He was known to be an adherant of the Ashvalayana Sutra, a collection of Indian texts detailing domestic rituals for householders. His father held the title of Kulkarni and kept financial accounts. The ancestral family deity was Ekvira.

His parents died while Eknath was young. He was then raised by his grandfather, Chakrapani. His great-grandfather Bhanudas was another revered saint of the Warkari sect. Eknath was a disciple of Janardan Swami,