Sunday, August 20, 2017

Cotton Flesh

Brahmans said,

‘ You are without doubt Vishnu’s bhakta, therefore with a desire to see you we were coming. But our desire is fulfilled just here.’ So saying, they gave him a loving embrace and took their seats.

‘ You have assumed an avatar in the Kali Yuga and displayed an unprecedented character. We have witnessed this with our own eyes, at which we simply wonder.

Taking advantage of an opportunity, we have come to ask you privately as to who you are. Please explain to us.’

Hearing this speech of the Brahmans, he thought to himself, ‘ Unless I give them evidence, their doubt will not disappear.’

Then catching hold of the skin of his thigh, he ripped it open then and there. In- side there was pure, carded cotton.

http://tukarams.blogspot.com/search/label/Mahipati

Ornament

The Husband of Lakshmi ( Vishnu ) wears as an ornament the impression of a Brahman’s kick [ Bhrigu’s kick ] on His breast

Tukaram on Chinchwad Brahmans

Three Messengers

120. The man who had come from Chinchwad sat listening to Tuka’s kirtan.

121. His devotion became fixed there and he forgot to deliver the message. Therefore he did not think of any worldly affairs, for his heart felt so happy.

122. He did not think of returning home. As he lovingly behdd Tuka he became absorbed in his kirtan.

123. At Chinobwad, Dev was waiting for his return. Said he, ‘ It many days, but neither Tuka nor the messenger has come back. I cannot say what has happened to him.

124, Then the men ( the Chinchwad Brahmans ) sent another messenger. He also happened to listen to Tuka’a kirtan and fell into the same subconscious state.

125. When after a further long delay he too did not return, a third man was sent. But he also lost regard for his body and his heart was full of love.

126. Then all the worshippers of Onjavadana ( Gkinpati ) wondered and exclaimed, ‘ Three men went to Dehu, but none returned.’

127. As streamlets on joining the Ganges forget their former state; or as fragrance from various flowers identifies itself in essence with the wind;

128, when a wave is united with water, or a cloud disappears in the sky, or as borax in a crucible, these never appear again in their original forms;

129. such was the state of the messengers; they did not come back at all to report the result of their mission. As they listened to the loving kirtan of Tuka they were lost in it.

http://tukarams.blogspot.com/search/label/Mahipati

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Same Author Different Realizations

An interesting example of this is found in 

  1. Mahipati’s story in his earlier Bhaklavijay that a poor old Brahman woman came to Tukaram and begged of him some clothes, 
  2. whereas in telling the same story in his later Bhaktalilamrit Mahipati corrects himself by saying it was Rukmani the goddess who came in the guise of a Maharani.

http://tukarams.blogspot.com/search/label/Mahipati

Monday, August 14, 2017

Kanhoba

Under the influence of Tukaram’s poetry, we can see the poetic genius of a great many flourishing on the sidelines of Tukaram’s narrative. Instances of such ‘satelite poets’ – if that would be an appropriate term to use in this context – around Tukaram’s central poetic figure are his younger brother Kanhoba, his followers Bahinabai and Rameshwar Bhatt among many others.

Among these three, Kanhoba being the family member was witness to almost all major developments in Tukaram’s life right from his childhood. Thus Kanhoba’s poems throw significant light on Tukaram as a person in his private life. A number of aspects of Tukaram’s domestic life stand out prominently from Kanhoba’s poems which make us reconsider a number of popular beliefs regarding Tukaram’s life. For instance, in most of the popular narratives related to Tukaram, he is made out to be a person who never bothered about his family. However, when one reads Kanhoba’s poems, one gets to see an entirely different Tukaram emerging in front of our eyes- Tukaram who is a loving elder brother, a responsible family head, an affectionate man who is equally loved by his family! A Tukaram who is inconceivable but for the words for his own younger brother’s account!

Among Kanhoba’s poems the most important are, perhaps, the poems that he wrote on Tukaram’s ultimate departure from this world. These elegies are on there own a major contribution to Indian poetry and explore a number of themes related to devotion, deity-devotee relationship, divine justice quite unconventionally, which makes them strikingly iconoclastic on occasions as they value the fraternal love way superior over the love for the Creator. For Kanhoba, Tukaram weighs way over the Lord, something that all of Tukaram’s contemporaries seem to have agreed upon during his later years, which could be well the key to resolving the mystery behind Tukaram’s untimely departure!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kanhoba

Mahipati

Dnyaneshwar

A FASTING BEAHMAN REJECTS TtJKARAM’S FAVOUR

46. A Brahman with a desire for skill in read-ing the Puranas sat performing austerities at Alandi.
This desire was ever present in bis mind.

