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सन्त एकनाथ
1533–1599 CE · Paithan (Maharashtra)
Tradition: Warkari
Bhakti and social equality; criticism of caste-based purity rules; saguna-bhakti to Vithoba and Rama.
Disciple of Janardan Swami at Daulatabad; received initiation into Datta-tradition through dreams; Pandharpur pilgrimages; took samadhi by entering the Godavari river.
Bridged Jnaneshwar's Vedanta to common bhakti; revived the Jnaneshwari critically edited; drank water from a low-caste home publicly.
Sant Eknath stands within the lineage of Warkari. Understanding a saint requires understanding the school of thought, the lineage of teachers, and the historical context that shaped them. The Warkari tradition has shaped Hindu spiritual life through its philosophical foundations, its liturgy, its scriptures, and the institutions its founding ācāryas built and sustained across generations.
Saints in this tradition are not abstract figures from history — they are the living chain through which the tradition transmits itself. To read Sant Eknath correctly is to read both the writings (where they survive) and the institutions they founded, the disciples they taught, and the practices they reinterpreted. Where written works are listed above, they remain the primary source for studying their thought; for the practical transmission, one studies under a teacher of the same lineage.
The dates and biographical details preserved in tradition often differ from those accepted by modern academic historians. Where the difference matters for interpretation, both views are noted; otherwise the traditional account is given with sources cited.
Awaiting scholar verification. If you spot a factual error in dates, lineage, or teaching, please write to us.