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.

Achyuta Ashtakam by Adi Sankaracarya

Song Name: Acyutam Kesavam Rama Narayanam

Official Name: Acyutastakam

Author: Adi Sankaracarya

Book Name: None

Language: Sanskrit

LYRICS:

(1)

acyutaḿ keśavaḿ rāma nārāyaṇaḿ

kṛṣṇa dāmodaraḿ vāsudevaḿ harim

śrīdharaḿ mādhavaḿ gopīkā-vallabhaḿ

jānakī-nāyakaḿ rāmacandraḿ bhaje

(2)

acyutaḿ keśavāḿ satyabhāmādhavaḿ

mādhavaḿ śrīdharaḿ rādhikā-rādhitam

indirā-mandiraḿ cetasā sundaraḿ

devakī-nandanaḿ nandanaḿ sandadhe

(3)

viṣṇave jiṣṇave śańkhine cakriṇe

rukmiṇī-rāgiṇe jānakī-jānaye

vallavī-vallabhāyārcitāyātmane

kaḿsa-vidhvaḿsine vaḿśine te namaḥ

(4)

kṛṣṇa govinda he rāma nārāyaṇa

śrīpate vāsudevārjita śrīnidhe

acyutānanta he mādhavādhokṣaja

dvārakānāyaka draupadī-rakṣaka

(5)

rākṣasa-kṣobhitaḥ sītayā śobhito

daṇḍakāraṇyabhu-puṇyatā-kāraṇaḥ

lakṣmaṇe-nānvito vānaraiḥ sevito-

'gastya-sampujito rāghavaḥ pātu mām

(6)

dhenukāriṣṭako'niṣṭa-kṛddveṣiṇāḿ

keśihā kaḿsa-hṛd-vaḿśikā-vādakaḥ

pūtanā-kopakaḥ surajā khelano

bāla gopālakaḥ pātu māḿ sarvadā

(7)

vidyudadyotavnpra-sphurad-vāsasaḿ

prāvṛḍambhodavat prollasad-vigrahaḿ

vanyayā mālayā śobhitorasthalaḿ

lohitāńghridvayaḿ vārijākṣaḿ bhaje

(8)

kuñcitaiḥ kuntalair bhrojamānānanaḿ

ratnamauliḿ lasatkuṇḍalaḿ gaṇḍayoḥ

hārakeyurakaḿ kańkaṇa-projjvalaḿ

kińkiṇīmañjulaḿ śyāmalaḿ taḿ bhaje

TRANSLATION

1) I worship Acyuta, the infallible one, Who is Rāmacandra, Keśava, Rāma, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Dāmodara, Vāsudeva, Hari, Śrīdhara,Mādhava, Who is dear to Gopikā, and Who is the consort of Jānakī.

2) I offer my obeisances to Lord Keśava, Who is infallible (Acyuta), Who is the consort of Satyabhāmā, Mādhava, Śrīdhara, Who is longed-for by Rādhikā, Who is the temple of Lakṣmī (Indirā), Who is beautiful by thought, Who is dear to Devakī, and Who is dear to all.

3) Salutations for Viṣṇu, Who conquers everyone, Who holds a conch-shell and a discus, Who is dear to Rukmiṇī, Who is the consort ofJānakī, Who is dear to gopi girls, Who is offered [in sacrifices], the Supersoul Who destroyed Kaṁsa, and Who plays the flute.

4) O Kṛṣṇa! O Govinda! O Rāma! O Nārāyaṇa, Who is the consort of Lakṣmī! O Vāsudeva, Who attained the treasure of Lakṣmī! O Acyuta, Who is immeasurable! O Mādhava, O Adhokṣaja, Who is the leader of Dvārakā, and Who is the protector of Draupadī!

5) May Rāghava — Who disturbed the atheistic practices of the demons, Who adorned Sītā, Who is Danḍaka-forest purification cause, Who is accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, Who was served by monkeys, and Who is revered by Sage Agastya — O Lord, please protect me.

6) May Baby Gopāla (Kṛṣṇa) — Who was unfavorable to Dhenukāsura and Ariṣṭāsura, Who destroyed Keśī, Who killed Kaṁsa, Who plays the flute, and Who got angry on Pūtanā — always protect me.

7) I sing praise of Acyuta, Who is adorned by a lightening like shining yellow robe, Whose body is resplendent like a cloud of the rainy-season, Who is adorned by a wild-flower garland at His chest, Whose twin-feet are of copper-red color, and Who has lotus-like eyes.

8) I sing praise of that Śyāma, Whose face is adorned by falling locks of curly tresses, Who has jewels at forehead, Who has shining ear-rings on the cheeks, Who is adorned with a Keyūra (flower) garland, Who has a resplendent bracelet, and Who has a melodious anklet.

Absorbed in Krishna

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yaḿ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaḿ

govindam ādi-puruṣaḿ tam ahaḿ bhajāmi

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, KṛṣṇaHimself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.

Srila Prabhupad said "They say that you don't see Kåñëa. How they can say you don't see, if they don't see? Just like you may have a lover and when you think of that lover you see, but the other person doesn't see your lover. They cannot see that you do not see Kåñëa. A man in Bengal was a writer and there was an accident in front of his window. He did not see because he was absorbed in writing. We are absorbed in Kåñëa, we can see Him." Little anecdotes spice your teachings...... Gurudas Pr

http://vedabase.net/bs/5/38/en

Abstract from Purport by HDG Bhaktisiddhanta SWami Srila Prabhupad

Nowadays also the devotees see Him in Vraja in their hearts, saturated with devotion although they do not see Him with their eyes. The eye of devotion is nothing but the eye of the pure unalloyed spiritual self of the jīva. The form ofKṛṣṇa is visible to that eye in proportion to its purification by the practice of devotion. When the devotion of the neophyte reaches the stage of bhāva-bhakti the pure eye of that devotee is tinged with the salve of love by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, which enables him to see Kṛṣṇa face to face. The phrase "in their hearts" means Kṛṣṇa is visible in proportion as their hearts are purified by the practice of devotion. The sum and substance of this śloka is that the form of Kṛṣṇa, who is Śyāmasundara, Naṭavara (Best Dancer), Muralīdhara (Holder of the Flute) and Tribhańga (Triple-bending), is not a mental concoction but is transcendental, and is visible with the eye of the soul of the devotee under trance.