Eknath (एकनाथ)

Bhaktamal | Eknath
Real name - Eknath
Aradhya - Ekvira Devi
Guru - Janardan Swami, Namdev
Birth Date - Ashadhi Ekadashi, 1533
Birth Place - Sambhaji nagar, Maharashtra, India
Language: Marathi, Sanskrit
Father - Suryanarayan
Mother - Rukminibai
Marital status - Married
Wife - Girijabai
Famous - Hindu Vaishnava saint, Major figure of the Warkari movement.Sant Eknath (1533–1599) was a revered 16th‑century Bhakti‑saint, philosopher, poet, and social reformer from Paithan (historically Pratishthan) in Maharashtra. He was a major figure of the Warkari movement.

Born in 1533 into a Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin family; orphaned early and raised by his grandparents. Sant Eknath composed in Marathi to make spiritual teachings accessible to all, challenging caste barriers and embracing social equality.

He invented Bharood, a witty devotional song form, writing about 300 of them, plus 300+ abhangas. Sant Eknath exemplified devotion (bhakti), learning, social responsibility, and universal love—all while living a full family life. He left behind a timeless legacy through his writings, reformative actions, and the vibrant pilgrimages and festivals that continue to unite people in shared devotion.

In 1599, on Krishna Shashthi in Phalguna, Eknath voluntarily gave up his life through jala-samadhi in the Godavari River in Paithan. The Sant Eknath Palkhi, an 18‑day pilgrimage from Paithan to Pandharpur, features a grand silver chariot (~120 kg silver) used during Ashadhi Ekadashi.