Thev Pandharinath)
अं))तरी ठेव पंढरीनाथ,
बाहेरी काय मळकट वस्त्र।
Antarī thev Pandharināth,
Bāherī kāy maḷakaṭ vastra.
Keep the Lord Panduranga within your heart —
Outer dirt or clothes do not matter when the soul is clean.
9. विठ्ठल विठ्ठल नाम घेता
(Vitthal Vitthal Nam Gheta)
विठ्ठल विठ्ठल नाम घेता,
मनी होई शांती।
Vitthal Vitthal nām ghetā,
Manī hoī shānti.
When I chant “Vitthal, Vitthal,”
A deep peace blossoms in my heart.
10 ज् ठायी भाव त्या ठायी देव
(Jya Thaayi Bhav Tya Thaayi Dev)
ज्या ठायी भाव, त्या ठायी देव,
चोखामेळा म्हणे तेच खरे ठाव।
Jyā ṭhāī bhāv, tyā ṭhāī Dev,
Chokhāmēlā mhaṇe techa khare ṭhāv.
Where there is true feeling, there is God Himself —
That, says Chokhamela, is the only real temple.
11. मोकळी केली दया तुझी
(Mokali Keli Daya Tujhi)
मोकळी केली दया तुझी,
चोख्याला दिली स्नेहाची वही।
Mokaḷī kelī dayā tujhi,
Chokhyālā dilī snehāchī vahī.
Through Your mercy, You have freed me, O Lord —
You have written my name in the book of love.
12. विठ्ठल माझा गुरू दाता
(Vitthal Majha Guru Data)
चोखामेळा म्हणे विठ्ठल माझा,
तोच गुरू, तोच दाता।
Chokhāmēlā mhaṇe Vitthal mājhā,
Toch gurū, toch dātā.
Chokhamela says — Vitthal is mine,
He alone is my teacher and my giver.
13. देवा तुझा दरवळ पायात
(Deva Tujha Daraval Payat)
देवा तुझा दरवळ पायात,
माझे मनी जळे भक्तीत।
Devā tujha daravaḷ pāyāt,
Māje manī jaḷe bhaktīt.
O Lord, the fragrance of Your feet fills my heart;
My mind burns in the flame of devotion for You.
14. जाती पाती न पाहे विठ्ठल
(Jati Pati Na Pahe Vitthal)
जाती पाती न पाहे विठ्ठल,
पाहे भक्ताचे अंतरी भाव।
Jāti pāti na pāhe Vitthal,
Pāhe bhaktāche antarī bhāv.
Vitthal does not see caste or status —
He sees only the devotion that lives within the heart.
15. चोखामेळा म्हणे पंढरीनाथा
(Chokhamela Mhane Pandharinatha)
चोखामेळा म्हणे पंढरीनाथा,
तुझ्या नामाने झाला मी थोर।
तुजवाचून नाही आधार,
विठ्ठल माझा जीवाचा ठाव।
Chokhāmēlā mhaṇe Pandharināthā,
Tujhyā nāmāne jhālā mī thor.
Tujhvāchūn nāhī ādhār,
Vitthal mājhā jīvāchā ṭhāv.
Chokhamela says — O Lord of Pandhari,
Your Name has made me noble and free.
Apart from You, I have no support;
Vitthal is the very home of my soul.
He teaches that devotion is greater than birth or ritual.
His abhangs breathe the spirit of equality, humility, and pure love.
They are not just songs — they are tears turned into melody.
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