Tadu.

 तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके ।

तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥ ५ ॥

tadejati tannaijati taddūre tadvantike |

tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ || 5 ||

It moves, it is motionless. It is distant, it is near. It is within all, it is without all this.

 Showing that there is no superfluity of mantras, the following mantra declares again what was expressed by the previous mantra. ‘It’ means ‘the entity of the Atman which is being treated of.’ ‘Ejati’ means ‘moves.’ ‘Xaijati’ means ‘does not move of itself.’ The meaning is that though motionless in itself, it seems to move. Besides, it is distant, i.e., it seems to be far removed, because it is not attainable by the ignorant, even in the course of hundreds of millions of ages. Tadvantike is split into tad, u and antike. It is very near to the knowing; for, it is their Atman. It is not merely distant and near; it is within everything according to the Sruti “The Atman which is within everything.” All means ‘all the world of names and forms and activity.’ It is without all this, being all-pervading like the Akas; and within everything, being extremely subtle. It is indivisible according to the Sruti “It is dense with knowledge.”

Tukaram abhang.

What is the need to ask we may not know that God has planned something even greater for us, by asking we may be settled for something not so worth the while for the Lord fulfils our wishes.

 One day when Tuka came home Jija was performing Lakshmi Pooja at home.

He asked her what she was doing and she replied that she was doing pooja for Rukmani.

He then asked her what the occasion today was and why she was suddenly doing this.

Jija then told him that some astrologer had told her that if she does this pooja, she would get more wealth.

Tuka then told her that whatever wealth is needed for their family, Vitthal would give it to them and she need not do all this for gaining wealth.

Jija then told him that he was praying Vitthal and that she was praying Rukmani his wife and there is nothing wrong with it.

Tuka then told her that what she was doing was kamyartha bhakthi (praying god and expecting something in return) and that one should not do that.

She dint listen to him and continued with her poojas.

After a few weeks she suddenly got some money.

She bought new clothes for the kids and herself, got back the jewels that were mortgaged.

That day when Tuka came for lunch he saw the changes at home and asked her what had happened.

She then told him that she had reaped the benefits of doing Lakshmi Pooja and went in to bring food for him.

On hearing this Tuka went out without even having his food.

Jija thought that he would be angry and return in the night.

It was 3 days and he still dint return.

She knew that he would go to Pandharpur very often without informing her and thought that he would have gone there.

She waited for a few weeks and then it was more than a month now and Jija really started worrying.

She then decided to go to Pandhari and started her journey.

Pandharpur is almost about 300kms from Dehu.

She searched for him there and couldn’t find him.

She then asked the other sadhus there if they had seen him.

They said that they have not seen him in Pandhari for more than a month now.

Jijabai was really worried now and dint know what to do.

She then went inside the temple prayed to Vitthal and spend the night in the temple and go back to Dehu the next morning.

That night Vitthal came in her dream and told her that Tukaram was in Dehu and also showed her the hill where he was sitting and singing his abhangs.

He also told her that he has not been having food from the time he left home.

The next day morning Jija left for Dehu, climbed up the hill to the place where Tukaram was seated. (We can even today see this place in Dehu)

She found him seated on the stone, and found that he was very weak with beard grown over his face.

His voice still had the same energy and was loudly singing the praise of god.

She folded her hands and stood in front of him with tears in her eyes.

When Tuka finished his abhang, he saw Jija standing there and asked her why she had come there.

He also said that he now wanted to be isolated from the world and wanted to sing about Vitthal.

Jija asked him how she and her children would live.

Tuka then told her that, now that she does Lakshmi Pooja, she has the money to run the family and does not need him any more.

Jija then burst in to tears and told him that it was Tuka who was more important for her than the jewels and the money.

Tuka then asked her to distribute all the wealth to the poor and asked her to come back to him as earlier.

She then went back home did the same and came back to Tuka.

Tuka then sang some abhangs to advice her. He then came back with her to their house.

waste time.

  The purpose of our life is to remember the glories of Krishna and not to waste our valuable time over useless speculations.

We must always meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead by constantly thinking of Him  while diligently carrying out our prescribed duties.

Constant thinking is possible only when we relish the taste of the nectarian sweetness of His association in the form of sadhana (chanting, reading, writing etc) and service (cooking, cleaning so on).

There is a story of Manu, 

Manu, was on a pilgrimage for many days and was walking towards the holy town of Vrindaban.

On reaching the other side of the river he heard raised voices.

As he went closer he saw a group of scholars arguing .

Quite amused by their exchanges young Manu stepped forward and said I have been listening to your arguments. It is surprising that such learned men are unable to come to an agreement over such a simple matter. If you allow me I can settle this matter for you very easily.

 The all powerful Lord accepts fruit, water, flower and even leaves when they are offered with love and devotion.

Distributing the prasad among the scholars he said it is more sensible to do something more positive in the present than to argue about the past.

abhyaasa-yoga�yuktena cetasaa naanya-gaaminaa
paramam purusham divyam yaati paarathaanucintayan

“He who meditates on Me as as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, not deviating from the path, he, O’ Partha, is sure to reach Me.”

