When Vitthal Helped Janabai with Her Chores

Janabai served in the home of the saint Namdev. Whether she swept the floor, ground grain, or pounded rice, she kept Vitthal's name in her heart and sang her abhangs with joy.

One day, Janabai swept the courtyard and gathered a heap of dust and leaves. When she returned with a basket, she stopped in wonder. Vitthal himself was filling the basket. He placed it on his head and followed her as cheerfully as a friend helping with the day's work.

At other times Janabai sat at the heavy stone mill to grind flour. She sometimes became so absorbed in singing that her hands grew still. So that the household work would not be delayed, Vitthal would take hold of the mill and turn it while listening to her song.

When Janabai pounded grain, Vitthal stood nearby, smiling. Tradition remembers him saying, “Janabai, you serve my devotee Namdev with such love. How can I ever repay what I owe you?”

Janabai never claimed this wonder as her own achievement. She said that serving Namdev had taught her to see only Vitthal everywhere—in every person, every task, and every part of the living world. To her, the Lord was not far away in a palace. He was beside her in the courtyard, sharing ordinary work and turning it into worship.