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{{Short description|15th-century Marathi saint-poet of the Hindu Varkari sect}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}

{{Infobox Hindu leader
|name= Sant Kanhopatra
|image= Kanhopatra (cropped).jpg
|caption = Image of Kanhopatra in the [[Vithoba Temple, Pandharpur]]
|religion = [[Hinduism]]
|birth_date= 15th century (exact date unknown)
|birth_place= [[Mangalvedha]], Maharashtra, India
|death_date= 15th century (exact date unknown)
|death_place= [[Pandharpur]], Maharashtra
|philosophy= [[Varkari]]
|honors= ''[[Sant (religion)|Sant]]'' (संत) in Marathi, meaning "Saint"
|literary_works = [[Ovi (poetry)|Ovi]] and [[Abhanga]] devotional poetry
|footnotes=
}}

'''Kanhopatra''' (or '''Kanhupatra''') was a 15th-century [[Marathi people|Marathi]] saint-poet, venerated by the [[Varkari]] sect of [[Hinduism]].

Little is known about Kanhopatra.<ref name="mahatimes">{{cite news|url=http://maharashtratimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4726049.cms|title=कान्होपात्रा (Kanhopatra)|last=Kunte, Madhvi (कुंटे , माधवी)|date=2 July 2009|work=[[Maharashtra Times]]|page=2|language=mr|access-date=2009-09-29|publisher = [[The Times Group]]}}</ref> According to most traditional accounts, Kanhopatra was a [[courtesan]] and dancing-girl. These accounts typically concentrate on her death when she chose to surrender to the Hindu god [[Vithoba]]—the patron god of the Varkaris—rather than becoming a concubine of the Badshah (king) of [[Bidar]]. She died in the [[Vithoba temple, Pandharpur|central shrine]] of Vithoba in [[Pandharpur]]. She is the only person whose [[Samadhi (shrine)|samadhi]] (mausoleum) is within the precincts of the temple.

Kanhopatra wrote [[Marathi language|Marathi]] ''[[ovi (poetry)|ovi]]'' and ''[[abhanga]]'' poetry telling of her devotion to Vithoba and her struggle to balance her piety with her profession. In her poetry, she implores Vithoba to be her saviour and release her from the clutches of her profession. About thirty of her ''abhangas'' have survived, and continue to be sung today. She is the only female Varkari saint to have attained sainthood based solely on her devotion, without the support of any guru, male Varkari saint, or ''[[parampara]]'' (tradition or lineage).

==Life==
Kanhopatra's history is known through stories passed down over centuries. Most accounts agree about her birth to Shama the courtesan and her death in the Vithoba temple when the Badshah of Bidar sought her. However, the characters of Sadashiva Malagujar (her alleged father) and Hausa the maid do not appear in all accounts.

===Early life===
[[File:Kanhopatra.svg|thumb|Kanhopatra sings to Vithoba]]

Kanhopatra was a daughter of a rich prostitute and courtesan named Shama or Shyama, who lived in the town of [[Mangalvedha]], near Pandharpur, the site of Vithoba's chief temple.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name="lokprabha">{{cite news|url=http://www.loksatta.com/lokprabha/20090710/cover.htm|title=कव्हरस्टोरी (Cover story)|last=Vaidya|first=Vivek Digambar|date=10 July 2009|work=[[Lokprabha]]|publisher=[[Indian Express Group]] Group|language=mr|access-date=2009-09-30}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name = "abott"/> Apart from Kanhopatra, Mangalwedhe is also the birthplace of the Varkari saints [[Chokhamela]] and [[Damaji]].<ref name = "PB">{{cite journal|url = http://www.advaitaashrama.org/pb_archive/2004/PB_2004_March.pdf|title = Glimpses of Holy Lives: From Death to Immortality|journal = Prabuddha Bharata|volume = 109|issue = 3|access-date = 2009-11-12|author = Pande, Dr Suruchi|date = March 2004|publisher = Advaita Ashrama: the Ramakrishna Order started by Swami [[Vivekananda]]|page = 45|issn = 0032-6178|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110321183944/http://www.advaitaashrama.org/pb_archive/2004/PB_2004_March.pdf|archive-date = 21 March 2011|url-status = dead}}</ref>
Shama was uncertain about the identity of Kanhopatra's father, but suspected that it was the town's head-man Sadashiva Malagujar. Kanhopatra spent her childhood in the palatial house of her mother, served by several maids, but because of her mother's profession, Kanhopatra's social status was demeaningly low.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name="pandharpur">
* {{cite web|url=http://www.vitthalrukmini.org/English/Sant/kanopatra.aspx |title=Sant Parampara: Sant Kanhopatra |work=Official Site of Vithoba temple, Pandharpur |publisher=Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple committee, Pandharpur |access-date=2009-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403060335/http://www.vitthalrukmini.org/English/Sant/kanopatra.aspx |archive-date= 3 April 2009 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.vitthalrukmini.org/Sant/kanopatra.aspx |title=संत परंपरा: संत कान्‍होपात्रा |work=Official Site of Vithoba temple, Pandharpur |publisher=Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple committee, Pandharpur |language=mr |access-date=2009-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402133156/http://www.vitthalrukmini.org/Sant/kanopatra.aspx |archive-date= 2 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}
</ref>

