Saint Sketch -4- Bhakta Chokamela -Part-1 By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji

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Radhe Krishna To All,

 

Pandarpur is glorified as the bazaar of Nama. The most favorite of the presiding

deity, Panduranga is Nama Kirtan. There have not been as many bhaktas for any

other deities as there have been for Panduranga. The icing on the cake is the

fact that these great devotee-saints have belonged to different castes, creeds,

races and sects - a standing example to show that the Lord does not distinguish

based on such mundane worldly classifications. Today we take up the sketch of a

Bhakta by name Chokamela... Read on...

 

Bhakta Chokamela

 

Long ago, in the holy Kshetra of Pandarpur(in present day Maharashtra), there

lived a great devotee of Lord Sri Panduranga (who was none other than Lord Sri

Krishna himself) by name Chokamela. Sri Chokamela’s hailed from a slum and as

was customary those days the inhabitants were not permitted to enter the temple.

Though Lord Panduranga saw no difference between his devotees based on their

birth, colour, race, wealth, region or religion, the selfish world did! To the

Lord, the only thing that mattered was the depth of one’s devotion.

 

The friends, relatives and neighbours of Chokamela led lives without any values,

orderliness or sense of direction. They ate whatever they wanted; slept

whenever/wherever they wished and were addicted to all sorts of bad habits such

as alcoholism. Like a beautiful lotus that blooms in a stinking marsh, Chokamela

though, led the life of a pure Vaishnava. He would wake early in the morning,

have a bath, wear Tulsi maala and Gopi chandan and chant the divine names of the

Lord. As he was not permitted to enter the temple of Lord Sri Panduranga, he

stood near the compound wall and sang the divine names joyfully.

 

Constantly, he advised his kith and kin to mend their ways and about how it was

very easy to win the grace of God by simply chanting his Divine Names. Though

they all mocked at him in the beginning, gradually his purity and goodwill won

their hearts and they gave all their vices. Following his example, all of them

woke up early in the morning and accompanied him to the temple where they all

stood outside the compound wall chanting the lord’s glorious names. Lord

Panduranga Himself relished every nama they chanted, much more than the puja

offered by the priests. Like Nandanar, the great devotee of Lord Sri Shiva,

Chokamela too, had transformed the entire slum. They were all a group of

pure-hearted bhagavatas now.

 

Naturally, this was not liked by the priests of the temple. Though Chokamela and

his group did not in any way interfere with the temple proceedings, the priests

hurled abuses at them and told them that they had no right to worship to God. As

is the nature of any Sadhu, Chokamela too, did not want to argue with the

priests or fight with them. He thought if that was the way that Panduranga

wanted it, he would stay at home and worship the Lord.

 

!!! Will Continue !!!

 

Regards

 

Please Chant

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

 

and be happy

 

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