Karmabai
Bhakt Shiromani Karma Bai | |
|---|---|
 Sikh manuscript painting of Karmabai (right), from a folio within an illustrated manuscript of the Prem Ambodh Pothi | |
| Born | 20 August 1615 [1] |
| Died | 30 November 1702 (aged 88) [1] |
| Known for | Offering khichdi to Lord Krishna |
Karma Bai (20 August 1615 - 30 November 1702), also known as Bhakt Shiromani Karma Bai, was a devotee of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, from the village of Kalwa in Nagaur district, Rajasthan in 17th century.[2][3] Karmabai is celebrated in Hinduism for her piety and the miraculous events associated with her offerings to Krishna. Her legacy is commemorated in Puri, Odisha, where she is said to have spent her later years and where her samadhi (memorial shrine) is revered during the Jagannath Rath Yatra.[4][5]
Early life
[edit]Karmabai was born on 20 August 1615, into the family of Jeevanram Dudi and Ratni Devi in Kalwa, a village in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district into a Jat family.[6][2] She was raised in a devout Vaishnava household, Karmabai grew up observing her father’s deep devotion to Lord Krishna. Her early life was marked by simplicity and piety, shaped by the rural Jat community’s values and traditions.[3]
Legend of Karma Bai Khichdi
[edit]Karmabai’s popular story centers on her literal interpretation of her father’s instructions, showcasing her innocent yet steadfast faith. When Jeevanram Dudi left for an outstation trip, he entrusted the young Karmabai—believed to be around 13 years old—with the responsibility of offering bhog (food) to Lord Krishna before eating herself. Taking his words to heart, Karmabai prepared khichdi, a simple dish of rice and lentils, and placed it before Krishna’s idol. When the idol did not “eat,” she refused to eat herself, waiting faithfully for the Lord to accept her offering.[2]
Moved by her sincerity, Lord Krishna is said to have appeared before her and consumed the khichdi. This divine interaction continued daily until her father’s return. When Karmabai recounted the events, her father, initially skeptical, asked her to prove it. In response, she pleaded with Krishna, who appeared again to affirm her devotion. This miracle solidified her reputation as a true devotee.
The story spread to the saints of Puri, Odisha, who invited Karmabai to offer her khichdi to Lord Jagannath, a form of Krishna. According to tradition, Krishna appeared in Puri as well, accepting her offering. Karmabai eventually settled in Puri, where her devotion became intertwined with the Jagannath tradition. A folk song commemorates her act:[2]
Thali bhar kar lyayi khichado upar ghee ki baatki! Jeemo mhara Shyam dhani jeemave beti Jat ki!” (She brought a plate full of khichdi topped with ghee; our Lord Krishna eats from the hands of the Jat daughter)
Later years and legacy
[edit]Some narratives, such as one from the 18th-century text Bhaktavijaya, depict Karmabai’s life in Puri as one marked by both devotion and profound personal loss. After moving to Puri, she faced immense trials: the death of her husband Dhunu, her son Raghu, her daughter-in-law Lakshmi, and her grandson Vishnu. Despite these tragedies, Karmabai’s faith in Lord Jagannath remained unshaken. A Vaishnava saint, seeing her grief, gave her a small image of Krishna as a baby butter-thief and advised her to treat it as her own child. Karmabai embraced this practice, caring for the idol with maternal love, bathing it, dressing it, and offering it mashed rice and buttermilk. This act of devotion transformed her grief into divine service, earning her the title of a “divinely crazy” devotee.[7][8]
Karmabai is mentioned in a Sikh text, called the Prem Ambodh, which was originally written in 1693 and texts claims that Karmabai met with Mirabai in Udaipur.[9]
A temple dedicated to her, known as Karmabai Ka Mandir, stands in Jagannath Puri, and her khichdi is still offered as bhog to Lord Jagannath. During the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, the chariot of Lord Jagannath reportedly pauses near her samadhi, a tradition attributed to the belief that the chariot will not move without her divine presence.[10]
Her story has been immortalised in music, with a 1989 Rajasthani album titled Karmabai by Jugalkishore Tilak Raj, featuring songs like Jimo Jimo Mhara Madan Gopal, and a Hindi album of the same name with contributions from artists like Anuradha Paudwal.[11] A college in Jodhpur, Karma Bai Mahavidyalaya, is named in her honour.
