Soyarabai: The Woman Saint of the Varkari Tradition

Soyarabai was a woman saint of the Varkari tradition of Maharashtra, honoured as a devotee of Vitthal and remembered as the wife of the saint Chokhamela. The Varkari tradition is the devotional movement of Maharashtra centred on the worship of Vitthal, the form of Vishnu enshrined at Pandharpur, whose saints composed abhangas, devotional songs in the Marathi tongue. Soyarabai belonged to a community that was then treated as untouchable, and from within that hard social condition she composed abhangas of devotion to Vitthal that also speak, with quiet power, to questions of purity, pollution and the dignity of the human person before the divine. Her voice is cherished for joining tender devotion to a clear-eyed witness that the love of the divine knows no barrier of birth or status. Her life and work belong to the wider Bhakti movement, and her memory is held with deep reverence in Maharashtra as that of a woman saint of faith and dignity.

Key Takeaways

• Soyarabai was a woman saint of the Varkari tradition of Maharashtra.
• She was the wife of the saint Chokhamela, a revered Varkari saint.
• She composed abhangas, devotional songs in Marathi, in devotion to Vitthal of Pandharpur.
• She belonged to a community then treated as untouchable, and her verses speak to purity and dignity.
• Her abhangas join tender devotion to a witness that divine love knows no barrier of birth.
• Tradition places her around the fourteenth century, within the Bhakti movement.

The sections below explain her life as told by tradition, the Varkari tradition, her husband Chokhamela, the abhangas she composed, the deity Vitthal, the shrine of Pandharpur, the social context of her life treated with respect, and her continuing place in the devotion of Maharashtra.

Quick Facts

Who Was Soyarabai?

Soyarabai was a woman saint of the Varkari tradition of Maharashtra, honoured as a devotee of Vitthal and remembered as the wife of the saint Chokhamela. She composed abhangas, devotional songs in the Marathi tongue, in love of the deity of Pandharpur.

She belonged to a community that was then treated as untouchable, and from within that hard social condition she gave voice to a devotion of tenderness and depth, and to questions of purity, pollution and the dignity of the human person before the divine. Her abhangas are cherished for joining heartfelt love of Vitthal to a clear witness that the love of the divine knows no barrier of birth or status. Her life and work belong to the wider Bhakti movement of devotion. Her standing as a woman saint of faith and dignity is held with deep reverence in Maharashtra, where her memory and her songs are cherished.

What Is the Varkari Tradition?

The Varkari tradition is the devotional movement of Maharashtra centred on the worship of Vitthal, the form of Vishnu enshrined at Pandharpur, whose followers, the Varkaris, make pilgrimage to the shrine and cherish the abhangas of their saints. Soyarabai is honoured among its revered saints.

The Varkaris, whose name means those who make the regular pilgrimage, are devotees who journey to Pandharpur in great processions, singing the abhangas of the saints and cherishing a devotion of love, equality and simplicity. The tradition is honoured for gathering devotees of every community in a shared love of Vitthal, and for the great company of saint-poets who gave it voice in Marathi. Soyarabai belongs to this beloved fellowship. Understanding what the Varkari tradition is helps a reader see the devotional movement within which the life and the abhangas of Soyarabai take their cherished place.

Who Was Chokhamela, Her Husband?

Chokhamela was a revered saint of the Varkari tradition and the husband of Soyarabai, honoured as a devotee of Vitthal who, like his wife, belonged to a community then treated as untouchable and gave voice to a devotion of faith and dignity. The two are cherished together among the Varkari saints.

Chokhamela is remembered as a saint whose abhangas express a wholehearted love of Vitthal and a quiet witness to the equality of all before the divine, composed from within the hard social condition of his community. His devotion and his dignity are honoured in the Varkari tradition. Soyarabai shared in this devotion and in this witness, and the household of Chokhamela is cherished as one of saints. Because the details of these lives come down through tradition, careful writers describe them in general terms. Understanding who Chokhamela was helps a reader appreciate the devotional family and fellowship within which Soyarabai lived and sang.

