Bhakta Tripuradas
The belief goes that God speaks to us in many ways but does not manifest himself before us with Sankhu, Chakra etc. He did manifest himself to thus to a devotee here. He also proved his a devotee here. He also proved his devotees Ananya Bhakti to the brahmin there.
Once upon a time, Madhura was ruled by a king who was known for his valour, wisdom kindness, piety and generosity. He had a minister by name Tripuradas.

The minister was known for his devotion to God. Normally he woke up before dawn and meditated upon God in a lonely place. All the proceedings in the course of a prayer, he offered in his mind. In other words he did manasika pooja. Then he left for his duty at the king's court.

Sometimes he was so deeply engrossed in his manasika pooja that he was lost to the external world. Days rolled on without his being awars of it.

One day the king called him to his presence and explained to him the problem. Dear minister I know that you are a staunch devotee of the Lord, but it should not stand in your way. Do your duty first and then think of God. A good person seeks both material and spiritual comforts. A bad person seeks only material comforts and gets nullified even his previous blessings in due course. A good person doesn't behave badly, He speaks only the truth. You are really a good person and I am lucky to have you as my minister. I am able to discharge my duties well by your wise suggestions. So let me suggest two options for you. Either you come regularly and discharge your duties properly or you appoint an equally efficient person like you as the minister and both of us will retire from our responsibilities and pray to God undisturbedly.

The minister appreciated the king for the last proposal. He said, Oh king that's a good suggestion. Why should we be after material possessions which are transent in nature ? Our ultimate goal should be moksha. The rishis and yogi's strive for it. Let us make your son as the king and my son as his minister. The king readily consented and crowned his sonas the king. He observed keenly how the youngsters were discharging their duties. When he was consi of their efficiency , he spoke to his ministers thus, Dear minister ! God has paved the way for us to seek moksha. So ordain me as to row I should lead my life to achieve my goal.

The minister answered, 'Oh king! you go to the garden at the outskirts of our city and put up an ashram there. Live there with the queen. Lead a pious life there. Pray to God, to manasik puja, give alone to the sadhus. When the time is ripe you will come across a sadguru who will enlighten you. Then you will attain moksha. The king led his life accordingly.

Tripudas disposed off all his ruchis to the brahmanas and sadhus nd left for Brindavanwith his wife. He settled down there and led a systematic life. He woke up earlyin the morning had his morning ablutions wore the symbols of Sri Vaishnu proceeded to Lord Krishna's temple prayed to him sang songs in praise of God and danced in ecstasy to those songs.

Days rolled by then . One day suddenly he felt like offering a dhoti to God. His wife reasoned out to him we have a bare minimum existence. We have donated all that we have. How can we afford to buy one now ? You think God requires are ? Whether God requires one or not, I wanted to offer him one and I will buy one as per my desire. He sold a kitchen utensil, bought a ahow for him , gave it to the brahmin and asked him to offer it to God. The brahmin looked down upon it. He said that the cotton dhoti wouldn't befit him. Then Tripura das said, In such a case, you convince God about it and left.

The brahman, cared a foot for his feelings He spread the new dhoti given by Tripuradas and slept over it. God wanted to show his devotees ananya bhakti to the brahmin. So God started shivering . Those who saw him shivering covered him with many clothes , but it didn't stop. They wre at loss to do anything. Then God appeared before the brahmin his dream and said, If you cover me with the cloth offered by my close devotee, I will be alright ? He ran to God's presence and coveed God with it. Surprisingly the shivering stopped. The devotees who were eye witnesse, to the miraculous scene hastened to Triuradas, fell to his feet and praised him. Tripuradas too was stunned. He couldn't believe his eas. He was so glad, God took his cotton dhoti as more precious them the still dhoti worn by him. He rushed to the temple and thanked profusely with tears of joy.

Then and manifested himself before him in the way we pray to him i.e., with Sankhu, Chakra, with the golden jewellery decked with precious stones, with Goddess Mahalakshmi seated on his chest, with beautiful eye and broad smile. Tripuradas was so delighted that he sang songs in eastasy, 'Oh God, I am a great sunnir. I am an unsignificance creature but still you are so kind to me. YOu blessed me. My sins of previous janmas will be washed away by this kind gesture of yours. Please continue to bless me God assured him of his blessings and Vanishsed. God assured him of his blessings and vanished. Tripuradas continued to pray there and to teach his disciples.

