Sant Tukaram Maharaj (Marathi pronunciation:
">̪ukaːɾam was a 17th-century
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
, Hindu
''sant'' (saint), popularly known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, Tukoba in Maharashtra. He was a Sant of
Varkari
Warkari ( Marathi: वारकरी; Pronunciation: aːɾkəɾiː Meaning: 'The one who performs the ''Wari) is a sampradaya (religious movement) within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the In ...
sampradaya
''Sampradaya'' ( sa, सम्प्रदाय; ), in Indian origin religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, can be translated as 'tradition', 'spiritual lineage', 'sect', or 'religious system'. To ensure continuity and ...
(Marathi-Vaishnav tradition) - that venerates the god
Vitthal
Vithoba, also known as Vi(t)thal(a) and Panduranga, is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is generally considered as a manifestation of the god Vishnu, or his avatar Krishna. Vithoba is of ...
- in
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
He was part of the egalitarian, personalized Varkari devotionalism tradition.
Tukaram is best known for his devotional poetry called
Abhanga Abhanga () is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The word "abhang" comes from ''a'' for "non-" and ''bhang'' for "ending" or "interrupting", in other words, a flawless, continuous process, in ...
and community-oriented worship with spiritual songs known as
kirtan.[Anna Schultz (2012), Singing a Hindu Nation: Marathi Devotional Performance and Nationalism, Oxford University Press, , page 62]
Biography
Early life
Tukaram was born in modern-day Maharashtra state of India. 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.
[Richard M. Eaton (2005), A Social History of the Deccan, 1300–1761: Eight bji kg b
Indian Lives, Cambridge University Press, , pages 129-130] He was either born in the year 1598 or 1608 in a village named
Dehu
Dehu is a neighbourhood in the city of Pune, India. It is known for being the abode of Sant Tukaram.
The Tukaram Palakhi heading towards the town of Pandharpur originates from Dehu in the month of ''Ashadh.''
Demographics
India census, Dehu h ...
, near
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
in
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
, India.
Sant Tukaram was born to Kanakai and Bolhoba More and scholars consider his family to belong to the
Kunbi
Kunbi (alternatively Kanbi , Kurmi ) is a generic term applied to caste system, castes of traditional farmers in Western India. These include the Dhonoje, Ghatole, Hindre, Jadav, Jhare, Khaire, Lewa (Leva Patil), Lonare and Tirole communities ...
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
Vithoba, also known as Vi(t)thal(a) and Panduranga, is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is generally considered as a manifestation of the god Vishnu, or his avatar Krishna. Vithoba is ...
, an avatar of Hindu deity
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
(Vaishnavas). 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''.
Later life
He spent most of his later years in devotional worship, community
kirtans
Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance art ...
(group prayers with singing) and composing
Abhanga Abhanga () is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The word "abhang" comes from ''a'' for "non-" and ''bhang'' for "ending" or "interrupting", in other words, a flawless, continuous process, in ...
poetry.
[Eleanor Zelliot (1976), Hinduism: New Essays in the History of Religions (Editor: Bardwell L Smith), Brill Academic, , pages 154-156]
Tukaram pointed out the evil of wrongdoings of society, social system and Maharajs by his and .
He faced some opposition because of this, by society from some peoples. A man named Mambaji harassed him a lot, He was running a (religious seat) in Dehu and had some followers.
Initially Tukaram gave him the job of doing puja at his temple, but he was jealous of Tukaram by seeing Tukaram getting respect among the village peoples. He once hit Tukaram by thorn's stick.
He used foul language against Tukaram.
Later Mambaji also became admirer of Tukaram. He became his student.
Tukaram disappeared (It is controversial and needs to be explored) in 1649 or 1650.
According to some scholars, Tukaram met
Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj – a leader who challenged the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
and founded the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
;
Their continued interaction is the subject of legends.
[Justin Edwards Abbott (2000), Life of Tukaram, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 320] Eleanor Zelliot
Eleanor Zelliot (October 7, 1926 – June 5, 2016) was an American writer, professor of Carleton College and specialist on the history of India, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, women of Asia, Untouchables, and social movements.
Zelliot wrote over eig ...
states that
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
poets including Tukaram were influential in Shivaji's rise to power.
[
]
Philosophy and practices
Vedanta
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
Shri Sant Namdev Maharaj (Pronunciation: aːmdeʋ, also transliterated as Nam Dayv, Namdeo, Namadeva, (traditionally, ) was a Marathi Bahujan saint from Narsi, Hingoli, Maharashtra, India within the Varkari tradition of Hinduism. He lived a ...
