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Hindu Bhakti Stotras (Devotional Hymns) Index
Bhakta Tripuradas
Stories of Devotees, Stories from Puranas, Stories from Hindu Mythology, Stories of Bhakthas, Stories of Alwars, Stories of Nayanars, Stories of Hindu Saints, Biographies of Hindu Philosophers, Stories of Hindu Sages, Stories of Hindu Gods and Goddesses,
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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.
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