SRI VADIRAJA VIRACHITA “TEERTHA PRABHANDA”
ಶ್ರೀ
ವಾದಿರಾಜ ವಿರಚಿತ “ತೀರ್ಥ
ಪ್ರಬಂಧ”
Pandharapura or Pundareeka Kshetra/ಪುಂಡರೀಕಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ
(ಪಂಢರಾಪುರ) - 1
ಶ್ರೀ ಭೀಮರಥ್ಯಮಲನೀರಸಮೀರವೇಗನಿರ್ಧೂತ-
ತೀರಗನರಾಶುಭಘರ್ಮಜಾಲಮ್|
ಶ್ರೀಪಾಂಡುರಂಗಲಸಿತಂ ವರಪುಂಡರೀಕಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಂ
ಪವಿತ್ರಮಹಮನ್ವಹಮಾಶ್ರಿತೋsಸ್ಮಿ||5||
Sree BheemaraThyamalaneerasameeravEganirDhUta-
teeraganarAshuBhaGharmajAlam|
SreepAnDurangalasitam varapunDareekakShEtram
pavitramahamanvahamAshritO(s)smi||5||
SUMMARY: I always wish to take shelter in the holiest abode where Pundareeka
Muni lived as it is located on the banks of Bheemarathi River of purest water,
where the breeze that blows every now and then not only steals the fatigue
caused by heat but also eradicates the negative energy of sins.
Pandharapura is one of most popular pilgrim centres in Maharashtra State.
Several saints, saint-composers and ascetics have been born in this State and a
majority of them have worshipped Lord Pundareeka or Sri Pandharinatha Vitthala,
the presiding deity of this place. A large number of devotees throng the place
on Shayani Yekadashi or Prathama Yekadashi which occurs in Ashdha Masa and
Devotthana Yekadashi that occurs in Karteeka Masa Shukla Paksha in Hindu
calendar. Pundareeka is said to have established the place. Sant Tukaram, Namadev,
Rankabanka, Narahari and several other popular saints lived in this place. Sri
Purandaradasa, the doyen of Carnatik Music, was a great devotee of Sri Vitthala
of Pandharapura. Bheema River flows in Pandharapura and this river is also
known as Chandrabhaga and Bheemarathi.
Pandharapur is about 33 miles away from Kurdunadi Railway Station on the
Mumbai-Pune-Raichur track.
History:
Pundareeka, a saint and devotee of Sri Vitthala, had great reverence for
his parents. One day, Lord Krishna, who was highly impressed with the love and
affection that Pundareeka had for his parents, came to his house to give
Darshan to his devotee. Pundareeka just kept a brick in front of the Lord and
asked him to stand on it and wait. Pundareeka then was involved in attending
his parents. Thinking that the Lord had come to see him due to his reverence
for parents, Pundareeka was deeply involved in serving his parents and did not
pay any attention to the Lord. Later, Pundareeka turned towards the Lord, who asked
him to seek a boon. Pundareeka wished that the Lord stayed there in the same
form and standing posture he had shown up himself there. The Lord agreed and
since then he has been standing there and blessing the devotees. As per a
popular saying — VidA jnAnEna ThAn shUnyAn lAti gruhNAti ViTThalaha — the Lord
accepts and acknowledges the salutations offered by even the dullest devotees
and blesses them without any bias or hesitation, Sri Vitthala in Pandharapura
has been blessing the devotees. Sri Vitthala in Pandharapura is known as
Nadabrahma, the origin of music and sound. Therefore, incessant Bhajans are a
routine feature of this place. One of the sixteen pillars of a Mantap here has been
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