This Bhakti yoga is not just a mental speculative process rather it is a process which is full of activities, engaging our body, mind and intelligence in the service of the Lord round the clock.

The caterpillar that thinks of becoming a butterfly and so is transformed into a butterfly in the same life.

real on reel

 https://youtu.be/q4pWyK0M_wA

Small gesture .

 mukam karoti vacalam

pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande
sri gurum dina-taranam

It is possible if we become obedient student of guru, then even though we may be dumb, deaf and dumb, still, we can become good lecturer. Mukam karoti vacalam, talk very much about Krsna. This is Krsna’s grace, mukam karoti… Pangum langhayate girim, if one is lame man, he is made to cross over the hill, mountain. This is the mercy of guru.

So bhakti, or cultivation of spiritual knowledge, is never subjected by any material things. Ahaituky apratihata. No material thing can check us in our progress in Krsna consciousness. It is not possible. Simply follow the instruction of Krsna consciousness, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Follow the rules and regulations and everything will be clear, very crystal clear. There will be no impediment.

There is this story of a Brahmin in the Skanda Purana, who undertook a pilgrimage tour of temples and Holy Rivers, after leasing his house to some Pravakthas who had come to his village for a Bhagavatha Sapthaham.

He managed to reach Kasi and went to take bath in River Ganga.

To his surprise he found the Ganga to be dry.

While he was wondering what is wrong, because his understanding was that Ganga will always have water in it, some punditas were coming after their bath in Ganga.

He asked them where they took bath.

They replied that Ganga is flowing with full majesty and they took their bath.

Then our poor brahmin realised that he might have done some sin because of which he is not able to see Gangaji.

He wanted to clarify it and went to one realized soul, who was calling for Ganga and the River goddess Ganga came for his service, all the Holy River and Devatas were serving him in his Ashrama.

Wondered, our brahmin asked him what he had done to get the services of these River Goddesses.

That Punya Atma replied that he did not know anything, my father used to read Srimad Bhagavatham regularly and after he passed away, as I do not know how to read Bhagavatham, all I did was placing the Holy Book in the Pooja room and offer few flowers and Tulasi leaves to it every day.

The brahmin realised his mistake, the Bhagavatha Sapthaham was going on in his village and he set out to see the Punya Theerthas ,not knowing that where Bhagawan’s stuthies are chanted, all the Divya Kshetras and Divya Theerthas assemble to give their blessings.

Same chapter every day.

 Once there lived an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna by name Poonthaanam.

He worshipped Guruvayoorappan (Lord Krishna) with all his heart and soul.

People loved him for his beautiful Bhagavatam discourses.

There is a temple in North Kerala called Kottiyoor. The significant deity in the temple is Lord Siva. The temple was kept open only for a few days during a year.

There were no human activities in that place for the rest of the year.

Once Poonthaanam reached the Kottiyoor temple and had a bath in the holy river.

He worshiped the compassionate Lord Siva, felt happy, and stayed there for a few days.

He recited Bhagavatam everyday in front of the deity and several hundreds of people listened to his sweet discourse on the wonderful pastime in the 10th Canto 60th of Srimad Bhagavatam named “Lord Krishna Teases Queen Rukmini.”

The Lord decides to play with His beloved wife Queen Rukmini and wanted to listen to Her.

He playfully asks Her why She wanted to marry the Lord when She had better choices like King Sisupala, Salva, Jarasandha, etc.

Hearing this Queen Rukmini faints and Lord consoles Her.

This is the gist of the chapter.

Poonthaanam finished reading this part of the chapter and kept the bookmark at the end of the chapter so that he can continue reciting from the next chapter.

Next day, to his surprise, he found the bookmark at beginning of the same chapter.

So Poonthaanam read the same part for the second time.

This was repeated for the rest of the days.

It was the last day to close the temple for the year.

Poonthanam finished the discourse and was returning from the temple with the other devotees, but somehow left the Bhagavatam in the temple itself.

Having walked some distance suddenly he remembered that he forgot to bring the Bhagavatam with him.

He hurried back; crossed the river and reached the entrance to the temple, which was closed. He was all alone.

He could hear somebody reciting the same part of the chapter from Bhagavatam inside the temple.

As he looked through the keyhole he saw Lord Siva himself reading from Poonthanam’s Bhagavatam.

Mother Parvati and his other Bhoothaganas were listening.

Their eyes were filled with tears out of devotion.

Poonthaanam stood there motionless and heard the whole recitation.

At the end Lord Siva asked Parvati devi, “Did you like the Bhagavatam recitation”?

Parvathi replied,”Yes, it was nice, but was not as good as Poonthaanam’s”.

Lord Siva replied, “Yes. That is true. I also like to hear Bhagavatam from Poonthaanam. That is why I placed the bookmark again and again at the beginning of the same topic every day.”

Hearing this Poonthaanam who stood outside was shaken up and uttered the holy name of Krishna loudly.

When he watched again, Lord Siva and Mother Parvati had disappeared from his sight.

Chanting.

 ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaḿ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaḿ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaḿ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaḿ prati-padaḿ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaḿ
sarvātma-snapanaḿ paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam

Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.