Kanhopatra was trained in dance and song from early childhood so that she could join her mother's profession. She became a talented dancer and singer. Her beauty was compared to the [[apsara]] (heavenly nymph) [[Menaka]].<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name = "abott"/> Shama suggested that Kanhopatra should visit the Badshah (Muslim king), who will adore her beauty and gift her money and jewelry, but Kanhopatra flatly refused.<ref name = "abott"/> Traditional tales narrate that Shama wanted Kanhopatra to marry, but Kanhopatra longed to marry a man who was more beautiful than her.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name = "abott"/><ref name = "Ranade190ff">Ranade pp. 190–91</ref> Scholar Tara Bhavalkar states that Kanhopatra's marriage was forbidden, as it was not socially acceptable for a daughter of a courtesan to marry.<ref>Tara Bhavalkar quoted in {{cite book|last=Rosen|first=Steven|title=Vaiṣṇavī: women and the worship of Krishna|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|year=1996|page = 165}}</ref>

Most accounts declare that Kanhopatra was forced into the courtesan's life, though she detested it,<ref name = "Sellergren226">Sellergren p. 226</ref><ref name="mokashi">{{cite book|last=Mokashi-Punekar|first=Rohini|title=Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work|editor=Ditmore, Melissa Hope|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|location=USA|year=2006|edition=1|page=237|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fcYq72qYRTcC&q=Kanhopatra&pg=PA235 | isbn=978-0-313-32968-5}}</ref> while some say that Kanhopatra firmly declined to become a courtesan.<ref name="pandharpur"/> Some authors believe that she may have also worked as a prostitute.<ref name = "Aklujkar126"/>

===Path to devotion===
Sadashiva Malagujar, Kanhopatra's supposed father, heard of Kanhopatra's beauty and wished to see her dance, but Kanhopatra refused. Accordingly, Sadashiva started to harass Kanhopatra and Shama. Shama tried to convince him that he was the father of Kanhopatra and thus should spare them, but Sadashiva did not believe her. As he continued his harassment, Shama's wealth slowly depleted. Eventually, Shama apologised to Sadashiva and offered to present Kanhopatra to him. Kanhopatra, however, fled to [[Pandharpur]] disguised as a maid, with the help of her aged maid Hausa.<ref name="mahatimes"/>

