Of all the devotees Krishna has had,I feel a soft corner for
Salabega.His story is so moving.
Salabega's mother lived in Puri the holy Jegannath ksethra.She was a
Bhramin woman.She got married at an early age and her husband
died.She became a widow.One day she went to the temple at early
morning.A muslim soldier saw her and carried her away to his house
and forecibly married her.Thus began a life of torture for this
jegannatha devotee.She was forcibly converted to Islam but she never
forgot jegannatha.All her relatives disowned her.
To this great woman was Salabega born.His mother secretly taught him
jegannatha's might.Salabega even though was raised as a muslim by
his father soon became an ardent devotee of jegannatha.
But he was afraid to enter into temple.If he did his community would
kill him.So he would stand outside the temple and see jegannath.He
soon gave his heart to jegannath.He wanted to enter into the
temple.He asked permission of local priests.They were shocked to
hear it.First he was a muslim and second they were afraid of earning
the sultan's wrath.So they refused.
So Salabega continued to stand outside the temple and watch
jegannath.When his community people knew it they were mad on
him.They called him and threatened him.But he wasnt afraid.He said
that he will worship Jegannath.But since the muslims were minority
in Puri at that time they were afraid that killing him would lead to
communal clashes.So they ostracised him from their community.
But still the priests refused to let him into the temple.But
Salabega continued to sing hymns on jegannatha.His songs became very
popular among devotees.But his community were angry on him.The only
time salabgea could see lord was when he came out in the charriot
every year.
ONe year salabega went on to pilgrimage.But he couldnt return in
time to charriot festival since he fell sick.But he did not want to
miss the charriot festival too.
He couldn't return in time to see his darling Lord on the chariots
and cried out in anguish from 750 miles away. He prayed to the Lord
to tarry a while on the bada danda, the Grand Avenue till he could
reach back to see the Lord. The compassionate Lord, stayed on his
chariot which could not be moved an inch forward till Salabega
reached Puri and joined the devotees in prayer.
The famous saint poet Salabega has immortalised the feelings of the
devotees as they wait every year for fulfilment of their desire to
see their dear dark darling, Kalia Dhana seated on his resplendent
Chariot ? Nandi Ghosa.
Do anybody know the full version of his story?
I would like to know the rest of his story and his later years,
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azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam
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