Why Is She Called a Woman Saint of the Varkari Tradition?

Soyarabai is called a woman saint of the Varkari tradition because she is honoured as a devotee of Vitthal whose abhangas won her a cherished place among the saint-poets of the movement, in a fellowship that welcomed the devotion of women and of every community. Her voice is held among the revered saints.

The Varkari tradition is distinguished for honouring the devotion of women and of the humble alongside that of the learned and the high-born, and several women saints are cherished within it. Soyarabai stands among them as a woman whose heartfelt abhangas gave voice to devotion and to the dignity of the human person before the divine. Her standing as a saint rests on the love and the truth of her songs. Understanding why she is called a woman saint of the Varkari tradition helps a reader appreciate the openness of the movement to the devotion of women and the cherished place that Soyarabai holds within it.

What Are Abhangas?

Abhangas are devotional songs in the Marathi tongue, the characteristic poetic form of the Varkari saints, sung in love of Vitthal and cherished for their tenderness, their simplicity and their depth of feeling. Soyarabai composed abhangas that are honoured within the tradition.

The abhanga is a song of devotion, often simple in form yet rich in feeling, through which the Varkari saints poured out their love of Vitthal, their longing for the divine and their reflections on the life of faith. Sung by the Varkaris on pilgrimage and in worship, the abhangas carry the devotion of the tradition from age to age. The abhangas of Soyarabai join tender love of the deity to a clear witness on purity and human dignity. Understanding what abhangas are helps a reader appreciate the devotional form through which Soyarabai gave voice to her faith and won her place among the Varkari saints.

What Are the Themes of Her Abhangas?

The themes of the abhangas of Soyarabai are her tender devotion to Vitthal, her longing for the divine, and, with quiet power, the questions of purity, pollution and the dignity of the human person before the divine. These themes are cherished for their faith and their truth.

Her songs pour out a heartfelt love of Vitthal and a trust in the deity’s grace, and they reflect, from within the hard social condition of her community, on the true nature of purity and on the worth of every person in the sight of the divine. Her verses are honoured for joining devotion to a clear-eyed witness that the love of the divine is not bounded by birth or status. This union of tenderness and truth gives her abhangas their enduring power. Understanding the themes of her abhangas helps a reader appreciate the faith and the dignity for which the songs of Soyarabai are cherished.

How Did She Speak of Purity and Dignity?

Soyarabai spoke of purity and dignity by questioning, in her abhangas, the notions of ritual purity and pollution that burdened her community, and by affirming that the body and the person are not defiled in the sight of the divine, whose love knows no such barrier. Her witness is cherished for its quiet courage.

From within a community then treated as untouchable, she gave voice to the conviction that true purity is of the heart and of devotion, not of birth or outward condition, and that the divine receives the love of every person without distinction. Her reflections on purity and pollution are honoured as a witness to the dignity of the human person before the divine. This witness, joined to her tender devotion, gives her abhangas a lasting moral power. Understanding how she spoke of purity and dignity helps a reader appreciate the depth and the courage of the devotion of Soyarabai.

Who Is Vitthal, the Deity She Worshipped?

Vitthal, also called Vithoba or Panduranga, is the deity of the Varkari tradition, a form of Vishnu enshrined at Pandharpur and worshipped as the beloved lord who stands upon a brick awaiting his devotees. Soyarabai poured out her devotion to Vitthal in her abhangas.

In the devotion of Maharashtra, Vitthal is cherished as a deity near and dear to his people, welcoming the love of every devotee without distinction of birth or status, and the Varkari saints sang his praises in their abhangas. The image of Vitthal standing with hands upon his hips, awaiting the faithful, is beloved in the tradition. Soyarabai, like the other Varkari saints, made Vitthal the centre of her devotion and her song. Understanding who Vitthal is helps a reader appreciate the beloved deity at the heart of the Varkari tradition and of the devotion of Soyarabai.

Where Is Pandharpur and Why Does It Matter?