In some legends, Hausa—described as a Varkari—is credited for Kanhopatra's journey to devotion. Other accounts credit the Varkari pilgrims who passed Kanhopatra's house on their way to the temple of Vithoba in Pandharpur. According to one story, for example, she asked a passing Varkari about Vithoba. The Varkari said that Vithoba is "generous, wise, beautiful and perfect", his glory is beyond description and his beauty surpasses that of [[Lakshmi]], the goddess of beauty.<ref name = abott/> Kanhopatra further asked if Vithoba would accept her as a devotee. The Varkari assured her that Vithoba would accept her as he accepted the maid [[Kubja]],<ref group="n">In Hindu mythology, Kubja is described as a hunchback handmaid of the evil king [[Kamsa]], who is prophesied to be killed by his nephew—god [[Krishna]]. Kubja welcomes Krishna (with whom god Vithoba is identified) in Mathura—the kingdom of Kamsa and anoints him with saffron and sandal, in return Krishna makes Kubja young and beautiful again. Kubja offers herself to Krishna and thus is accepted in spite of her low stature.</ref> the sinful king [[Ajamila]] and the so-called "[[Dalit|untouchable]]" saint Chokhamela. This assurance strengthened her resolve to go to Pandharpur. In versions of the legend where Sadashiva does not appear, Kanhopatra immediately leaves for Pandharpur—singing the praises of Vithoba—with the Varkari pilgrims or coaxes her mother to accompany her to Pandharpur.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name = abott/><ref name = "PB"/><ref name="prahaar">{{cite news|url=http://www.prahaar.in/madhyantar/faith/4897.html|title=विठ्ठलमय कान्होपात्रा (Vitthalmaya Kanhopatra)|last=Pimpalkar|first=Vaishali ( पिंपळकर, वैशाली )|date=26 May 2009|work=[[Prahaar (newspaper)|Prahaar]]|language=mr|access-date=2009-09-30}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name = "kher">{{cite book|last=Kher|first=B G|title=Women Saints of East and West|publisher=Vedanta Press.|editor = Swami Ghanananda, John Stewart-Wallace|location=Hollywood|year=1979|page=62|chapter=Mahārāshṭra Women saints|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6IhLSGtuW_EC&q=Kanhopatra | isbn=978-0-87481-036-3}}</ref>

When Kanhopatra first saw the Vithoba image of Pandharpur, she sang in an abhanga that her spiritual merit was fulfilled and she was blessed to have seen Vithoba's feet.<ref name = "PB"/><ref name = "Ranade208"/> She had found the unparalleled beauty she sought in her groom in Vithoba. She "wedded" herself to the god and settled in Pandharpur.<ref name = "Ranade190ff"/><ref>Ranade p. 10</ref> She withdrew from society. Kanhopatra moved into a hut in Pandharpur with Hausa and lived an ascetic's life. She sang and danced at the Vithoba temple, and cleaned it twice a day. She gained the respect of the people, who believed her to be a poor farmer's daughter maddened by the love of Vithoba. In this period, Kanhopatra composed ''[[ovi (poetry)|ovi]]'' poems dedicated to Vithoba.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name = "PB"/><ref name="mukherjee">{{cite book|last=Mukherjee|first=Sujit|title=A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850|publisher=[[Orient Longman]]| year=1999| volume=1| page=164| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YCJrUfVtZxoC&q=kanhopatra&pg=PA164 | isbn=978-81-250-1453-9}}</ref>

===Death===
During this same time, however, Sadashiva—who felt insulted by Kanhopatra's refusal—sought the help of the [[Padishah|Badshah]] (king) of [[Bidar]].<ref name="mahatimes"/> Hearing tales of Kanhopatra's beauty, the Badshah ordered her to be his concubine. When she refused, the king sent his men to get her by force. Kanhopatra took refuge in the Vithoba temple. The soldiers of the king besieged the temple and threatened to destroy it if Kanhopatra was not handed over to them. Kanhopatra requested a last meeting with Vithoba before being taken.<ref name="lokprabha"/><ref name = "Sellergren226"/><ref name="mokashi"/>

[[File:Pandharpur Vithoba temple.jpg|thumb|alt=An elaborate, carved entrance to a Hindu temple whose canopy is visible at the top of the image. The entrance section is polygonal with arches and there is a stone staircase leading into the grey/cream coloured structure. Several pilgrims are seen in the foreground, as is a stall.|The chief gate of [[Vithoba temple, Pandharpur]], where Kanhopatra's [[samadhi]] lies.]]

By all accounts, Kanhopatra then died at the feet of the Vithoba image, but the circumstances were unclear. According to popular tradition, Kanhopatra merged with the image of Vithoba in a form of marriage—something that Kanhopatra longed for. Other theories suggest that she killed herself, or that she was killed for her rebelliousness.<ref name="lokprabha"/><ref name = "Sellergren226"/><ref name="mokashi"/> [[:fr:Guy_Deleury|Guy Deleury]] deduces from the poems of [[Namdeva]] and other saints, that Kanhopatra did not die but acquired the power ([[siddhi]]) of invisibility by embracing Vithoba's image; after this yogic "miracle", the Badshah converted to [[bhakti]].<ref>Nâmdev, ''Psaumes du tailleur, ou La religion de l'Inde profonde'', traduit du marathi et commenté par Guy Deleury, Connaissance de l'Orient, éditions Gallimard, page 123, {{ISBN|2-07-076918-6}}</ref>

