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Aug 2, 2011

My Favourite Movie --- Tukaram Maharaj






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-4mvbeOOpE

Sant Tukaram (1608--1650) was a prominent Varkari Sant and spiritual poet during a Bhakti movement in India. He was born and lived most of his life in Dehu, a town close to Pune city in Mahārāshtra, India. He was born to a couple with the family name "More"//the descendent of the Mourya Clan (Āmbile) and first names Bolhobā and Kanakāi.Through a tradition in India in bygone days, Tukaram's family name is rarely used in identifying him. His real name is Tukaram Vhilhoba Aambe. Sant Tukaram's first wife, Rakhumābāi, died in her early youth. SantTukaram and his second wife, Jijābāi (also known as Āvali), had three sons: Santu or Mahādev, Vithobā, and Nārāyan.

Sant Tukaram was a devotee of god Vitthala or Vithoba, a form of Krishna. A great saint who lived only for his God vittala. He faced varieties of difficulties with astonishing patience. He refused diamonds and opals offered by Shivaji Maharaj himself. His devotional songs are an invaluable contribution to Marathi spiritual literature. He is arguably the greatest poet in the Marathi language. Tukaram's genius partly lies in his ability to transform the external world into its spiritual analogue. Tukaram's stature in Marathi literature.

According to Gaudiya Vaishnavas, Sant Tukaram was initiated and was a disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sant Tukaram is said to have received guru-mantra containing names of Krishna, Rama and Radha - at the hands or by the media of a dream, of Chaitanya The Gatha of Sant Tukaram confirms this claim in a verse that clearly states that "the mantra "Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari" was given to me by "Chaitanya Baba" in my dreams". There is also a reference in the Gaudiya spiritual literature which mentions that when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to the city of Pandharpur to search for his brother who had taken Sannyassa, a young man named Tukaram helped him in the search. This young man named Tukaram is likely to be the same Saint Tukaram the world knows.

Like Namdev, Janabai, and Eknath, Tukaram wrote in archaic Marathi a large number of devotional poems identified in Marathi as abhang (अभंग). A collection of 4,500 abhang known as the Gāthā is attributed to Tukaram. Mantra Geetā, a Marathi translation in abhang form of the Sanskrit Bhagavad Geeta, is also attributed to him. It is an interpretation of Geeta from a Bhakti (भक्ती) --devotional—perspective.

*******Sant Tukaram Proceeding to Vaikunta (Known Miracles)
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that "He who leaves the body and departs (from this world) with his mind fixed on Me during the last moments (of his life) attains to Me without doubt".

Srimad Bhagavadgita 8:5
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् ।
य: प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशय: ।।

Tukaram's final day is well documented by eye witness accounts. He informed his wife early in the day about going to Vaikuntha(heaven). His wife laughed at him. He went up the hillock and waited for Vithoba. By that time, news had spread around Dehu and people had gathered around the hillock, waiting for the divine event. As per eye witness accounts, a large vehicle emerged from the skies and Vithoba emerged from the flying plane. Eyewitnesses rushed to Tukaram's home and informed his wife that Tukaram was on his way to 'Vaikuntha' - the abode of Gods. His wife ran toward the hills, only to see him take off in the Viman (Flying plane). To this day, devotees gather at the hillock and sing his praises.

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