'', ''Dnyaneshwar
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ, also referred to as Jnaneshwar, Jnanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of ...
'', ''Kabir
Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das ...
'' and ''Eknath
Eknath (IAST: Eka-nātha, Marathi pronunciation: knath (1533–1599), commonly known as Sant Eknath was an Indian Hindu saint, philosopher and poet. He was a devotee of the Hindu deity Vitthal and is a major figure of the Warkari movement ...
''.
Early 20th-century scholars on Tukaram considered his teachings to be Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
-based but lacking a systematic theme. Edwards wrote,
Late 20th-century scholarship of Tukaram, and translations of his ''Abhanga'' poem, affirm his pantheistic Vedantic view. Tukaram's Abhanga 2877, as translated by Shri Gurudev Ranade of Nimbal states, for example, "The Vedanta has said that the whole universe is filled by God. All sciences have proclaimed that God has filled the whole world. The Puranas have unmistakably taught the universal immanence of God. The sants have told us that the world is filled by God. Tuka indeed is playing in the world uncontaminated by it like the Sun which stands absolutely transcendent".
Scholars note the often discussed controversy, particularly among Marathi people, whether Tukaram subscribed to the monistic Vedanta philosophy of Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...
.[R G Bhandarkar (2014), Vaisnavism, Saivism and Minor Religious Systems, Routledge, , pages 98-99] Bhandarkar notes that Abhanga 300, 1992 and 2482 attributed to Tukaram are in style and philosophy of Adi Shankara:
However, scholars also note that other Abhangas attributed to Tukaram criticize monism, and favor dualistic Vedanta philosophy of the Indian philosophers Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya (; ; CE 1199-1278 or CE 1238–1317), sometimes Anglicisation, anglicised as Madhva Acharya, and also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' ...
and Ramanuja
Ramanuja (Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents o ...
. In Abhanga 1471, according to Bhandarkar's translation, Tukaram says, "When monism is expounded without faith and love, the expounder as well as the hearer are troubled and afflicted. He who calls himself Brahma and goes on in his usual way, should not be spoken to and is a buffoon. The shameless one who speaks heresy in opposition to the Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
is an object of scorn among holy men."
The controversy about Tukaram's true philosophical positions has been complicated by questions of authenticity of poems attributed to him, discovery of manuscripts with vastly different number of his Abhang poems, and that Tukaram did not write the poems himself, they were written down much later, by others from memory.
Tukaram denounced mechanical rites, rituals, sacrifices, vows and instead encouraged direct form of bhakti (devotion).
Kirtan
Tukaram encouraged kirtan
Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...
as a music imbued, community-oriented group singing and dancing form of bhakti
''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...
. He considered kirtan not just a means to learn about Bhakti, but Bhakti itself. The greatest merit in kirtan, according to Tukaram, is it being not only a spiritual path for the devotee, it helps create a spiritual path for others.[Anna Schultz (2012), Singing a Hindu Nation: Marathi Devotional Performance and Nationalism, Oxford University Press, , pages 25-28]
Social reforms
Tukaram accepted disciples and devotees without discriminating gender. One of his celebrated devotees was Bahina Bai, a Brahmin woman, who faced anger and abuse of her husband when she chose Bhakti marga and Tukaram as her ''guru''.
Tukaram taught, states Ranade, that "pride of caste never made any man holy", "the Vedas and Shastras have said that for the service of God, castes do not matter", "castes do not matter, it is God's name that matters", and "an outcast who loves the Name of God is verily a Brahmin; in him have tranquility, forbearance, compassion and courage made their home". However, early 20th century scholars questioned whether Tukaram himself observed caste when his daughters from his second wife married men of their own caste. Fraser and Edwards, in their 1921 review of Tukaram, stated that this is not necessarily so, because people in the West too generally prefer relatives to marry those of their own economic and social strata.[The Life and Teaching of Tukaram]
J Nelson Fraser, and JF Edwards, Probsthain, Christian Literature Society, pages 163, 54-55
David Lorenzen
David N. Lorenzen is a British–American historian, scholar of Religious studies, essayist, and emeritus professor of South Asian history at the Centre for Asian and African studies, El Colegio de México in Mexico City.