Most accounts say that Kanhopatra's body was laid at feet of Vithoba and then buried near the southern part of the temple, in accordance with her last wishes.<ref name = "Sellergren226"/> In some accounts, the nearby [[Bhima river]] (Chandrabhaga) flooded, inundating the temple and killing the army that sought Kanhopatra. The next day, her body was found near a rock.<ref name="mahatimes"/> According to all versions of the legend, a ''tarati'' tree—which is worshipped by pilgrims in her remembrance—arose on the spot where Kanhopatra was buried.<ref name = abott/><ref name = "Sellergren226"/><ref group="n">In the Bhaktivijaya by Mahipati (See Abott), the story continues even after Kanhopatra's death and burial. The priest of the temple was arrested for foul play. The priest was taken to the Badshah's court, where he gave the king a coconut – which has a hair. The hair is proclaimed by the priest as that of Vithoba. The Badshah then visited the Pandharpur temple to check the priest's claim, where Vithoba gave a divine vision to the king.</ref> Kanhopatra is the only person whose [[samadhi]] (mausoleum) is in the precincts of the Vithoba temple.<ref name="zelliot">{{cite book|last=Zelliot|first=Eleanor|title=Faces of the feminine in ancient, medieval, and modern India|editor=Bose, Mandakranta|publisher=Oxford University Press US|year=2000|page=197|chapter=Women and Power: Women Saints in Medieval Maharashtra|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lNOUSo6Eb-oC&q=Kanhopatra&pg=PA197 | isbn=978-0-19-512229-9}}</ref><ref group="n">Kanhopatra is not the only person to die in the Pandharpur Vithoba temple, the saint-poet [[Namdev]] died on the first step of the main gate of the temple.</ref>

===Dating===
Several historians have attempted to establish the dates of Kanhopatra's life and death. One estimate places her life circa 1428 CE by relating her to a [[Bahamani]] king of Bidar who is often associated with the Kanhopatra story—although in most accounts, that king is never explicitly named.<ref name = "Sellergren226"/> Pawar estimates that she died in 1480.<ref name = "pawar">{{cite book|last=Pawar|first=G M|title=Medieval Indian literature: an anthology|editor=K. Ayyappapanicker|publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]]|year=1997|volume=1|page=360|chapter=Medieval Marathi Literature|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KYLpvaKJIMEC&q=Kanhopatra&pg=RA1-PA360 | isbn=978-81-260-0365-5}}</ref> Others suggest dates of 1448, 1468 or 1470, or simply say that she lived in the 15th century—or in rare instances, the 13th or 16th century.<ref name = "Ranade190ff"/><ref name="mokashi"/><ref name = "kher"/><ref name="mukherjee"/><ref name="pillai">{{cite book|last=Pillai|first= S. Devadas|title=Indian sociology through Ghurye, a dictionary|publisher=Popular Prakashan|year=1997|edition=Mumbai|pages=42, 377 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P3uD22Ghqs4C&q=Kanhopatra&pg=PA42 | isbn=978-81-7154-807-1}}</ref><ref name="gaz">{{cite web|url=http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/Solapur/places_Mangalvedha.html|title=Mangalvedhe|year=2006|work=Sholapur District Gazetteer|publisher=Gazetteers Department, Government of Maharashtra|access-date=2009-11-13|orig-year = 1977}}</ref> According to Zelliot, she was a contemporary of saint-poets Chokhamela (14th century) and [[Namadeva]] (c.1270-c.1350).<ref name="zelliot"/>

==Literary works and teachings==
[[File:Syayambhuvithoba.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A black-and-white image of an idol of an arms-akimbo bare-chested man, wearing a conical head-gear, a dhoti and ornaments. The idol is placed on a brick, and backed by a decorated halo. |Kanhopatra's patron deity: Vithoba, the Pandharpur image at whose feet, Kanhopatra died.]]

Kanhopatra is believed to have composed many abhangas, but most were not in written form: only thirty of her abhangas or ovis survive today.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name = "Sellergren226"/> Twenty-three verses of her poems are included in the anthology of Varkari saints called ''Sakal sant-gatha''.<ref name = "mukherjee"/> Most of these verses are autobiographical, with an element of pathos. Her style is described as unadorned by poetic devices, easy to understand, and with a simplicity of expression. According to Deshpande, Kanhopatra's poetry reflects the "awakening of the downtrodden" and the rise of female creative expression, ignited by the sense of gender equality enforced by the Varkari tradition.

