Sri Rama Samartha 
Sadguru Sri Tukarama Chaitanya is our Parama guru. He is the Guru of our Sadguru Sri Brahmachaitanya Maharaj of Gondavale. His Aradhana is celebrated to day..
Sri Tukarama Chaitanya , also called Tuka Mayi meaning mother Tuka, was born of parents Sri Kashinatha Panth and Smt. Parvathi, in Yelegaon. Tukaram's mother passed away when he was three years old. Kashinath being of a saintly character, looked after the child. He had some agricultural lands which he cultivated. The child grew up mostly unattended at home. He was always playing with some kids or the other. But being an advanced soul, he could sit for meditation hours together. He had immense power of controlling his breath, which was demonstrated by the following incident.
Tukaram was playing with his friends on the sand near the river-bed. Each boy made a pit in the sand and sat inside the pit. Tukaram made the biggest pit and sat inside it. Suddenly the river began to rise and soon the water filled up the pits. All the boys ran out of the pits and reached homes. The daylight faded and night set in. Kashinathaji found that his son has not returned home. He was worried and inquired in neighbouring houses.He was shocked to find that all the boys had returned except Tukaram.
So, he went to the river bed, along with a few friends. They noticed that the river had advanced and covered all the pits. Kashinathaji, anxiously, shouted , "Tuka, Tukaram". and suddenly, the boy came out of the pit on hearing his father's voice. They were all surprised and happy.
One morning, Tukaram,now a youth, was sitting on the river-bed, after morning ablutions, with closed eyes. A great saint, Sri Chinmayanandaji of Umarkhed had halted in Yehalegaon while returning from Pandarpur. He took bath in the river, and noticed a youth sitting in meditation on the riverbed. He approached him. Just then, the youth opened his eyes and their eyes met. There was a feeling of recognition. Sri Chinmayanandaji went close to him and put his hand on the youth's head. and called him "Tukaram Chaitanya". Satisfied that his work was done, Chinmayanandaji went back to Umerkhed, the same day.
Chinmayanananda belonged to Natha pantha starting from Adinatha-Machendranath-Gorakhnath .....and so on. In this tradition, Yoga and Bhakthi are blended and the followers are Yogis and Devotees.
On learning about the initiation to Tukaram, by a great saint, people started to visit Tukaram for the solutions to their problems. They called him "Tuka Masyi". He was kind to every body. They all had the feeling that his blessings solved their problems. But Tuka Mayi was perturbed that none of the people who came to him wanted spiritual advancement.the real requirement on being born as human. They were all after worldly pleasures. So, he was waiting for a disciple truly interested in realising God.
As he was a yogi, he observed that such a disciple, a boy is coming to him with in three days. So, he started to tell the villagers that a thief was coming to rob him. The villagers were wondering what wealth Tuka Mayi had for a robber to rob him. They did not understand that what he meant was the immense spiritual wealth he had accumulated.
As per his prediction, on the third day a boy came to his house. SriTukaram was not in the house. People in the house asked the boy to go inside the house and take some food. But the boy refused. He decided to wait outside the house without food, till the saint returned. He sat doing Japam.
In the evening, when the Sun was about to set, Tukaram came home. Some one had told him that a boy was waiting for his darshan since morning. Tukaram shouted " Where is that boy, that great thief ?"
The boy, Ganapathi, stood up at the sight of his Guru with folded hands and tearful eyes, could not move. Tukaram called out, " Come on, I am going to murder your self". The boy said, " Guruji, I will surrender myself to you". with these words, he fell on Sri Tukaram's feet. Tukaram, with motherly affection hugged him and accepted him as his disciple. The Guru tested the disciple in many ways. Ganapathi stood up in all the tests. and finally, after nine months, Tukaram initiated him with Tharaka Mantra, "Sri Rama Jai Rama Jai Jai Rama". and blessed him to be known as "Brahmachaitanya" from that day.
The boy Ganapathi was later known as Sadguru Sri Brahmachaitanya Maharaj of Gondavale.
The Master and the disciple sowed the seeds of Ram naam all over India.
Jai Jai Raghuveera Samartha
