Senayee, a devotee of Lord Vittal, lived near Pandarpur.  He was deeply devoted to Lord Panduranga (Vittal) of Pandarpur.  Born in the community of barbers, Senayee had installed beautiful idols of  Sri Panduranga and his consort  Sri Rukmini in his home and routinely performed Bhajans. He used to conduct "Akhanda Naama sankeerthanam" (Bhajan conducted all day long) frequently in the company of other devotees.

Maharastra, was then  ruled by a Muslim King.  The King was in need of a good barber.  It was a much coveted post as it had a string of benefits like a comfortable house, that too with all the household expenses borne by the king. Since the barber who attends to the King should not practice elsewhere for others, the work load also gets considerably reduced. It was just required of  barber to attend to the King  once in the morning. So the entire barber community was vying for this lucrative post.

However, without anybody's recommendation and without any effort on his  part, Senayee was awarded this post! How else, but  by the sheer grace of Lord Panduranga.  Senayee was a very naïve man.  He knew none other than Lord Panduranga.  He was very glad to get this job not because of the materialistic benefits but because he needed to serve the King only for a short time in the morning,  thus enabling him to spend more time in singing the glory of the Lord and to be in the company of other devotees. Serving the Lord and singing his glories were the only reasons for his happiness.

On seeing  this, the other barbers of his village grew jealous of Senayee.  They awaited an opportunity to snatch away  this post from him.
One day Senayee, while on his way to the royal palace, found a big group of devotees, singing the glory of the Lord. He found out they were heading for Pandarpur. Senayee joined the group and became totally engrossed in singing and dancing, forgetting the outer world. Drowned in this blissful state, how could  he have remembered his duty to the king?

Seizing  this opportunity one of the jealous barbers went up to the King and boldly declared,
"Your Highness, Senayee will not be here today".
"But why?"
"Your highness, the Hindus have a God called Pandarinath.  A group of devotees singing His glory have left for Pandarpur.  Senayee has also joined them.  I reminded him of his services to you.  But he replied, 'I am not in the least worried about anything. Neither the King nor the royal job is important to me.  It is only Pandarinath who is important.  If you so desire you may report to the King.  I don't  care.'"
The King was infuriated and roared,
"Arrest Senayee"
With a ruffled mind, he then proceeded to have the Royal bath....
The King was taken aback when he saw Senayee standing  there with folded hands.  He wondered if he had been wrongly advised on Senayee's absence. When he sat in front of Senayee for hair setting, he was further surprised to find himself experience an inexplicable joy and intolerable bliss whenever Senayee looked at him or touched him.. And the hair setting was unusually beautiful that day.

Wondering at all this the King declared to Senayee,
"Today the hair style seems different and magnificent. Tell me how is it that today things are all different in you"
Lo and Behold! In the place of Senayee, Lord Panduranga presented himself to the King in all beauty and charm.
His dark curly tresses, some of it gathered up in a slightly tilted been, a peacock feather plaited into it.  beautiful earrings shining like lamps, smooth broad forehead bearing a 'tilak' mark of scented 'kasturi'  sharp nose adding to his beauty, clear piercing eyes exuding love and grace at the same time, lotus like ruddy red  lips playing a gentle enchanting smile, a garland of colorful fluttering flowers, bright yellow silk robes , bracelets in the hands that were gracefully held at the hips, and with  anklets in the feet....
In this way, the Lord gave his Darshan to this fortunate King.

The King who had lost himself beholding such a Darshan found Senayee there the very next moment!  The King pleaded; cried, writhed in pain and begged Senayee to show him again  the earlier form. Out of desperation, he started threatening Senayee and he finally imprisoned Senayee. Vittal, in Senayee's garb, smiled at the King and simply vanished from the prison.
The king kept mumbling ," Senayee, show me that form, that wonderful form Senayee"

In the meantime, the soldiers arrested the real Senayee who was on his way to Pandarpur  and brought him to the King's presence.  Seeing the King's pathetic state and hearing about the incidents from those nearby, Senayee realized the  God Himself had come in his form to do the Royal service on his behalf.
Senayee wept bitterly. Thinking of the Lord's extraordinary love and grace, he cried inconsolably. Senayee gave up his job and his home and went to Pandarpur for good. There, singing the glory of Vittala till his last breath, he attained the Lotus Feet of the Lord.

It is not known if Senayee was ever blessed with the Lord's Darshan for the deep devotion he had!  The question might arise in one's mind as to what could have prompted the Lord to bless a Muslim King, who had no desire whatsoever to see God, with His Darshan.

The reason is that as the King had provided Senayee, the Lord's devotee, with a house and taken care of his household expenditures, so that the latter could totally devote himself to singing the glory of the Lord.

So Children! Don't you realize that God is more pleased with those who serve His devotees than with those who serve Him!