There back in Madhura, the king and his wife continued to pray devontly to God. They practised manant poo . God manifested before him with Rukmini. The king was more then delighted and chanted many slokas and sought his blessings. He said, Oh God please liberate me from the life cycle. We surrender totally to you. Then God said, I am pleased with your vairagya. You go to Brindavan and seek the teachings of Tripuradas.

They proceeded on their holy mission, visited many holy places shroutes, had a dip in the holy rivers, had the darsan of the prending d and finally reached Brindavan. They had a holy bath and went to Tripuradas. They explained, we were leading pious life as ordained by you. God was pleased with bhakti showed us his visual form and directed us towards you.

Tripuradas said, Oh king you have the blessings of the LOrd. So you will definitely attain moksha. So saying he took them Lord Krishna's temple they did bhajans brought them back home and looked after their bani needs. Time passed on thus for a few days. One day, Tripuradas asked them to hae their bath, wear the symbols of Sri Vaishnava and then to go to him. When they came to him as per his instructions he enlightened then thus.

"Oh devotees", you concentrate all your indriyas in the name of God for a true vaishnavaite a detachment from material pleasures is accepted, but not a detachment from God. A true devotee gives greater importance to the soul within but not to the body. They treat God as their relative but not the blood relatives. The seek moksha as their ultimate goal but not the other purushas. They know the other purushas lead then to hell. On the contrary the materialistic people give utmost importance to the body. They don't pray to God. They run after the first three purushas ignoring the greatest one. So first thing you should do is to avoid the company of such people God serves his staunch devotees. So you serve great people. The entire living non living organisms are dpendent on God, but he is not dependent on anyone. God is beyond a human form, caste, creed, colour beyond a or death, beyond the cycle of life and death. He is an epitome of six gunas called Jnana, Sakti, bala aiswarya, veerya and Tejassu. He is an embodiment of Jnanananda. He is omnipresent he is present inside and outside all forms of life. He is chaitanya. He is the life source for all creatures. The entire universe is crealed by him. It is filled with infinite atmas. They take up the shape and form of a creature as per their previous and their consequences. Human form is the greatest of all. One who realizes its greatness and one who develop vairagya to the material world is a great man. Even if he develops vairagya, but doesn't seek the lotus of a sadguru his life is not the greatest. A sadguru alone can enlighten him and lead him to spiritual path. One who is enlightened thus and who prays to God with all the indriyas is the greatest.

The king prostrated before Tripuradas and said, till the present janma I have been a slave to indriyas and was lost in the cycle of birth and death. Due to God's grace I reached your feet and I am blessed now. Just as a blind man is thrilled when he is provided with a vision to see the surroundings, I am thrilled at the jnana provided to me about my surroundings.

Tripuradas asked him to go back with the queen to his Ashram and to had an exemplary life. The king continued to do so and after a few days. Tripuradas and his wife attained moksha and subsequently the king and wife too attained moksha.
Bhakta Gora Kumbhar
Potter and clay image is often used in scriptures and literature to describe God's creation of man. Just as potter creates various shapes and sizes of pots from the raw material clay, God creates various shapes and sizes of creatures out of Himself. The potter Gora Kumbhar learnt this aspect through his routine work. He attained great lessons of wisdom by comparing his heart to the raw material clay and himself to the pot.

There is a village called Terdoki in Maharastra. There lived a potter called Gora. His wife's name was Gangabai. They had a one year old boy named 'Vittu'. Gora was a staunch devotee of Panduranga Vittala.For ever he used to chant the name of Pandurnga(Vittobha). He dedicated all his mundane work to the lotus feet of the lord. All his five indriyas were directed to Him. He felt he was speaking through the pranavanada of God for instance.

He carried on his livelihood of pottery but he did that as a yagna when he was mixing the clay he thought about his heart. He felt that just as the clay was hard, his hearts too was hardened with feelings of hatred , jealousy etc. When water was poured on the hard clay , it softened . The same way the water of Panduranga namam softened his hardened heart. When that clay was kept in the middle of the wheel and was rotated, it symbolised the inner conflict of the heart. As the wheel rotated, the clay expanded. Accordingly the heart developed a broader outlook in the presence of God. As the clay was moulded into a shape, the heart was moulded into a purified one. The pot would be given a final touch after it was removed from the wheel. His heart too was given a final touch from any trace of ill feelings. When the pot was heated he could feel the burning away of all petty jealousies within. The pot then was a finished product. He was then a perfect man with a clear understanding of the self.

