Dharm & Darshan !! Vithoba-Rukhmini !!

Once upon a time there was a devotee  of Lord Vishnu, called Pundalik. He was living with his wife and parents Janudev and Satyavati, in a dense forest called Dindirvan.  Pundalik was a devoted son but soon after his marriage he began to ill-treat his parents. To avoid this bitter experience, parents decided to go to Kashi. When Pundalik's wife came to know about this, she also decided to go. She and her husband joined the same group of pilgrims. While the son and his wife were riding on horseback, the old couple was walking. Every evening when the group stayed for the night, the son forced his parents to  take care of the horses for the night, and do other jobs. The poor parents cursed the day they decided to go on a pilgrimage. Soon the group reached the ashrama of the great sage Kukkutswami. There they decided to spend a couple of nights. They were all tired and soon fell asleep-except Pundalik who could not sleep. Just before daybreak he saw a group of beautiful, young women, dressed in dirty clothes, enter the ashrama, clean the floor, fetch water and wash the swami's clothes. Then they entered the inner room of the ashrama, and came out in beautifully clean clothes and passing near Pundalik, they vanished. Next night he saw the same sight again. Pundalik fell down at their feet and begged them to tell who they were. They said they were Ganga, Yamuna and other holy rivers of India in which the Pilgrims bath and wash off their sins. Their clothes became dirty by the sins of the bathing pilgrims. "And because of your ill-treatment of your parents," they said, "You are the greatest sinner." This brought  a complete change in him and he became the most devoted son. Now the parents' rode the horses while the son and his wife walked by their side. By their love and affection, the son and his wife requested parents to return home, Dindirvan. One day  Lord Krishna, the King of Dwarka, while feeling lonely, was remembering his early days in Mathura. He particularly remembered playing with the milkmaids, the cowherd boys, and his love, Radha. Though she was dead, but By his divine powers he brought her back to life and seated her by his side. Just then his queen, Rukmini, entered the room. When Radha did not  pay her respect, Rukmini left Dwarka in anger and hid herself in Dindirvan forest. Later, Lord Krishna went in search of Rukmini. He first went to Mathura, then to Gokul. He met the milkmaids and cowherd boys. They too joined in the search. They went to Mount Govardhan in her search. At last they reached the banks of the river Bhima or Chandrabhaga in the Deccan. Krishna left his companions at Goplapura, and he himself entered Dindirvan forest alone in search of her. At last he found her and  calm her. Krishna and Rukmini came to Pundalik's ashrama. But at that time Pundalik was busy attending to his parents. Though he knew Lord Krishna had come to see him, he refused to pay his respect to the god as he was doing his duty towards his parents He, threw a brick outside for lord Krishna to stand upon. Impressed by Pundalik's devotion to his parents, Lord Krishna did not mind the delay. Standing on the brick he waited for Pundalik. When Pundalik came out and begged God's pardon and requested Him to remain there Lord Krishna replied that he was pleased with his love for his parents. Since then the Lord Krishna is present as Vithoba, Vitthal or God who stood upon a brick. -