To protect religious principles, To shatter the non-Vedic conclusion, To sow the seed of the Holy Name, This is our only mission. Armed with strong words we roam, To defeat opposition all, While executing this holy mission, Tuka fears no one the greatest or lesser - Saint Tukarama Tukaram pioneered the sankirtan movement in Maharashtra, constantly chanting the Holy Names to the accompaniment of his veena and hand cymbals. His dealings with his worshipable Lord Vitthala were extremely intimate and loving, and consequently, he was a staunch opponent of the Mayavada school. Several parallels may be drawn between his life and the lives of many of our Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas, notably Srila Haridas Thakur. Being completely immersed in the chanting of the Holy Names, he was the very embodiment of �trinad api sunichena, taror api sahishnuna, amanina manadena, kirtaniyah sada harih�, and displayed extraordinary humility when confronted with the taunts and insults heaped upon him by the smarta (caste) brahmanas. - His Holiness Lokanath Swami