That day was Gora's son's first birthday. Gangabai wanted to celebrate it on a grand gala state. She made all the preparations. She dressed up the tiny tot. She had to fetch a pile of water. She made Vittu sit at the doorstep before him. Gora was crushing the clay with his feet, chanting the name of Panduranga all the while. His wife's instructions to take care of the baby did not reach his ears.

Gora was in his own sweet world. Externally he was crushing the clay, but his excited voice his hands raised towards God, his engrossed eyes and the rhythmic movements of the feet made one feel he was dancing a celestial song in accordance with a divine music. This is not an ordinary dance. It depicts the union of jeevathma with Paramatma.

Gora was thus lost in his dance. His baby crawled to him and raised his hands to hold him in his hands. He made sounds but they did not reach the ears of otherwise busy father. The boy wanted to touch his father's feet and got into the clay but stepped at once into it. Gora who was not looking down or who was not aware of what was happening, saw neither the son nor felt his body under his feet. He was still dancing in ecstasy, crushing his son all the while under his feet. Vittu struggled for life but ultimately proving the statement 'Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return' , his dust got blended with the dust around. The bones couldn't see the tragic scene and so they protruded out. The entire clay turned into red colour as if a colour was added to it. Is his ecstasy praiseworthy ? Should he crush his child to pieces when he has to cajole him ? Should he perform his funeral rites, when he is supposed to celebrate his birthday?

Poor Gangabai returned home after the tragic incident. She was totally unaware of it. So she searched all over the house for petty unmovements of the tiny tot ! Unable to find him, she came to her husband to enquire about her child, but he was still in his celestrial dance. Her tensionor her words did not reach him. She gave a jerk to his body and stopped him forcefully.

Gora came back to his senses slowly. He was removing his feet slowly from the clay and Gangabai happened to look down.My God she saw the blood smeared clay! Tears flooded down her cheeks uncontrolled 'Oh my God! what a terrific act ! you drove our only son to death! You made his birthday his deathday. When he should eat all delicious food you made him savour sand. How could you do such a thing?’

The neighbourhood rushed to the spot. They were totally aghast at the untoward incident. They all cursed Gora. They felt there should be limits to his bhakti. He can't drive his only son to death thus ! They treated him as a savage.

Gora pleaded to them with tears, ‘Why will I kill my son? Please try to understand me. I must have done a severe bad deed in my previous janmaa and so, I am facing the consequence of it. Please forgive me.

Still nobody had a soft corner for Gora. They called him a hard hearted stone. He caused misery to his wife, but he had no repentence.

Gora looked around. He looked at his wife who had become mad with grief. He again pleaded 'Why don’t you understand me ! Will any father kill his own progeny ? Will he bring an end to the clan of his family ? I didn't know that he had fallen under my feet. I was lost in my prayer of the lord. I lost the sense of touch. So this misery took place. Our son is named Vittu since he is a blessing of the lord Vittala. Why will I drive him to death ? Why do you curse me thus ? Why don't you sympathise with me?’

They couldn't sympathise with him still , but mutely left the place. Gora was left alone with his wife. He was about to touch her to console her. But she raised her voice against him and said, ‘Don't touch me. You are a hard hearted person. You separated me from my son.

‘Your son ! Isn't he my son too? Don't I have sorrow on his death.’
‘I don't know all that. I bore him in my womb for nine months. I cannot be as composed as you are.

Gora tried to philosophise. 'Gangabai, please try to understand. We are reaping the consequences of our previous janma's actions. Panduranga provides the fruits of our actions. Our attachment with our son is destined only for a year. He has to be taken away from us and I am made a tool for that. The lord gave us the boy and he took him back. Who are we to question his leela?’

Philosophy never soothes a perturbed soul. She raged against her husband. ‘Hum God ! Never raise His name before me. There is no God as such . It is just a man's creation. It is to seek solace in an external force. Some lazy, irresponsible people talk about janma and karma to hide their inefficiency. God is just a feeling. It is created out of polluted mind.’

