Kanhopatra was a dancing girl endowed with great beauty. She was a good singer as well. When she was forced to be the concubine of the King of Bidar, she took refuge in the Lord Vittal and died at his feet.
Profile
Kanhopatra was the daughter of a wealthy courtesan and prostitute named Shama. They lived in Mangalvedha which was very close to Pandharpur. The details of the date of birth and death are not known but she is believed to have lived in the fifteenth century. Kanhopatra was a proficient dancer and singer and was a beautiful woman – all qualities to needed to follow her mother’s profession. But she hated it. Shama wanted to give off Kanhopatra in marriage but Kanhopatra wanted to marry someone who was more beautiful than her. It is believed that Hausa, the maid in Shama’s household instilled the love for Lord Vittal in Kanhopatra. There is another story where she is believed to have questioned the pilgrims going to Pandharpur about the Lord and with their description of the Lord she wanted to go to Pandharpur as well. But another doubt rose in her mind, if the Lord would accept someone as lowly as her, for which the pilgrims gave a list of people who were great devotees and their caste or profession did not really matter. SadashivaMalagujar was Shama’s customer and believed to be Kanhopatra’s father. He began harassing Shama to present Kanhopatra to him, even after knowing it was his daughter. When this was refused, he began harassing them and Kanhopatra fled to Pandharpur and lived an incognito life. She was known as a farmer’s daughter in Pandharpur and a woman in love with the Lord. She would clean the temple twice a day. She began to sing abhangs which was loved by the people. Soon the fame of her beauty reached the king of Bidar who wanted her to be his concubine which she refused. He sent his soldiers to capture her. It is believed that she said that she wanted to speak to the Lord for the last time. Kanhopatra who went inside never came out. She lay dead at the feet of the Lord. Some say she merged with the Lord. Today only Kanhopatra’ssamadhi is found inside the temple precincts of Lord Vittobha in Pandharpur.
Philosophy Propounded
Kanhopatra knew nothing other than her devotion for the Lord of Pandharpur.
Work Done to Spread the Philosophy
Kanhopatra had written many abhangs but, since they were not in a written form, many of them are lost to posterity. Only thirty of her abhangs are known today. She was the only one of the Varkari saints, who was raised to sainthood in spite of not having a guru to initiate into the path of devotion.