47. Then Dnyaneshwar said to him in a vision, ‘ Go at once to Tuka, He will give you a favour with his own hand and thereby your desire will be fulfilled.*

48. The Brahman theogbt it over and quickly want to Dehu. There he met Tuka and explained to him his heart’s desire.

49, Said he, ‘ I was performing austerities at Alakavati ( Alandi ); but Dnyandev has sent me to you.’ Hearing these words, Tuka was astonished.

50. Thought he, ‘ I do not possess a store of good deeds that I may spend on his account. Dnyandev has merely created a nuisance for me.’

51. He said to himself, ‘ This man has no learning in his luck. Therefore Dnyandev through disgust
has sent this dogged fellow to me.

52. I am ignorant. I don’t know japa (muttering God’s names), tapa (penance) and austerities. Why has Dnyandev given me this honour ?’

53. Then he gave the Brahman eleven abhangs and a cocoamit and told him, ‘ When you eat this yon
will at once gain knowledge,’

54, The Brahman’s mind was suspicious and he thought, ‘ Eating a cocoanut will not bring knowledge, and of what good to me are these abhangs written in Marathi ?’

55. With this suspicion in mind the unlucky fellow threw these away and went oflF; as if one should come across a wish-jewel, but sling it away as a mere pebble.

56. If an unlucky fellow finds a store of wealth, it appears to him as charcoal. A patient finds
dainty foods bitter.

57. A drunkard considers any bottle containing the water of the Bhagirathi ( the Ganges ) as a bottle containing wine. A poverty-stricken person will discard a grove of wish-trees.

A FAVOUR REFUSED & RECEIVED

58. In the same way, the Brahman threw away Tuka’s favour then and there. Tuka then wrote and sent this letter to Dnyanraja of Alakavati ( Aland! );

59. ‘ You have honoured an insignificant person such as I am, and have sent a fasting Brahman to me. I took your command on my head and at once gave him a favour.

60. But he doubted it and threw away the eleven abhangs and the cocoanut and walked off.’ 61. This
message which he had already planned in his mind he sent to Alandi. Then bringing Hrishikeshi ( the Lord of the heart ) into his mind, he began to repeat His names.

THE SAME FAVOUR TRANSFORMS A DULLARD

62, King Shivaji had in his service a person well versed in the Sbastras and Furanas. This person had as his servant a Brahman who was a great dullard and ignorant.

63. He once came to Tukoba and bowed down to him. The noble Vaishnava took up the same cocoanut and gave it to him.

64. He also gave him the eleven abhangs which he had already written out. The Brahman cracked the
cocoanut and ate the kernel then and there with love.

65. As he returned home he found that a Parana was being read. Among the audience wmre learned men well versed in the Verias and Shastras.

66. Tnere were other knowing and clever persons who listened to the reading. Just then the Brahman entered and addressed the reader:

67. ‘ You have not explained the words of the verse which you read just now. ’ As the learned men repeated the question all others thought that he was quite right.

68, They exclaimed, ‘ This is really a great wonder for he does not even know his a. b. c. We are at a loss to understand how he should so suddenly understand the meaning of the Puranas. ’

69. On being asked to explain, he told the whole story in detail. Said he, ‘Tuka gave me eleven
abhari'js and a cocosnut.

70. As soon as I cracked it and ate the kernel of it, I could understand Sanskrit. ’ As the
audience heard him they were wonder-struck.

71. Then the reader kindly asked him to come near him, and handing him a leaf of the hook, said, ‘Read this to us, then only shall we have clear evidence of what you say.’

72, Then in his mind bowing down to Tuka’s feet, he began to explain the meaning of the Puram, at which the learned men in the audience were wonder-struck.

73. Said they» ‘ The doings of Vishnu’s hhaktas are wonderful. They can make possible the impossible. With undivided love they have made Cfta&rapam( Vishnu) their own.