Gora couldn't bear her foolish words. He didn't mind being scolded but he couldn't bear the challenge to the very existence of his God. He raised his hand against her to control her. Gangabai, unable to face him cried, ‘Don't touch me ! If you touch me it is as good as punishing your Lord Panduranga.’

That was the ultimatum for him. He could not touch her not only that cursed movement but forever. He took it as a serious matter and so did not touch her even afterwards. Gangabai’s angry words boomeranged on her. Her position was pitiable. Already she was feeling miserable having lost her only son. She could not feel solace in her husband's hand due to her hasty words.

She knew for certain Gora wouldn't go against it. There was no hope of their begetting another child. Their family could come to an end. Days were rolling by into weeks and weeks into months but their condition remained the same.

Gangabai was taken to her mother's place to get over her grief. In the peaceful environment there she hit upon a clever idea. She wanted her younger sister to marry her husband to beget a son for their family. The parents had no objection to it.

Gangabai went back to her husband and expressed her desire. Gora tried to convince her against it. ‘Gangabai, take it as a positive side. Lord Panduranga has relieved us of the earthly bonds. He wanted us to enjoy only platonic love. He has given us ample time to be lost in his prayer. Why do you want to pull me down into the mundane world again?’

Gangabai was adament. Gora had to yield. He wanted to give her solace. Gora and Vimala were united in wedlock. If Gangabai sealed her fate by her hasty words, poor father sealed his second daughter's fate by his innocent words. He told his son-in-law. You are a gentleman. Seeing your good nature, we have given away our second daughter too, to you. I don't have to remind you of your duties. But I only pray this of you. You take care of my second daughter as you take care of my eldest one.

Gora took it as a message of God. He didnot touch Gangabai, so shouldn't touch Vimalabai too!

Gangabai couldn't understand her husband's strange behaviour. Why should he be so indifferent to his new wife? She couldn't bear it anylonger. So one day she questioned her husband. He explained the situation clearly. Gangabai was taken aback. What an irony ? She wanted to undo the wrong done to her through another angle but she had with her own hands driven her sister too into a miserable life. How unforgivable of her. She knew for certain her husband wouldn't go against his promise come what may. He was such a disciplined man.

She thought and thought over it and finally hit upon a plan. When Gora was sleeping on the mat one night, both the sisters would sleep on either side of him and put his hands on their chest. When he got up from sleep he would think he had done it unknowingly and would resign to married life.

Any man might be tempted towards a woman, but not Gora though they were his wives. In the midst of the night, when Gora woke up and saw his hands over his wives he was terribly grieved. A crime is a crime whether it is done knowingly or unknowingly. He wanted to face a punishment for it. So he brought a sword tied it to a pillar and cut both his hands with it. Blood oozed down like a stream, but Gora coolly prayed to God.
The wives were filled with a sense of remorse for the husband. Gangabai's feelings were beyond expression. Whatever she did or said had a terrific counter action. That was the be all and end all of peaceful moments in their life.

Gora alone remained calm. Life on the spiritual path is not a smooth sail. ‘If I lost my hands, it is due to some sins I would have done in my previous janma. You are not to be blamed for that please don't feel bad about it. Don't worry about our financial position. I have only two hands and I lost them, but our God has infinite hands and he will take care of us. He has his own ways and means of helping us. Have faith in him. Put your heart and soul in God. Chant His name’ he consoled his wives.

Will God fail any devotee who surrenders totally to Him ? One day Panduranga came to the door step of Gora as a worker. I am a potter. I belong to Pandharpur. I came in search of a job. Please give me some work. I don't require money. You just give me food and clothing.

Gora was more than delighted 'You look like the lord? Pray to. You have come to extend a timely help to us. I lost my hands. You prepare pots out of my instruments and sell them. We will live with the money we get. We will treat that as God's prasad.

Panduranga used Gora's raw material and prepared pots out of that. How lucky they were to be touched and moulded by God. He sold them in Pandharpur. Sanku Chakra were vividly seen on the pots. People bought them crazily.

It was Kartika Suddha Ekadasi day. Jnanadev and Namadev came to Pandharpur to pray to the Lord. They were shocked. There was no life in the face of the lord. They could guess at once, God was not there. He had left Pandharpur to help a devotee of his. They went in search of Him. They saw people carrying home from market brand new pots. They all had Sankhu, Chakra marks on them. They could at once guess what had happened. They went in search of Gora Kumbhar.

