Dnyaneshwar

After bathing in the Chakratirth, Vithoba sat down to worship God. Just then, a Brahmin named Sidhopant arrived at the site to take a bath. Seeing the young Brahmachari before him, Sidhopant prostrated himself on the ground and respectfully asked for his name and place of origin. The Brahmachari replied, "I belong to a well-respected family in Apegaon, situated on the banks of the Godavari River. Our family is well-known in the region. My elderly parents still reside there. I have traveled to Dwarka and other sacred places, and now I have arrived at Alandi."

Impressed by the presence of the Brahmachari, Sidhopant exclaimed, "Blessed is the day when you, my Swami, have come here. Please come to my house and bless it with your presence." Sidhopant immediately took Vithoba to his home, where he provided him with a delicious meal and a comfortable place to rest. That night, Shri Pandharinath appeared in Sidhopant's dream and said, "Give your daughter, adorned with jewelry, to this Brahmachari." Sidhopant felt great satisfaction upon hearing this in his dream.

After his regular morning bath and prayers, Sidhopant shared the divine message he received in his dream with Vithoba. The Brahmachari replied, "What you say is indeed true, but Pandharinath has given me no explicit command." Sidhopant suggested that Vithoba stay for the day and said, "If what I say is true, you will surely have the same dream."

Vithoba agreed and arranged his bedding near the tulsi altar before going to sleep. In his dream, he saw Pandharinath, the Universal Pervader, who said to him, "Four avatars will be born to you through my blessings. Shave your head as per my command and accept my daughter as a gift." Upon awakening from this dream, the Brahmachari felt a sense of certainty. An astrologer confirmed their compatibility with a matching horoscope. The wedding day was set, and all the necessary preparations were made.

The gods were invoked, and the Brahmins were treated to a grand feast. Lord Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, was worshipped. Sweet music played, and the auspicious ceremony of Punyahavachan (blessing the day) was performed. A variety of delectable dishes were prepared and offered to the Brahmins. The bridegroom was honored by the bride's father at the town's entrance, and Brahmins recited eight verses of blessings.

They chanted, "Victory, victory to Mukund, the Enemy of Mura (Krishna), the Eternal Being, the Enemy of Madhu and Kaitabha, the Ornament of His devotees. Protect the bride and bridegroom in every way. Victory, victory to You, the Slayer of the Demon Shankha. Victory, victory to You, who took the form of a tortoise and the form of a wild boar, Slayer of Hiranyaksha. Protect this bride and bridegroom. Victory, victory to You, half-man, half-lion, Protector of Prahlad. Victory to You, in the form of Vamana, the Troubler of Bali. Victory to You, the Holder of the axe, Slayer of the thousand-armed One. Protect this bride and bridegroom. Victory to You, son of Dasharath and Slayer of demons. Victory to You, who played pranks at Gokul, Son of Nand. Victory to You, in the form of Buddha, O Janardan. Protect this bride and bridegroom. Victory to You, in the form of Kalki avatar, Slayer of despised foreigners, Founder of religion, Life of the world. Victory to You, Giver of blessings to Pundalik, Husband of Rukmini. Protect this bride and bridegroom."

After reciting these blessing verses, the Brahmins cautioned, "Savadhan" (Beware). Musical instruments filled the air with their melodies, and the ceremony of joining hands in marriage was completed. Following the four-day wedding festivities, they bid farewell to Sidhopant and said, "We must visit Pandhari in the month of Ashadh (July) to see and worship Shri Pandurang."

Accompanied by Sidhopant and his family, Vithoba and his wife embarked on a pilgrimage to Pandhari. They bathed in the Chandrabhaga River and offered worship to Shri Pundalik. When compared to other sacred places, Pandhari surpassed them all. No planet shines as brilliantly as the moon, no metal surpasses gold in value, no praise is greater than that given to Vishnu. In the vast expanse, no diamond is as radiant as the Kaustubh gem, no bull surpasses Shiva's Nandi, and no ascetic surpasses Shiva himself. No scripture surpasses the Bhagavad Gita, which cannot be equaled even if one searches across the three worlds. The mantras "Ram" and "Krishna" are unrivaled, and there is no religious teaching superior to the Bhagavat. Thus, there is no other sacred city on this earth that can compare to Pandhari in its divine splendor. The mere sight of it burns away mountains of sins.

You may question, "How can Pandhari be superior to Saptapuri (the seven great sacred cities: Ayodhya, Mathura, Mays, Benares, Kanchi, Avantika, Dwarka), which grant ultimate liberation from rebirth?" Pandhari destroys pride, leaving no trace of egoism. While bathing at other sacred places may inflate one's pride, even a distant glimpse of Pandhari moves wicked men to repentance.

To elaborate further on the greatness of Pandhari would significantly extend our story. Thus, Sidhopant and his son-in-law remained in the sacred city of Pandhari, where they played musical instruments such as cymbals, vina, and drums. As devoted Vaishnavas danced and sang with love, even Lord Shiva, the ruler of Mount Kailash, joyfully nodded His head in appreciation.

After circumambulating the city, they reached the grand entrance of the temple. Vithoba prostrated himself before the deity on the eagle platform. Sidhopant took both his daughter and son-in-law by the hand and placed them at Vithoba's feet. Embracing the god, they held His feet tightly. When the grand festival concluded, Sidhopant, accompanied by his daughter, wife, and attendants, returned to Alandi.