74. Like an actor in a play, Bhagwant ( God ) creates a mountain out of a mustard seed. The life of His bhaktas whom He loves passes all wonder.’

http://brickinformation.blogspot.com/search/label/Bhaktavijaya
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tukaram+Dnyaneshwar
https://www.slideshare.net/search/slideshow?searchfrom=header&q=Tukaram+Dnyaneshwar

Muhammad

87. In Chambhargonde there lived the  well known Shekh Muhammad. He was performing a
kirtan with great delight for his love of God's name. He was an ocean of knowledge.

88. Men of all the eighteen castes^ great and small, sat there to listen. There were also learned and rich persons, very wise and knowing Brabmans.

89. With concentrated mind all listened. The performance was exceptionally delightful and un-
believers could not find a word of contradiction. They became perfectly silent.

90. Just then the performer jumped and rubbed the canopy with his hands. All wondered at
this strangb sight.

91. Then those who sat in front asked* ' Why did you rub the canopy, O Swam ?

92. Seeing this strange action, our mind is confused?' Then Shekh Muhammad explained:

93. 'At Dehu the Vaishnava Toka is performing a kirtan in love. No one noticed that Uie
burning torch had touched the canopy.

94. I saw it on fire, and I extinguished it from here.' On hearing this the listeners felt dubious.

95. No one could believe it and they said, ' The town of Dehu is very far from here. How did you get the news of the distant fire ?

96. There also most be there a crowd of listeners. Gould they not notice it How do you say that you put out the fire in the canopy

97. Then Shekh Muhammad replied, ' There were men Uitening to the kaian of Tuka, but while tlwy listened to th» life deeds of Harl they forgot themselveB.

98. Theii minds were absorbed in the name and form of Qod and all were in a subconscious stat& The torob touched the can(^y and set it on fire, and I at onoe pat it out.'

99. On this the listeners asked, ' In the kirtan there was the Lord of Pandhari. Why did He not
avoid this accident when he saw the canopy burning ?

100. Shekh jMuhammad replied, 'Hrishikeshi ( the Lord of the heart ) forgot Himself through love. He did not think of His divine state and bhaklas forgot their state.

101. Both had beo(Mne one. So who was to protect, and whom ? When two lamps are burning they do not appear to be different.

102. When they live in one place they mingle one with the other. This state of their unconsciousness
I could mentally understand.

103. If there are two islands in a river the stream is divided in two. Afterward when they join, no difference is visible.

104. The idol of ft god and the utensils of worship are made of the same brass. If they are melted in a crucible, no difference is seen.

105. If clarified butter and any other butter are boiled in one pan, no difference is noticed.

106. So when God and His bhakfas become one, who is to know another's pain ? On account of this identity of essence, there is joy eternal, and differences sink.

107. The Husband of Rukmini forgot His divine state and Tuka no longer thought himself to be a bhakta. The same was the condition of the listeners. I understood this state.

108. If you do not believe what I say, then send someone to Dehu to bring the news.' The listeners considered this reply as satisfactory.

109. Then they wrote a letter to the Patil ( village oJBfioer ) of Dehu and sent it by a camel-
rider. In the letter they said,' Please explain at full length the marvel we saw last night.'

110. At sunset the ntif CMoe, ' At nigfai; as th« kirtan was gcAng on irftb fait din, the torch touohed tiw oanopy aad sKt it on fire.

111. It made a v«ry Iarg» hiA* in it, but no one knew of it thi^ night. In the morning It was noticed. Tbia mcuia all wcmder.'

112. As they read this letter, they eoMidcved Shekh Muhammad's explanation as tme. Then going to
him they prostrated tbemseives btfore him.

113. Said they, ' How you oould understand the wonderful miracle at Dehu astonished us all very mud>. It is really a matter for wonder.'

114. At this he said, 'Hotroan I explain this to you ? Fish swim straight up the stream whioh is
impossible for others. US.

115.There wre many watw animals but none can course through water as fish can. In l&e manner the secret of a bhakta is not understood by a(ly> one else but a man of real devotion.

116. Ants alone can pass along the path that they know. So the secret ai a Vtdshnava Ut known only by one endowed with sinceiPe devotion.

117. How can the path of a bird's flight be determined in the sky ? Birds alone fly that way. Others
do not at all understand.

118. The frogs which are accustomed to live in a well, do they know what an ocean it ?
So the secret of a guru and his bhaktaa, the worldly-wise can never comprehend.*

119. Saying these words, Shekh Muhammad was silent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Muhammad
http://brickinformation.blogspot.com/search/label/Bhaktavijaya
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Sheikh+Muhammad+tukaram