Gora gladly invited Jnanadev and Namadev. Jnanadev said they had come to talk to the potter in his house. Gora spoke smilingly . He is a selfless man. He is pure at heart. He just went inside. Wait here. I'll call him. But where is He? The minute He saw Jnanadev and Namadev, God disappeared to his temple.

Gora came back and expressed his surprise. He couldn't understand how He could disappear in so short a time.

Namadev expressed with tears of joy, 'Gora, why will He be here ? How will He limit himself to one place ?

Gor couldn't understand. Then Jnanadev explained. ‘Gora, the man who served you, is no other than our lord Vittala. He couldn't bear to see your suffeing . So he came down to your house. I can't explain in words how lucky you are. You appointed the Lord Almighty as your servant. He mixed clay for you. He made pots. He carried them all the way and sold them. How lucky are those who bought them.’

Gora was moved to tears. He couldn't express a simple word. The three of them remained as statues thinking of the ocean of mercy of the lord.

Jnanadev invited Gora to Pandharpur with his family. Accordingly they followed them. They had a bath in the Chandrabhaga river and visited the shrine. Panduranga welcomed them with smile. Namadeva's joy knew no bounds. He danced in ecstasy. All the bhaktas joined hands with him. Gora too was excited. He too started dancing and unknowingly he wanted to join his hands to clap. Lo! he got back his hands. People around were surprised at the act of mercy of the Lord.

The next day Panduranga manifested Himself before Gora. Rukmini Devi presented Gangabai with her son. Namadev shed tears of joy at such a blessed scene.
Panduranga approached Gora and said, Gora for those who reach to me with a pure heart a marital state is an ideal state. You accept both your wives. You put your heart and soul in prayer you will be blessed. Then he disappeared. Gora as per the message of God, led the life of Grihasta and prayed to God. Finally when the time was ripe joined Paramathma.
everybody was watching, he got from the sky shining anklets, Tambura tala and pitambara. He accepted them with utmost devotion. The sadhus wondered at his bhakti. They praised him for the blessings showered on him by God.

Then Giridharlal wore the silk dhoti tied the anklets to his feet, held the tambura in his hand and sang and danced rasaleela. The sadhus were watching with deep interest. Giridharlal also sang the rasaleela and was engrossed in it. Then the Lord saw to it that the people gathered there witnessed his Rasaleela in this Krishnavatar time. The sadhus and Giridharlal were filled with joy. Then God put an end to his leela and vanished.

The sadhus were so thrilled there prayed to him in many ways and then prayed to the Lord too. Oh God Nobody can praise your leela. Not even Adisesha or Saraswathi or Brahma. In such a case how can we afterall ordinary human beings praise you ? You should bless us with your great kindness. Then Giridharlal took them to his math, offered them food and ate after them and spent time in listening to stories of God.

One day, a viragi came there. Giridharlal gave him a warm welcome offered pranams to him and washed his feet and drank that tirdha. The people in the town objected to it. They said Giridharlal could not be a true brahmin since he serve a Viragi from a cemetery. Giridharlal said that Sanyasi was a devotee of the Lord Vishnu. Moreover it doesn't befit them to insult a great man. Then they challenged Giridharlal, If you have powers to identify him as a great man, then you provide life to a dead body. Giridharlal accepted the challenge.

One day they took him to a dead body, Giridharlal prayed to Krishna in various ways and then looked at the deadbody. He woke up as if from deep sleep and went round Giridharlal. Then the people pleaded to Giridharlal to forgive them. He took as the leela of God.

The people prostrated before God and asked him to teach them how to be blessed, by God and how to be liberated from life. Giridharlal taught them Krishnamantra and asked them to recite it. He said, treat everything as a manifestation of God, develop jnana, bhakti and vairagya control your indriyas use your indriyas for the good of others do your duty sincerely and leave the result to God. Pray to sadhus and accept that tirdhaprasadam. Then you will be liberated from life and you will experience satchitananda! They prayed to him and left.

Giridharlal continued his prayer of God and transformed many people into bhaktas, visited many holy places and finally attained moksha. His disciples too attained moksha.