Pandharpur, in Maharashtra, is the great pilgrimage town that is home to the temple of Vitthal, and it is the devotional heart of the Varkari tradition and of the devotion of Soyarabai. Pandharpur matters because Vitthal, enshrined there, is the deity whom the Varkari saints adored.

To Pandharpur the Varkaris make their pilgrimage in great processions, singing the abhangas of the saints and seeking the sight of Vitthal, and the town is cherished as the holiest place of the tradition. The devotion and the songs of the Varkari saints, Soyarabai among them, are rooted in the sacred life of Pandharpur. The town is thus bound in the devotional geography of Maharashtra to the saints and their love of Vitthal. Understanding where Pandharpur lies and why it matters helps a reader place the devotion and the abhangas of Soyarabai within the heart of the Varkari tradition.

What Was the Social Context of Her Life?

The social context of the life of Soyarabai was that of a community then treated as untouchable, bearing the burdens of exclusion and of harsh notions of ritual purity and pollution, and it is from within this hard condition that she gave voice to her devotion and her witness. This context is treated with respect and compassion.

In the society of her age, her community suffered grave injustice and exclusion, and the devotion of Soyarabai and of Chokhamela shines the more brightly for having risen from within that condition. Their faith bore witness that the love of the divine welcomes every person without distinction of birth, a truth the Varkari tradition cherishes. Careful writers describe this social context with respect and dignity, honouring the saints and condemning the injustice they bore. Understanding the social context of her life helps a reader appreciate the courage and the moral depth of the devotion of Soyarabai.

How Does Her Voice Speak to Questions of Equality?

The voice of Soyarabai speaks to questions of equality by affirming, through her abhangas, that every person is worthy of the love of the divine regardless of birth or social condition, and that true purity is of devotion and of the heart. Her witness is cherished as a call to dignity and equality before the divine.

From within a community then treated as untouchable, she gave voice to the conviction that the divine receives the devotion of all without distinction, a witness that quietly challenged the injustices of her age. Her abhangas join tender love of Vitthal to this clear affirmation of human dignity. The Varkari tradition, honouring the devotion of the humble and the excluded alongside the high-born, cherishes her voice. Understanding how her voice speaks to questions of equality helps a reader appreciate why Soyarabai is honoured not only as a devotee but as a witness to the dignity of every person before the divine.

How Is She Remembered Among the Varkari Saints?

Soyarabai is remembered among the Varkari saints as a cherished woman saint and devotee of Vitthal, honoured alongside her husband Chokhamela and the other saints of the tradition whose abhangas are sung and loved. Her place among them is held with reverence.

The Varkari tradition cherishes a great company of saint-poets drawn from every community, men and women, humble and learned, whose abhangas carry the devotion to Vitthal from age to age. Soyarabai stands among them as a woman whose songs joined tender devotion to a witness of dignity and equality. Her memory is held alongside that of Chokhamela and the other Varkari saints. Because the details of these lives come down through tradition, careful writers describe them in general terms. Understanding how she is remembered among the Varkari saints helps a reader place Soyarabai within the beloved fellowship of the devotees of Vitthal.

When Did She Live?

Soyarabai is traditionally placed around the fourteenth century, within the devotional history of the Varkari tradition and the Bhakti movement, though because her life comes down through tradition it is wise to describe her era in general terms rather than fix exact dates. Her memory is bound to Pandharpur and the devotion to Vitthal.

Her life, as tradition remembers it, unfolded in Maharashtra in an age cherished for its flowering of Varkari devotion and for the great company of its saint-poets. The tradition places her, with her husband Chokhamela, in this devotional era, and careful writers describe the time in general terms, in keeping with the respectful caution that the sources invite. Her bond with Pandharpur and with the worship of Vitthal is honoured as the setting of her life and song. Understanding when she lived helps a reader place Soyarabai within the devotional life of the Varkari tradition while holding the tradition with due care.

What Values Does Her Life Teach?