References
[edit]- ^ a b व्यास, मनीष (21 June 2023). "जब भूखी बच्ची की जिद के आगे प्रकट हुए जगन्नाथ: आज भी खीचड़े का पहला भोग, सवारी में साथ होती है राजस्थान की इस भक्त की प्रतिमा". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d Vyas, Manish (21 June 2023). "जब भूखी बच्ची की जिद के आगे प्रकट हुए जगन्नाथ: आज भी खीचड़े का पहला भोग, सवारी में साथ होती है राजस्थान की इस भक्त की प्रतिमा" [When Jagannath appeared in front of the insistence of a hungry girl: Even today the first offering is of Khichdi, the statue of this devotee from Rajasthan accompanies the procession]. Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
राजस्थान के नागौर जिले के कालवा गांव के रहने वाले जीवनराम डूडी के घर 20 अगस्त 1615 के दिन करमा बाई नाम की बच्ची का जन्म हुआ था। जीवनराम डूडी कृष्ण भक्त थे। वो हमेशा भगवान को भोग लगाने के बाद ही खाना खाते थे।
[On 20 August 1615, a girl named Karma Bai was born in the house of Jeevanram Doodi, a resident of Kalwa village in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. Jeevanram Doodi was a devotee of Krishna. He always used to eat food only after offering it to God.] - ^ a b "Karmabai is known as Meera of Marwar, Rajasthan". Live Hindustan. 19 February 2024. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ DeNapoli, Antoinette Elizabeth (1 April 2014). Real Sadhus Sing to God: Gender, Asceticism, and Vernacular Religion in Rajasthan. Oxford University Press. pp. 102–109, 179. ISBN 9780199940028.
- ^ Lorenzen, David N. (15 February 1996). "A Glossary of Devotees". Praises to a Formless God: Nirguṇī Texts from North India. State University of New York Press. pp. 266–267. ISBN 9781438411286.
- ^ DeNapoli, Antoinette Elizabeth (2014). Real Sadhus Sing to God: Gender, Asceticism, and Vernacular Religion in Rajasthan. Oxford University Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-19-994001-1.
... , Karma Bai was born into the Jāt jātī, ...
- ^ Narayanan, Renuka (3 December 2023). "How Karmabai coped with life's trials and tribulations". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ Mahīpati; Abbott, Justin Edwards; Godbole, Narhar R. (1988). Stories of Indian Saints: Translation of Mahipati's Marathi Bhaktavijaya. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-0469-2.
- ^ de Bruijn, Thomas; Busch, Allison (13 March 2014). "Mirabai at the Court of Guru Gobind Singh". Culture and Circulation: Literature in Motion in Early Modern India. BRILL. pp. 109, 112, 116–17. ISBN 9789004264489.
- ^ "सांचो प्रेम प्रभु में हो तो, मूर्ती बोलै काठ की:13 साल की करमा की जिद के बाद श्रीकृष्ण साक्षात आए और खीचड़ा खाया; पुरी के जगन्नाथ मंदिर में आज भी करमा रसोई में तैयार होता है भोग". Dainik Bhaskar. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
थाली भर ल्याई रे खीजड़ो ऊपर घी की बाटकी........जीमो म्हारा श्याम धणी जिमावे बेटी जाट की। देशभर में किसी भी जागरण और सत्संग में गाया जाने वाला ये गीत श्री कृष्ण की विश्वास भक्ति का सबसे अनूठा और सुन्दर उदाहरण है। प्रसंग नागौर के कालवा गांव में जन्मी श्रीकृष्ण की परम भक्त करमा बाई से जुड़ा हुआ है।
- ^ Karmabai - by Jugal Kishore Tilakraj (1989), archived from the original on 30 May 2025, retrieved 29 May 2025