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.
from Bhagavatam Katha
#Tukaram
#Laxmi Pooja
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