He is chiefly notable ...
states that the acceptance, efforts and reform role of Tukaram in the ''Varakari-sampraday'' follows the diverse caste and gender distributions found in Bhakti movements across India. Tukaram, of Shudra varna, was one of the nine non-Brahmins, of the twenty one considered sant in ''Varakari-sampraday'' tradition. The rest include ten Brahmins and two whose caste origins are unknown. Of the twenty one, four women are celebrated as sant, born in two Brahmin and two non-Brahmin families. Tukaram's effort at social reforms within ''Varakari-sampraday'' must be viewed in this historical context and as part of the overall movement, states Lorenzen.David Lorenzen
David N. Lorenzen is a British–American historian, scholar of Religious studies, essayist, and emeritus professor of South Asian history at the Centre for Asian and African studies, El Colegio de México in Mexico City.
He is chiefly notable ...
(2006), Who Invented Hinduism: Essays on Religion in History, Yoda Press, , pages 127-128
Literary works
Tukaram composed Abhanga Abhanga () is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The word "abhang" comes from ''a'' for "non-" and ''bhang'' for "ending" or "interrupting", in other words, a flawless, continuous process, in ...
poetry, a Marathi genre of literature which is metrical (traditionally the ''ovi'' meter), 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, in contrast to his predecessors such as Dnyandeva or Namdev
Shri Sant Namdev Maharaj (Pronunciation: aːmdeʋ, also transliterated as Nam Dayv, Namdeo, Namadeva, (traditionally, ) was a Marathi Bahujan saint from Narsi, Hingoli, Maharashtra, India within the Varkari tradition of Hinduism. He lived a ...
known for combining similar depth of thought with a grace of style.
In one of his poems, Tukaram self-effacingly described himself as a "fool, confused, lost, liking solitude because I am wearied of the world, worshipping Vitthal (Vishnu) just like my ancestors were doing but I lack their faith and devotion, and there is nothing holy about me".
Tukaram Gatha
' is a Marathi language compilation of his works, likely composed between 1632 and 1650.[Mohan Lal (1993), Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot, Sahitya Akademi, South Asia Books, , pages 4404-4405] Also called ''Abhanga Gatha'', the Indian tradition believes it includes some 4,500 ''abhangas''. The poems considered authentic cover a wide range of human emotions and life experiences, some autobiographical, and places them in a spiritual context. 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
''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriology, ...
.
Ranade states there are four major collations of Tukaram's Abhanga Gathas.
Authenticity
Numerous inconsistent manuscripts of ''Tukaram Gatha'' are known, and scholars doubt that most of the poems attributed to Tukaram are authentic. Of all manuscripts so far discovered, four are most studied and labelled as: the ''Dehu MS'', the ''Kadusa MS'', the ''Talegeon MS'' and the ''Pandharpur MS''. Of these, the Dehu MS is most referred to because Indian tradition asserts that it is based on the writing of Tukaram's son ''Mahadeva'', but there is no historical evidence that this is true.[The Life and Teaching of Tukaram]
J Nelson Fraser, and JF Edwards, Probsthain, Christian Literature Society, pages 119-124
The first compilation of Tukaram poems was published, in modern format, by Indu Prakash publishers in 1869, subsidized by the British colonial government's Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...
. The 1869 edition noted, "some of the s received
S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''.
Histor ...
manuscripts on which the compilation relied, had been 'corrected', 'further corrected' and 'arranged'." This doctoring and rewriting over about 200 years, after Tukaram's death, has raised questions whether the modern compilation of Tukaram's poems faithfully represents what Tukaram actually thought and said, and the historicity
Historicity is the historical actuality of persons and events, meaning the quality of being part of history instead of being a historical myth, legend, or fiction. The historicity of a claim about the past is its factual status. Historicity denot ...
of the document. The known manuscripts are jumbled, randomly scattered collections, without chronological sequence, and each contains some poems that are not found in all other known manuscripts.
Books and translations
The 18th-century biographer Mahipati
Mahipati (1715 - 1790) was an 18th century Marathi language hagiographer who wrote biographies of prominent Hindu Vaishnava sants who had lived between the 13th and the 17th centuries in Maharashtra and other regions of India.
Early life
Mahip ...
, in his four volume compilation of the lives of many Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
sants, included Tukaram. Mahipati's treatise has been translated by Justin Abbott.
A translation of about 3,700 poems from Tukaram Gatha in English was published, in three volumes, between 1909 and 1915, by Fraser and Marathe. In 1922, Fraser and Edwards published his biography and religious ideas incorporating some translations of Tukaram's poems, and included a comparison of Tukaram's philosophy and theology with those of Christianity. Deleury, in 1956, published a metric French translation of a selection of Tukaram's poem along with an introduction to the religious heritage of Tukaram (Deleury spells him as ''Toukaram'').