Kanhopatra's abhangas frequently portray her struggle between her profession and her devotion to [[Vithoba]], the patron deity of the Varkaris.<ref name = "Sellergren226"/> She presents herself as a woman deeply devoted to Vithoba, and pleads for him to save her from the unbearable bondage of her profession.<ref name="mokashi"/><ref name = "pawar"/> Kanhopatra speaks of her humiliation and her banishment from society owing to her profession and social stature. She expresses disgust for the society which adored her as an object of beauty rather than as a human being, and abhorred her for profession. She describes how she has been the object of lustful thoughts. She worries that she was beyond the "scope of God's love".<ref name="pandharpur"/><ref name = "Sellergren227ff">Sellergren pp. 227–29</ref> In ''Nako Devaraya Anta Aata''—believed to be the last ''abhanga'' of her life—unable to bear the thought of separation from her Lord, Kanhopatra begs Vithoba to end her misery.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name="prahaar"/>
In the abhanga ''Patita tu pavanahe'', she acknowledges her Lord as the saviour of the fallen and asks him to save her as well:<ref name = "Sellergren227ff"/>
<blockquote>
<poem>
O Narayana, you call yourself
savior of the fallen...
My [[caste]] is impure
I lack loving faith
my nature and actions are vile.
Fallen Kanhopatra
offers herself to your feet,
a challenge
to your claims of mercy.<ref>Sellergren p. 227</ref>
</poem>
</blockquote>
Kanhopatra refers to Vithoba by names such as [[Narayana]] (a name of [[Vishnu]], who is identified with Vithoba), [[Krishna]] (an [[incarnation]] of Vishnu, identified with Vithoba), Sripati ("husband of goddess [[Lakshmi|Sri]]," an epithet of Vishnu) and Manmatha (a name of [[Kamadeva]], the god of love, used by [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] saints to describe Vishnu). She refers to Krishna-Vithoba as the "champion of the low", and as a mother.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name = "Sellergren227ff"/><ref group="n">Kanhopatra is not unique in addressing Vithoba as mother, saint [[Janabai]] also refers to Vithoba as a mother. Other Varkari poet-saints refer to Vithoba mostly as a father. The suffix "ba" in Vithoba means "father". Kanhopatra refers to Krishna as Krishnai, Kanhai (Kanha is a name of Krishna) and Vithoba as Vithabai. The "aai" suffix in these words means "mother".</ref> Kanhopatra also asserts the importance of repeating the names of God and reveals how chanting His names has helped her. She says that even Death would fear God's name, which purified the sinner king [[Ajamila]] – who ascended to heaven when he coincendentally called to God at his death bed, the "robber" [[Valmiki]] – who was transformed into a great sage by utterance of God's name – and even the prostitute Pingala. Kanhopatra says, she wears the garland of His names.<ref name = "Ranade208"/><ref name = "S232"/> She hoped that her chanting would ultimately lead her to [[moksha|salvation]].<ref name = "S232">Sellergren pp. 232–3</ref> Kanhopatra also extols the deeds of [[Dnyaneshwar]]—the first great saint of the Varkaris—and his siblings.<ref>Sellergren p. 233</ref>

Kanhopatra's abhangas also show her concern for her body, her sense of vulnerability and her will to "remain untouched in the midst of turbulence".<ref>Sellergren pp. 228–234</ref> She compares herself to food being devoured by wild animals – an expression never used by male saints:<ref name = "Sellergren228">Sellergren p. 228</ref>
<blockquote><poem>
If you call yourself the Lord of the fallen,
why do O Lord not lift me up?
When I say I am yours alone,
who is to blame but yourself
if I am taken by another man.
When a jackal takes the share of the lion,
it is the great, who is put to shame.
Kanhopatra says, I offer my body at your feet,
protect it, at least for your title.
</poem></blockquote>
According to Ranade, this abhanga was composed by Kanhopatra when invited by the Bidar king.<ref name = "Ranade208"/>

Kanhopatra advises against seeking mere sexual pleasure;<ref name = "Ranade208">Ranade p. 208</ref> she speaks of the evils of sexual attraction, citing mythological characters who suffered the consequences of sexual temptation: the demon-king [[Ravana]], the demon [[Bhasmasura]], the god-king of heaven [[Indra]] and the moon-god [[Chandra]].<ref name="pandharpur"/><ref>Sellergren p. 230</ref><ref group="n">In the Hindu epic [[Ramayana]], [[Ravana]] —the antagonist- kidnaps [[Sita]] and in the war that follows to regain Sita, [[Rama]]—the hero of the epic and husband of Sita—kills Ravana.

