“If we have to look for idealistic young men then we should remember Shravan Kumar, Nachi keta, and Pundlik.” – His Holiness Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj 

In order to enjoy the pleasures in the house of a prostitute, Pundlik insulted and disrespected his mother and father, and even sold the ornaments of his wife. When he wanted to take away the silver bowl from which his son was drinking milk and sell it, his wife stopped him and said: I have never stopped you from selling my jewelry, or insulting your parents, but now it is too much that you are going to sell this last item of the house and that too the silver bowl of your own son.

Your mother has already passed away; your father has left the house in disgust and now this – it is too much. I will not allow you to do this. You have not proved to be a worthy son of your parents, nor have you proved to be a good husband and now you are not even a good father. You should now try to be a reasonable father.’

Pushing his wife away, he took the silver bowl. She said: ‘Please remember that you are now left all alone in this world. I have so far been your shadow and have stood beside you. I was performing my duties, but now there is all darkness in front you.

Now you are going away with this silver bowl of your son. What will happen when your son would come to know of your actions? There will be no more a lamp to show the light to you.’ Hearing this Pundlik wept but still he went to the prostitute. Handing over the silver bowl to her he said: ‘This is the last item. There is nothing else left to be given to you.’ At this the prostitute pushed him away from the house saying that there was no need of him if there was nothing left in the house. He left the place and went towards the village. He did not go to his house but stayed under the tree outside the village.

He began to realize his mistake. He wept and cried. His wife came to him and tried to pacify him. She begged him to come to the house, but he refused saying that he would prefer to die than to return to the house. The lady said: ‘All happiness from the house has already vanished. The good souls have already left us.

If the father could somehow return to the house, the happiness would also return. It was dawn. He returned to the house, took his bath and sat at the same place where he used to sit together with his father. He lifted the rosary of his father and started praying. After the prayer he stood up and said to his wife that he would go in search of his father. He said that he would locate him and confess all his faults and beg him to return to the house.

Leaving his wife there, Pundlik left the place in search of his father. There is a sacred pilgrimage in India which is closely related to Pundlik. While crossing the forest it became dark and he searched for a spot to sleep to spend the night. He noticed some light at a distance. He went there and found the place was the ashram of a Rishi.

The light was the little flame rising from the havankund in the yagyashala. He sat close to the yagya vedi. It was already cold and the yagya vedi was still warm. He slept on the floor. While still in his sleep he heard some noises. He found that some women had arrived to clean the ashram. These were three women, and all of them wore black. As they swept the floor they sprinkled water on the floor and washed it.

He found that as these women were sweeping and washing the floor their color was changing into white. He was surprised. After finishing the cleaning these women were going back home and he followed them. These women did not look back but said: ‘Pundlik do not follow us. Your father is alive. He is in Kashi. You will be able to locate him. Serve him, and your good luck would return to you.’

Pundlik asked them: ‘Ladies, who are you? Why have you come here in the Ashram? And how has your color changed from black to white?’ Three of them replied: I am Ganga, I am Yamuna, and I am Sarasvati. People come to us to wash their sins and as a consequence we turn black. We then go to any ashram at nighttime and serve there and as a result of our selfless karma we are able to wash away the sins and become white once again. This is the result of the selfless service we do.

You may go to Kashi and serve your father and with that all your sins will also be washed away.’ After hearing this, Pundlik went to Kashi and found his father, and brought him home. He begged and sought forgiveness for the sins committed. During the day he would work, and in the evening, he would sit near his father and take care of him.

One day while he was praying sitting near the feet of his father he fell asleep. Pundlik noticed that Lord Krishna appeared before him and he felt blessed to have the darshan of Vitthal Nath ji. People from all over the country come to Pandharpur in Maharashtra to seek the darshan of Vitthal Nath ji. People come to the temple chanting Vitthal, Vitthal and dancing to the Lord. It is said that Lord Krishna entered the room in the form of a ray of light.

Pundlik thought to himself ‘I remembered you and now you have come here to fulfill the desires of my father – he wanted to hear the music of your flute. Please fulfill the desire of my father.’ Lord Krishna stood before him, and as he got ready to play on the flute, Pundlik said to him to wait and not to play the flute otherwise my father would get disturbed. He is fast asleep. He would wake up.

Lord Krishna kept on waiting. When he got tired of standing Lord Krishna asked him whether he would give him some place to sit. Pundlik pointed to a brick lying in the corner of the room and said that he could stand on it. Lord Krishna stood on the brick with his both hands placed on his hips holding the flute in one hand, and one leg placed on the other, putting all his body weight on one foot. Lord Krishna looked tired as could be seen from the expressions on his face.

Lord Krishna said to him: ‘You have called me here to play flute for your father. You do not allow me to do so. I cannot wait here for long. I will now go away and shall not return here.’ Pundlik said: ‘Due to my service to my father, you have come. You will come here again and again because I shall continue to serve my father.’

Lord Krishna now prepared to leave and said to Pundlik: ‘I cannot wait here for long but I am pleased and you may ask for any boon.’ Pundlik said: ‘Whatever I need I shall get it by serving my father. If you wish to go, you may, but please leave your imprint or form here so that when my father wakes I could tell him that you had come here to play the flute. I apologize that I did not allow you to play on the flute as it would have disturbed his sleep.’

At this, it is said, Lord Krishna disappeared leaving behind his image in the form of a statue, which still exists in the temple of Pandharpur. He is seen standing on his one foot, with one leg crossed over the other and holding the flute in one hand and both the hands placed on his hips. One can also notice the strains of tiredness on his face. It is a beautiful statue of unparalleled magnificence.

People visit this temple from across the world and pray to Lord Krishna as Vitthal Nath, and at the same time remember the devotee, Pundlik.