Arun Kolatkar
Arun Balkrishna Kolatkar ( Marathi: अरुण बालकृष्ण कोलटकर) (1 November 1932 – 25 September 2004) was an Indian poet who wrote in both Marathi and English. His poems found humour in everyday matters. Kolatkar ...
published, in 1966, six volumes of avant-garde translations of Tukaram poems. Ranade has published a critical biography and some selected translation.
Dilip Chitre
Dilip Purushottam Chitre (17 September 1938 – 10 December 2009) was one of the foremost Indian poets and critics to emerge in the post Independence India. Apart from being a notable bilingual writer, writing in Marathi language, Marathi and En ...
translated writings of Sant Tukaram into English in the book titled ''Says Tuka'' for which he was awarded the ''Sahitya Akademi'' award in 1994. A selection of poems of Tukaram has been translated and published by Daniel Ladinsky.
Chandrakant Kaluram Mhatre has translated selected poems of Tukaram, published as ''One Hundred Poems of Tukaram
''One Hundred Poems of Tukaram'' is a 2015 book consisting of selected poems of Sant Tukaram, a prominent Varkari Sant and spiritual poet of the Bhakti, translated into English by Chandrakant Kaluram Mhatre. The book also consists of an intro ...
''.
Legacy
Maharashtra society
Tukaram's abhangs are very popular in Maharashtra. It became part of the culture of the state. Varkaris, poets and peoples study his poems. His poems are popular in rural Maharashtra and their popularity is increasing. Tukaram was a devotee of Vithoba
Vithoba, also known as Vi(t)thal(a) and Panduranga, is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is generally considered as a manifestation of the god Vishnu, or his avatar Krishna. Vithoba is ...
''(''Vitthala'')'', an avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
of God Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
, synchronous with Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
but with regional style and features. Tukaram's literary works, along with those of sants Dnyandev, Namdev and Eknath, states Mohan Lal, are credited to have propelled Varkari
Warkari ( Marathi: वारकरी; Pronunciation: aːɾkəɾiː Meaning: 'The one who performs the ''Wari) is a sampradaya (religious movement) within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the In ...
tradition into pan-Indian Bhakti literature.
According to Richard Eaton, from early 14th-century when Maharashtra region came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). , down to the 17th-century, the legacy of Tukaram and his poet-predecessors, "gave voice to a deep-rooted collective identity among Marathi-speakers". Dilip Chitre
Dilip Purushottam Chitre (17 September 1938 – 10 December 2009) was one of the foremost Indian poets and critics to emerge in the post Independence India. Apart from being a notable bilingual writer, writing in Marathi language, Marathi and En ...
summarizes the legacy of Tukaram and Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
sants
Sants is a neighbourhood in the southern part of Barcelona. It belongs to the district of Sants-Montjuïc and is bordered by the districts of Eixample to the northeast, Les Corts to the northwest, and by the municipality of l'Hospitalet de Llobr ...
, during this period of Hindu-Muslim wars, as transforming "language of shared religion, and religion a shared language. It is they who helped to bind the Marathas together against the Mughals on the basis not of any religious ideology but of a territorial cultural identity".
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
, in early 20th century, while under arrest in Yerwada Central Jail
Yerwada Central Jail is a noted high-security prison in Yerwada, Pune in Maharashtra. This is the largest prison in the state of Maharashtra, and also one of the largest prisons in South Asia, housing over 5,000 prisoners (2017) spread over va ...
by the British colonial government for his non-violent movement, read and translated Tukaram's poetry along with Upanishad
The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
s, Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
and poems by other Bhakti movement poet-saints.[MK Gandhi (1930), Songs from prison: translations of Indian Lyrics made in Jail, (Adapted and formatted by John Hoyland, 1934), New York : Macmillan, ]
Sant Tukaram also had a profound influence on K. B. Hedgewar
Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (1 April 1889 – 21 June 1940), also known by his moniker Doctorji, was an Indian physician and the founding ''Sarsanghachalak'' (or "Chief") of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Hedgewar founded the RSS in Nagpur ...
as the former's quotes often found their way on the latter's letterhead. One such letter dated April 6, 1940 bore the quote "Daya tiche nanwa bhutanche palan, aanik nirdalan kantkache", meaning compassion is not only the welfare of all living beings, but also includes protecting them from harm's way.
Places associated with Tukaram
Places associated with Tukaram 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, Dehu – from where Tukaramji ascended to Vaikuntha
Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, An ...
(Abode of God) in his mortal form; there is a beautiful ghat behind this temple along the Indrayani river
The Indrayani River originates in Kurvande village near Lonavla, a hill station in the Sahyadri mountains of Maharashtra, India. Fed by rain, it flows east from there to meet the Bhima river, through the Hindu pilgrimage centers of Dehu and Al ...