The demon [[Bhasmasura]] has the power to reduce anyone to ashes by putting his hand on that person's head. He is deceived by [[Mohini]], the seductress incarnation of [[Vishnu]] to put his own hand on his head and thus kill himself.

The lord of heaven, [[Indra]] was cursed by sage [[Gautama Maharishi]] to have a thousand eyes (ulcers) all over his body, when he seduced [[Ahalya]], the sage's wife, in the disguise of the sage.

The moon-god [[Chandra]] was cursed to have dark spots on his face, when he kidnapped his teacher—god [[Brihaspati]]'s wife [[Taraka (goddess)|Taraka]] and bore a son of her.</ref>

==Legacy and remembrance==
[[File:Sant Kanhopatra.jpg|thumb|alt=Cover-page of a script titled ''Saint Kanhopatra'' (संत कान्होपात्रा) in Marathi, with a photograph showing a woman dressed in a sari kneeling with palms pressed together before a man. The man, dressed in a white dhoti-kurta, is bent forward and seems to be blessing her with his wight hand placed over her head.|Script of the drama ''Sant Kanhopatra'', depicting Bal Gandharva (left) as Kanhopatra]]

Kanhopatra is formally included in the list of ''Sant''s, meaning saints in Marathi in the text ''[[Bhaktavijaya]]''.<ref name = "Aklujkar126">Aklujkar p. 126</ref> [[Mahipati]] (1715–1790), a traditional biographer of Marathi saints, devotes an entire chapter to her in his ''Bhaktavijaya'' extolling her devotion to Vithoba.<ref name = abott>See {{cite book|title=Stories of Indian Saints: An English Translation of Mahipati's Marathi Bhaktavijaya|author = Mahīpati |author2=Abbott, Justin Edwards |author3=Godbole, Narhar R.|year=1988|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass| isbn=81-208-0469-4 |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EQDyZA1y2nMC&q=Vitthala&pg=PP42|chapter = 39: verses 1:80|pages = 78–84|author-link = Mahipati }} for a complete translation of ''Bhaktavijaya''.</ref> In his ''[[Bhaktalilamrita]]'' Mahipati refers to Kanhopatra as one of the saints who sit surrounding [[Krishna]] (identified with Vithoba in Maharashtra).<ref>{{cite book|last=Abbott, Justin Edwards|title=Life of Tukaram|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|year=2000|pages=34|isbn=81-208-0170-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E-UmxAoX2wYC&q=Kanhopatra&pg=PA34}}</ref> Kanhopatra is cited by the Vakari saint-poets as "an example of the real downtrodden and deserving people persons that are saved by the merciful God".<ref name = "Aklujkar126"/> In one of his abhangas, the Varkari saint and poet [[Tukaram]] (1577 – c.1650) uses the example of Kanhopatra and other famous saints who were low in the social caste hierarchy, to illustrate that caste is irrelevant when compared with devotion and merit.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lorenzen, David N|title=Who invented Hinduism: essays on religion in History|publisher=Yoda Press|location=New Delhi|year=2006|edition=1|pages=129–30|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SO-YmMWpcVEC&q=Kanhopatra&pg=PA130 | isbn=978-81-902272-6-1}}</ref><ref>Ranade p. 326</ref> Her death and her surrender to Vithoba is regarded as a "great legacy of self respect combined with spiritualism."<ref name = "pandharpur"/> Kanhopatra is considered unique since she is the only prominent woman in Maharashtra who rose to fame without a traditional family backing. She was born in a household where devotion was unthinkable. She is the only woman Varkari saint, who is not associated with any male Varkari saint,<ref group="n">Sant [[Muktabai]] was the sister of saint [[Dnyaneshwar]]. [[Sant Soyarabai]] and [[Sant Nirmala]] was the wife and sister of saint [[Chokhamela]]. [[Janabai]] was the maid-servant of saint [[Namdev]]. Sant [[Bahinabai]] was a student of saint [[Tukaram]]</ref> who has no [[guru]], nor any ''[[parampara]]'' (tradition or lineage). She is credited to have attained sainthood exclusively on the basis of her intense devotion to Vithoba, a devotion reflected in her abhangas.<ref name="mahatimes"/><ref name="prahaar"/><ref name="zelliot"/><ref name = "Sellergren214">Sellergren p. 214</ref>

