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Vittaladas, a great devotee of Lord Panduranga, lived in Pratishtãnapura along with his wife Rukmini. Deeply dispassionate and practicing severe austerities he had entered married life only at the behest of the Lord. Though married for a long period the couple was not blessed with a child. He, therefore, left home for Vãrãnasi where he received sanyãsa from the Mahatma Sri Ramananda. Rukmini did not know the whereabouts of her husband. In due course, however, the news of her husband having taken up sanyasa reached her ears and distressed her.

Once, Sri Ramananda decided to take up Sethu Yãtra. Knowing that this journey might take him to his village, Vittaldas did not accompany his Guru. In the course of his journey Sri Ramananda camped for a while in Pratishtãnapura. The people of the village greeted him with great enthusiasm and every one visited the Mahatma. Rukmini, too, visited the Mahatma to receive his blessings. The Mahatma had noticed Rukmini circumambulating the Ashwatta (Peepul) tree. As only the childless circumambulate the Ashwatta tree for being blessed with a child Ramananda blessed her, ‘may you be blessed with children,’ when she prostrated at his feet.

The shocked Rukmini shed tears and explained to the Mahatma, ‘Swami! My husband is not with me for the past many years. I hear that he has taken up sanyãsa from one Mahatma Ramananda in Vãrãnasi.”
Sri Ramananda said, “Oh! Virtuous lady! I am that Ramananda. What is your husband’s name? I will at once order him to come here.”
Sri Ramananda then sent for Vittaladas and said to him, “I have blessed your wife with the words, ‘may you be blessed with children’. These words have been uttered by me only due to the Will of the Lord. I desire you to return to householder’s life and live with your wife. Do you want to make the words of your Guru come true or are you worried over the sins you will incur?”

The Shastras say that one can go from the lower ashrama (way of life) to the next higher one and never vice versa. There are four ashramas - brahmachari (the celibate), grahasta (householder), vanaprasta (life in the forest after giving up the family) and sanyasa (ascetic). For an ascetic to turn back to householder’s life is verily an unpardonable sin. Vittaladas said to his Guru, “For me there is nothing greater than carrying out your instruction.”
And without a second thought, Vittaladas bowed down to his Guru and entered into the householder’s life with his wife. He and his wife who had remained childless for years were now blessed with four children - Nivritti dev, Jnanadev, Sopana and Mukta Bai.

Great was the Guru Bhakti of Vittaladas who entered into the life of a householder after having become a sanyãsi just to make the words of the Guru come true. Bothered he was not of the sins that would be incurred as a consequence. He was concerned only with the words of his Guru.

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