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Chapter 12 : The Acclaim of Moropant
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
From Ladoba Prakashan's book 'Sant Mahipati by Dattatrey Naikwade
The great poet-scholar Moropant Ramchandra Paradkar—a revered scholar of Baramati, a supreme devotee of Lord Rama, and a literary master—held a special place in the cultural landscape of Maharashtra. Renowned for his exquisite Aryas and his mastery of Sanskrit composition, Moropant was a contemporary of Mahipati Maharaj. Because they lived and breathed the same era, the words of praise penned by Moropant carry an extraordinary weight, offering a brilliant window into the towering stature of Mahipati’s soul.
In honoring Mahipati Maharaj, Moropant declared with profound admiration that by renouncing worldly comforts and losing himself entirely in the chanting of the divine name, Mahipati Maharaj had become the most precious garland gracing the neck of Lord Vitthal.
The Instrument of Divine Grace
Moropant firmly believed that "only a saint can truly comprehend the glory of another saint." It was his unshakeable faith that Pandurang Himself had dispatched Mahipati to this earth for the sole purpose of chronicling the triumphal life stories of holy men and true devotees. Moropant notes that Mahipati composed the monumental scripture Bhakta Vijaya precisely to eradicate human flaws, dispel the threefold miseries of existence, and safely guide suffering mortals across the turbulent ocean of worldly illusion:
Haribhaktijijay name rachila | Sadgranth dosh sayala || Varaya tapate | Prani bhavsagar taraya ||
Just as the mythical chakora bird yearns endlessly for the moon, so too do the saints cherish the scriptures of Mahipati as sources of supreme nourishment. And just as a single drop of oil falling upon water spreads effortlessly across the surface, so too did the nectar of the Bhakta Vijaya spread far and wide across the ocean of worldly life.
Moropant further observes that just as the nectar-laden words of Dnyanoba, Eknoba, and Mukteshwar captivate the soul, so too does the deeply satisfying voice of Mahipati find eager, reverent ears among all people.
The Humility of a Master Poet
True saints inherently detest personal praise, frequently ignoring or turning away those who attempt to flatter them. Yet, with exquisite humility, Moropant offers this plea:
"May Mahipati Maharaj not forsake me nor grow weary of me simply because I have sung his praise. From the very depths of my heart, I feel that a holy soul like him is in no way separate from Vithoba—he is, in every breath, Vithoba incarnate, and I pray only for a permanent resting place at his feet."
Moropant captures this reverent sentiment in his verse:
Anjuli karoni asto garuda ubha jevi aghipati samora | Hari bhakt prema gune namra sada tevi mahipati samora ||
"Just as Garuda stands ever with folded palms before Lord Vishnu, overcome by the sheer grace of divine love, so too do I stand ever humbled and reverent before Mahipati Maharaj."
Such was the peerless spiritual authority and towering grace of the saint-poet Mahipati Maharaj.
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