Kanhopatra's life has been recounted in a 1937 [[Marathi cinema|Marathi]] film ''Kanhopatra'' written and directed by [[Bhalji Pendharkar]]. She was also the subject of the popular 1931 Marathi drama named ''Sant Kanhopatra'', in which [[Bal Gandharva]] played the lead. Kanhopatra's abhangas ''Aga Vaikunthichya Raya'' and ''Patita tu pavanahe''; and ''Nako Devaraya Anta Aata'' are used in that drama and in the 1963 Marathi film ''Sadhi Manase'' respectively.<ref name = "Sellergren214"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dli.iiit.ac.in/cgi-bin/Browse/scripts/use_scripts/advnew/metainfo.cgi?&barcode=5010010091150|title="Sant Kanhopatra", drama script|publisher=Digital Library of India|access-date=2009-11-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125230040/http://dli.iiit.ac.in/cgi-bin/Browse/scripts/use_scripts/advnew/metainfo.cgi|archive-date=25 November 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> A 2014 short film ''Katha Sant Kanhopatra'' by Sumeet video featured [[Pallavi Subhash]] as Kanhopatra.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsnf0dd_vns|title=Sant Kanhopatra - Sumeet Music - Marathi Movie|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

Kanhopatra's abhangas are still sung in concerts and on radio,<ref name = "Sellergren214"/> and by Varkaris on their annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur.<ref name="mokashi"/> The tree that rose at her burial spot in the Pandharpur temple is worshipped as her ''samadhi'' by devotees even today.<ref name = "Sellergren226"/> A small shrine is also dedicated to her in her home town Mangalvedhe.

==Notes==
;Footnotes
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;Reference notes
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book| title = Images of Women in Maharashtrian Literature and Religion |editor = Feldhaus, Anne|chapter = Janabai and Kanhopatra: A Study of Two Women Sants|author = Sellergren, Sarah| pages =213–138|year = 1996|chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ooV3Rz9zQvQC&q=Kanhopatra&pg=PA3|publisher = [[SUNY Press]] | isbn=978-0-7914-2837-5}}
*{{cite book|last=Ranade|first=R.D.|title=Mysticism in Maharashtra|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ|year=1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=73vbTVsPga0C&q=kanhopatra&pg=RA1-PA208|orig-year = 1933 | isbn=978-81-208-0576-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Aklujkar|first=Vidyut|title=Goddesses and women in the Indic religious tradition|editor=Sharma, Arvind|editor-link=Arvind Sharma|publisher=[[Brill Publishers|Brill]]|year=2005|chapter=Between Pestle and Mortar: Women in Marathi Sant Tradition|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k6YrsMcVqS4C&q=kanhopatra&pg=PA105 | isbn=978-90-04-12466-0}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kanhopatra}}
{{Wikisourcelang|mr|साहित्यिक:कान्होपात्रा}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvQI5oRvN58 "कान्होपात्रा जगी धन्य झाली" (Kanhopatra jagi dhanya zali) from film Chandanachi Choli Ang Ang Jali (1975) praising Kanhopatra's devotion at YouTube]
* [https://www.manushi.in/culture--faith-traditions/the-sacred-in-the-profane-folkrore-legend--poetry-of-kanhopatra The Sacred in the Profane: Folkrore, Legend & Poetry of Kanhopatra]

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[[Category:Warkari]]
[[Category:Hindu female religious leaders]]
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[[Category:Marathi-language poets]]
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[[Category:15th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:People from Solapur district]]
[[Category:Poets from Maharashtra]]
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[[Category:15th-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:Marathi Hindu saints]]
[[Category:15th-century Hindu religious leaders]]
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Kanhopatra - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:52, 12 August 2023