Pundalik

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Pundalik
Pundalik's temple at Pandharpur
Affiliation	Varkari

Pundalik (Marathi: पुंडलिक) or Pundarika (Sanskrit: पुण्डरीक, romanized: Puṇḍarīka) is an Indian saint and a devotee of the Hindu deity Vithoba.^[1] Vithoba is a Vaishnava deity and a recincarnation of Vishnu and Krishna. Pundalik is thought to have brought Vithoba to Pandharpur, where Vithoba's main shrine stands today. Pundalik is also the historical founder of the Varkari sect, which is centered on the worship of Vithoba.

Pundalik was one of the earliest Kundalini Yoga practitioners. As he was considered to be a master of Kundalini Yoga, people used to call him "Kundalik". Later, after several years, Kundalik was known as Pundalik, which was used to symbolize Kundalini energy in the form of Vitthala (also known as Panduranga). Pandharpur's Vitthala was an incarnation of Vishnu or Krishna. According to legends, it also depicts the symbol of the Kundalini energy, although in Hinduism, the same energy is believed to spiritually dwell in all.

The brick on which Vitthala is standing is the chakra of Kundalini energy known as the Muladhara Chakra. Both hands, like bows, represents Ida and Pingla nadis, which cross over at the central body of Sushumna or Brahma nadi. The body represents purusha, meaning Vishnu or Krishna, and the tilaka, or the mark on his head, represents Ajna Chakra (also known as the guru chakra or third-eye chakra), a subtle center of energy that is believed to be located between the eyebrows and along the spinal column, as said by Krishna in Bhagavad Gita.