Krar is village on the banks of the Krishna in Maharashtra. There lived in the village a Brahmin with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. The name of the daughter-in-law was Sakubai.

Sakubai was a great devotee of Lord Krishna of Pandharpur. The Name of the Lord was always on her lips. She was obedient, humble, simple, and virtuous Her mother-in-law was cruel, egoistic and stonehearted. The Brahmin and his son were entirely in the hands of that woman. They treated Sakubai very harshly.

Sakubai discharged her household duties well. She worked very hard and yet the mother-in-law abused and kicked her. She never gave Sakubai a full meal. Sakubai had to eat stale things. She bore everything very patiently. She never opened her lips. She could not open her heart to her husband as he was under the control of his mother. Sakubai was always cheerful. She reflected within herself thus: "I am highly grateful to the lord, because if I had been placed in prosperous conditions, I would have forgotten Him".

A woman in the neighboring house one day said to Sakubai, "My dear sister, I pity you. Have you not got your parents? How is it that none of them ever turns up to see you? Sakubai smiled and said, "My parents live in Pandharpur. Lord Krishna is my father. Rukmini is my mother. They have countless children. So they have forgotten me. But I am sure they will come to one day and remove my difficulties".

Pandharpur is a sacred place of pilgrimage. A big fair is held there on the eleventh day of the moon in Ashada. People from various places assemble there to get Darshan of Lord Vittala. Devotees of the Lord, with small flags in their hands, proceed to Pandharpur through the village Krar. They chant the Lord’s Name play on their cymbals and guitars and dance.

Sakubai saw a party of devotees. She had a strong desire to visit Pandharpur along with that party. It was not possible for her to get permission from her people, but she joined the party.

A woman of the neighboring house who saw Sakubai joining the party at once reported to her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law asked her son to bring Sakubai back to the house. The son caught hold of Sakubai’s hair and dragged her to the house. He abused her and kicked her several times on the way.

The Brahmin, his wife and his son tied Sakubai to a pillar with a strong rope. Sakubai prayed to the Lord: "O Vittala of Pandharpur, I wanted to tie myself to Thy lotus feet, but I am tied here with a rope. My body is tied up here, but my mind is ever free. My mind is ever fixed at Thy lotus feet. I am afraid neither of death nor of bodily tortures. I wish to have Thy Darshan at any cost. Thou art my Father, Mother, Guru, Protector my All. O Merciful Lord, will You not grant my humble prayer?"

If the prayer comes from the core of the heart, it is heard by the Lord. He responds to the prayer immediately. The prayer of Sakubai pierced the heart of Lord Krishna. He was moved at once. He took the form of a woman, appeared immediately before Sakubai and said, "Beloved sister, I am going to Pandharpur, will you go there?" Sakubai said, "How can I go when I am tied to the pillar? Certainly I have a strong desire to go there".

The woman said, "Dear sister, I am your friends. I will get myself tied up here in your place. You can go now to Pandharpur". She removed the rope, let Sakubai free and tied herself up in Sakubai’s place. Sakubai was at Pandharpur in a moment through the grace of the Lord. Her joy knew no bounds. She thought within herself, "I am truly blessed by the Lord. I am freed not only from the bond of the rope, but also from the bonds of life. How happy I am!"

The Lord assumed the form of Sakubai and became a slave of His devotee. The Lord of the three worlds, the chanting of whose Name loosens all the bonds of Maya, was Himself that day in bondage, because of the love of a devotee How merciful He is! The Brahmin, his wife and his son abused the new Sakubai, but the Lord rejoiced.

Fifteen days passed. The new Sakubai was not given even a morsel of food. The husband began to feel a little. He thought within himself: "If she dies, all the people will abuse me. I cannot get another wife, because all know that my parents are cruel". He took pity on her and repented very much for his cruel action. He untied her and said, "Dear Saku, I have treated you cruelly. My parents too have given you lots of trouble. Now, please forgive us, take bath and take your meals". The new Sakubai (the Lord) put her head down and heard all this like a devoted wife. The Lord thought that if he disappeared earlier, those people would treat the real Sakubai on her return in a worse manner. So He decided to stay and serve the family like Sakubai.

Sakubai took her bath and prepared delicious food. All the three took their meals. Saku took her food in the end. They all admired Saku’s great skill in cooking. It was the first time that Saku took the same food as was taken by them Saku massaged the feet of the mother-in-law and discharged the other duties very satisfactorily. Now the Brahmin, his wife and the son were highly pleased with Saku.

The real Sakubai reached Pandharpur, took bath in the Chandrabhaga and had Darshan of Vittala or Lord Krishna. She took the vow of never going away from Pandharpur. She was immersed in divine bliss. She lost all consciousness, dropped down and was dead.

A Brahmin of village Kiwal, which was near to the village Krar, was present in the temple. He recognized Sakubai, took her dead body with help of his friends and cremated it.

Rukmini, the consort of Lord Krishna, was in a great dilemma. Her Lord was at Krar. He was acting the part of Sakubai, who was dead and whose body was already cremated. Rukmini thought within herself: "How can I get my lord back from Krar?" She created a new Sakubai through her Yogic power.

The new Sakubai had a dream. Rukmini said to Sakubai in her dream, "Dear Saku, you took a vow not to leave Pandharpur. Well, the body in which you took the vow has already been cremated. I have given you a new body. Go back to your village. The Lord has blest you".

Sakubai returned to her village. She met her sister on the riverbank and said to her, "Dear sister, I had Darshan of the Lord through your help only. I am grateful to you. How can I repay you for all that you have done for me?"

The Lord handed over the pitcher to Saku, told her to carry water to her house and went away. Saku returned to her house with the pitcher of water and began to do the household work as usual. She was very much astonished to find a great change in the attitude of her mother-in-law, her father-in-law and her husband towards her.

The next day, the Brahmin of Kiwal vilage came to Krar to announce the news of the death of Sakubai. He found that Sakubai was doing her household duties. He was struck with wonder. He said to Sakubai’s father-in-law, "Your daughter-in-law died at Pandharpur. My friends and I cremated her body I think that her ghost is moving about in your house".

The father-in-law and the husband of Sakubai said, "Saku has been here all the time. She never went to Pandharpur. You might have cremated the body of some other woman".

The Brahmin of Kiwal village said, "Now call your daughter-in-law and enquire from her whether she had gone to Pandharpur or not".

The Brahmin said, "O dear Saku, tell me the truth. Do not be afraid. Did you go to Pandharpur? Tell me what all happened".

Saku replied, "I had a strong desire to go to Pandharpur. When I was tied to the pillar, a woman, who resembled me very much, came to me, untied me, put herself in my place and asked me to go to pandharpur. I did go to Pandharpur. I lost my consciousness before the image of Lord Vittala. In my dream Rukmini said, ‘Your body was cremated. I have given you a new body and a new life. Go to your native place’. I came back and met the woman at the riverside. She gave me the pitcher to carry home and went away. I am quite sure that the woman was Lord Krishna Himself-Lord Panduranga. You people are all blessed, as you had Darshan of the Lord".

The Brahmin, his wife and their son thought that the woman must have been assuredly the Lord of Pandharpur. They grieved very much for their wrong actions done to the lord. All the three were purified by their contact with the Lord. Their heart was changed. They began to worship the lord with great devotion. They said, "O Lord, forgive us. We had treated brutally Thy devotee Sakubai. We had ill-treated Thee also. O Lord of Compassion! Pardon us. We prostrate at Thy lotus feet. Save us. Protect us".

They began to worship Sakubai also.