Sant
Tukaram Maharaj also referred to as Santshreshta, Jagadguru, Tukoba and
Tukobaraya, was a 17th-century Hindu poet and siant of the Bhakti movement in
Maharashtra. Sant Tukaram Maharaj is best known for his devotional poetry
called Abhanga and community-oriented
worship with spiritual songs known as kirtanas.
His poetry was devoted to Vitthala or Vithoba.
Birth and Life
Tukaram
was born in modern day Maharastra state. His complete name was Tukaram Bolhoba
Ambile. The year of birth and death of sant Tukaram has been a subject of
research and dispute among 20th-century scholars. He was either born in the
year 1598 or 1608 in a village named Dehu, near Pune.
Sant
Tukaram was born to Kanakar and Bolhoba More and scholars consider his family
to belong to the Kunbi caste. Tukaram's family owned a retailing and
money-lending business as well as were engaged in agriculture and trade. His
parents were devotees of Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu deity Vishnu. Both his
parents died when Tukaram was a teenager.
Sant
Tukaram's first wife was Rakhama Bai, and they had a son named Santu. However,
both his son and wife starved to death in the famine of 1630–1632. The deaths
and widespread poverty had a profound effect on Tukaram, who became
contemplative, meditating on the hills of Sahyadri range (Western Ghats) and
later wrote he "had discussions with my own self". Tukaram married
again, and his second wife was Avalai Jija Bai.
He
spent most of his later years in devotional worship, community kirtanas (group
prayers with singing) and composing Abhanga poetry. In his work of Abhangas,
Tukarama repeatedly refers to four other persons who had a primary influence on
his spiritual development, namely the earlier Bhakti Sants Namdev, Dnyaneshwar,
Kabir and Eknath.
It
is said that Tukaram disappeared in 1649 or 1650.
Important Places associated with
Tukaramji in Dehu that exist today are:
Tukaram Maharaj Janm Sthan Temple, Dehu –
place where Tukaramji was born, around which a temple was built later. Sant
Tukaram Vaikunthstan Temple. There is a nice ghat behind this temple along the
Indrayani river. Sant Tukaram Maharaj Gatha Mandir, Dehu – modern structure;
massive building housing a big statue of Tukaram; In the Gatha temple, about
4,000 abhangs (verses) created by Tukaram maharaj were carved on the walls.
Literary works
Sant
Tukaram composed Abhanga poetry, a Marathi genre of literature which is
metrical, simple, direct, and it fuses folk stories with deeper spiritual
themes. Tukaram's work is known for informal verses of rapturous abandon in
folksy style, composed in vernacular language.
Tukaram
Gatha also called Abhanga Gatha is a Marathi language compilation of his works,
likely composed between 1632 and 1650. The Indian tradition believes it
includes some 4,500 abhangas. He includes a discussion about the conflict
between Pravritti – having passion
for life, family, business, and Nivritti
– the desire to renounce, leave everything behind for individual liberation,
moksha.
Kirtanaas
Tukaram
encouraged kirtana as a music imbued, community-oriented group singing and
dancing form of bhakti. He considered kirtana not just a means to learn about
Bhakti, but Bhakti itself. The greatest merit in kirtana, according to Tukaram,
is it being not only a spiritual path for the devotee, it helps create a
spiritual path for others.
Tukaram
accepted disciples and devotees without discriminating gender.
Legacy
Gatha temple in Dehu, near Pune Maharashtra, is one of two local temples that mark the legacy of Tukaram. His poetry is carved on its wall. Tukaram's literary works are credited to have propelled into pan-Indian Bhakti literature.