Sant Ekanath 23.3.2003

Sant Ekanath was a prominent Marathi sant, scholar, and religious poet of the Varkari sampradaya. In the development of Marathi literature, Ekanath is seen as a bridge between his predecessors—Dnyaneshwar and Namdev—and the laterTukaram and Ramdas. Ekanath was born to Surya Naryana and Rukhmini of Paithan in Maharashtra. Once the little Ekanath was sitting outside Shiv temple when he heard a voice telling him to leave his family and go seek guru Janardhana Swami at Deogarh. Obediently he left his family and went. After he returned Paithan, on the wishes of his grandparents, Ekanath married Girija bai. He later had three children- Godavari, Hari Pandit and Ganga. As many years rolled by, Ekanath's health began failing and he decided to give up his body. He placed his disciple, Gavba to continue from where he had left reading Ramayana. After giving his last discourse on the banks of the Godavari, Ekanath gave up his body by entering the Godavari River.