*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.
Movies and popular culture
A number of Indian films have been made about the saint in different languages. These include:
*''Tukaram'' (1921) silent film by Shinde.
*''Sant Tukaram'' (1921) silent film by Kalanidhi Pictures.
*''Sant Tukaram
Sant Tukaram Maharaj (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ukaːɾam was a 17th-century Marathi poet, Hindu ''sant'' (saint), popularly known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, Tukoba in Maharashtra. He was a Sant of Varkari sampradaya (Marathi-Vaishnav tradition) ...
'' (1936) – this movie on Tukaram was screened open-air for a year, to packed audiences in Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
, and numerous rural people would walk very long distances to see it.
*''Thukkaram
''Thukkaram'' is a 1938 Indian Tamil-language biographical film directed by B. N. Rao and produced by Central Studios in Coimbatore. The film featured Carnatic vocalist Musiri Subramania Iyer as the eponymous saint.
Plot
The film depicts the ...
'' (1938) in Tamil by B. N. Rao.
*''Santha Thukaram
''Santha Thukaram'' is a 1963 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Sundar Rao Nadkarni and produced by B. Radhakrishna. The film stars Rajkumar, Udaykumar, K. S. Ashwath and T. N. Balakrishna. The film has musical score by Vijaya Bhaskar. ...
'' (1963) in Kannada
*''Sant Tukaram'' (1965) in Hindi
*''Bhakta Tukaram
''Bhakta Tukaram'' is a 1973 Indian Telugu-language biographical film based on the life of the saint-poet Tukaram, produced by P. Adinarayana Rao under the Anjali Pictures banner and directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara R ...
'' (1973) in Telugu
*''Tukaram
Sant Tukaram Maharaj (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ukaːɾam was a 17th-century Marathi poet, Hindu ''sant'' (saint), popularly known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, Tukoba in Maharashtra. He was a Sant of Varkari sampradaya (Marathi-Vaishnav tradition) ...
'' (2012) in Marathi
Tukaram's life was the subject of 68th issue of Amar Chitra Katha, India's largest comic book series.
The government of India issued 100 rupees Silver commemorative coin in 2002.
See also
* Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
* Pandharpur Wari
Pandharpur Wari or Wari is a ''yatra'' to Pandharpur, Maharashtra, to honor Vithoba. It involves carrying the ''paduka'' of a saint in a '' palkhi'', most notably of Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, from their respective shrines to Pandharpur. Ma ...
– the largest annual pilgrimage in Maharashtra that includes a ceremonial ''Palkhi
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
'' of Tukaram
* Vitthal Temple, Pandharpur
* Sant Dnyaneshwar
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ, also referred to as Jnaneshwar, Jnanadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of ...
References
Works cited
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General references
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* "Tryambak Shankar Shejwalkar Nivadak Lekhsangrah" by T S Shejwalkar (collection- H V Mote, Introduction- G D Khanolkar)
Further reading
* John Hoyland (1932), An Indian Peasant Mystic: Translations from Tukaram, London: Allenson,
* Wilbur Deming (1932), Selections from Tukaram, Christian Literature Society,
* Prabhakar Machwe (1977), Tukaram's Poems, United Writer,
* Dilip Chitre (1970), The Bhakta as a Poet: Six Examples from Tukaram's Poetry, ''Delos: A Journal on and of Translation'', Vol. 4, pages 132-136
*
* Fraser and Marathe (1915), The Poems of Tukaram, 3 vols, Christian Literature Society , Reprinted in 1981 by Motilal Banarsidass,
External links
*
Collected works of Tukaram in Devnagari
Sant Tukaram Gatha
at Internet Archive
Ram Bapat (2002), Tukaram Online, 14 Indian and 8 foreign languages
What I Want to Say, Tukaram
Mona van Duyn (1965), Poetry, Vol. 107, No. 2, pages 102-104
Twenty five poems, Tukaram
Prabhakar Machwe (1968), Mahfil, Vol. 5, No. 1/2, pages 61–69
Translations from Tukaram and other saint-poets
Awad Kolatkar (1982), Journal of South Asian Literature, Vol. 17, No. 1, pages 111-114
{{Authority control
1577 births
1650 deaths
Warkari
Sant Mat gurus
Marathi-language writers
Marathi-language poets
Sant Mat
17th-century Hindu religious leaders
Vaishnava saints
Scholars from Maharashtra
Poets from Maharashtra
Marathi Hindu saints