The life of Soyarabai teaches the values of devotion rising above hardship, the dignity of every person before the divine, courage in bearing witness to truth, and the conviction that true purity is of the heart, in keeping with her standing as a Varkari saint. These values are cherished in her memory and her songs.

As a woman who gave voice to tender devotion and to a clear witness on purity and dignity from within a community treated with injustice, Soyarabai is remembered as a model of faith, courage and love. Her abhangas affirm that the love of the divine welcomes every person without distinction of birth, a truth cherished in the Varkari tradition. Her memory calls devotees to devotion, dignity and compassion. Understanding the values her life teaches helps a reader appreciate why Soyarabai is honoured not only as a devotee but as a saint whose witness enriched the moral life of her tradition.

Why Does Soyarabai Still Matter Today?

Soyarabai still matters today because her abhangas remain beloved within the Varkari tradition and because her witness to devotion and to the dignity of every person before the divine continues to inspire and to console. Her memory endures as that of a woman saint of faith and courage.

For those who cherish the Varkari tradition, she is a beloved saint whose tender songs of Vitthal and whose clear witness on purity and human dignity speak with enduring power across the ages. Her voice, rising from within a community treated with injustice, is honoured as a call to the equality of all before the divine. Her abhangas continue to be sung and loved, keeping her memory near. Her enduring importance lies in the living devotion of the Varkari tradition and in the cherished witness of a woman saint who joined tender faith to the dignity of the human person.

Soyarabai Today

Soyarabai today is revered as a woman saint of the Varkari tradition of Maharashtra, the wife of the saint Chokhamela and a devotee of Vitthal whose abhangas join tender devotion to a witness of purity and human dignity. Her memory is cherished in the devotion of Maharashtra.

Through her heartfelt love of Vitthal, her place among the Varkari saints and her courageous witness to the dignity of every person before the divine, she became an enduring figure of the devotional heritage of her land. The details of her life come down through tradition, honoured for their meaning rather than treated as documented chronicle, and her era is held in general terms. Her legacy endures as a reminder that the love of the divine knows no barrier of birth or status, a truth cherished by all who honour Soyarabai among the beloved saints of the Varkari tradition.

Sources & Further Reading

• Sahitya Akademi, general references on the saints of the Varkari tradition.
• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Soyarabai?

Soyarabai was a woman saint of the Varkari tradition of Maharashtra and the wife of the saint Chokhamela. She composed abhangas, devotional songs in Marathi, in love of Vitthal of Pandharpur, and, from within a community then treated as untouchable, gave voice to devotion and to questions of purity and human dignity.

What is the Varkari tradition?

The Varkari tradition is the devotional movement of Maharashtra centred on the worship of Vitthal, the form of Vishnu enshrined at Pandharpur. Its followers, the Varkaris, make pilgrimage to the shrine and cherish the abhangas of their saints, and the tradition is honoured for gathering devotees of every community in a shared love of Vitthal.

Who was Chokhamela, her husband?

Chokhamela was a revered saint of the Varkari tradition and the husband of Soyarabai, honoured as a devotee of Vitthal. Like his wife, he belonged to a community then treated as untouchable and gave voice to a devotion of faith and dignity, and the two are cherished together among the Varkari saints.

What are abhangas?

Abhangas are devotional songs in the Marathi tongue, the characteristic poetic form of the Varkari saints, sung in love of Vitthal. They are cherished for their tenderness, simplicity and depth of feeling, and the abhangas of Soyarabai join tender devotion to a clear witness on purity and human dignity.

Why are her verses on purity important?

Soyarabai’s verses question the notions of ritual purity and pollution that burdened her community and affirm that the person is not defiled in the sight of the divine, whose love knows no barrier of birth. Her witness is cherished as a call to the dignity and equality of every person before the divine.

When did Soyarabai live?

Soyarabai is traditionally placed around the fourteenth century, within the devotional history of the Varkari tradition and the Bhakti movement. Because her life comes down through tradition, her era is best described in general terms rather than by exact dates.