Tukaram - Dr. Giriraj Shah

Tukaram was born in 1608 AD at a village called Dehu in Pune District. It is seven miles away from Alandi, the place honored by the Gyanendra of Gyaneshwar and about three miles from the railway line running from Bombay to Pune. Tukaram came of a well-to-do Sudra family belonging to the tradesman class, Moray. The family had established itself at Dehu for a long time. They had accepted Lord Vithala of Pandharpur for worshipping and they had also constructed a temple of their own dedicated to Vithala. Their family members, since many generations have also accepted the Wari of Pandharpur i.e., the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur which falls on the eleventh day of the month of Asadh (June-July) and again on the eleventh day of the month of Kartik (October-November).

Early Life

Tukaram was the second of three brothers, the names of his two brothers, being Savji and Kanhok. Savji had worldly ambitions and Kanhok was religiously inclined and thus the family burden fell on Tukaram when he was just 13 years old. Tukaram was married to Rukambari at about the same time but she was of weak health. He was soon married again to Jijabai of Pune. Tukaram began the management of household affairs and carried it to the satisfaction of everybody, till he was about 20 years of age. In 1625, when he was about 17 years, he lost his parents, and as his sister-in-law also died about this time. His elder brother left the village and went to Varanasi for spiritual salvation.

The death of his parents was a great shock to Tukaram. The four years which followed these events 1626 to 1630 were cyclonic in their effect because the death of his parents, his sister-in-law, and the going away of his elder brother Savji and all enthusiasm for worldly life left Tukaram. Taking advantage of his state of mind, the debtors would not repay whatever was due to him and the creditors began to press him for the money due to them. Tukaram tried his hand at several ventures of trade and always came back either with empty hands or with loss. Once on the way to home, he was robbed off everything by tricksters who gave him a gift of brass ornaments in exchange for all the money he had with him. On another occasion, while returning home, he came across a poor Brahman who was starving. He made the Brahman very happy by giving him everything, the profit as well as the principal which his wife had borrowed. After these bitter experiences, Tukaram was not entrusted with anything valuable when he went far away from home. Jijabai helped him to gain and set up a small shop in his own village. Tukaram used to sit in the shop singing bhajan and was very kind to the customers. Soon he became bankrupt with two wives, a son and a younger brother to feed. This was also the year of famine 1629-1630. Tukaram’s first wife and son died of hunger. He had no money, hence he was in great crisis. Frightened by all these events, he left his house and disappeared into nearby Bhamnath forest. He stayed there for 15 days, just concentrating on Almighty without food, water, or sleep. However, at the end of the fifteenth day, he realized the Supreme Self and Vithoba visited him in Divine form.

Returns Home

Tukaram’s second wife had been searching everywhere for her husband and when she found him in the hills, she brought him back to the house, but it was a different Tukaram from the one who had left her a fortnight earlier. Now Tukaram had no love for his household, wife or relations. Immediately after he came back, he gathered all the promissory notes which were in the house, and all the account books, and threw them into the Idrayani river, in spite of the protests of his relatives. Then with his own hands, he reconstructed the temple which had fallen into despair and began to spend his life, day and night singing bhajans and kirtans. His mind at that time was described by him thus, "O God, kindly grant that I should never forget you."

Due to his intense devotion and dedication, he was granted with Guru Updesh. The Guru visited him in a dream. Tukaram has described the greatest event of his life this way: "The Satguru came to me in a dream and was really very kind to me, though I had done nothing to deserve it. He met me when I was going to the river for a bath and placed his hand on my head and blessed me. He said that his name was Babuji and gave the names of his predecessors as Raghav chaitanya and Kesava Chaitanya and advised me to do Japa of Ramakrishna Hari I adopted my Guru in the tenth day of the bright half of the month Magh." This was about the month of January 1632 when he was 24 years of age. Tukaram’s joy at this event knew no bounds.

Tukaram now began to spend his life more and more, in devotional practices, studying the poems and works of Jnande, Namdev and Eknath Gita, Bhagwata etc., with the result that slowly, but consciously, he began to write poems. Then one day, he had a dream in which Namdev appeared with Panduranga, woke him and advised him to make devotional songs. They would not hear of any excuses. Panduranga gave him the necessary inspiration and Namdev told him to complete the one hundred crores of poems which he had intended to make and of which he had completed 94 crores and 40 lakhs, leaving a balance of five crores and 60 lakhs for Tukaram and as they were on the nature of bhakti, the people began to be attracted to Tukaram—more so as he did not seek anything materially for himself or for his own worldly welfare.

Mass Appeal

Whenever Tukaram began to perform bhajan or kirtan, people flocked to his place with great devotion and admiration for his intense love for God. However, few people complained to Rameshwar Shastri about Tukaram’s bhajan’s and his preachings. Tukaram tried his level best to convince Shastri that he was an innocent person. He told Tukaram that he saw in the poems of Tukaram a deliberate attempt to explain the principles of Shrutis which Tukaram as a sudra by caste had no right to do. He must, therefore, stop making poems of the sort in future, and as for the poems he had already made he ordered that they should be thrown in the Indrayani river. Tukaram obeyed the ordinance of the Shastri and tied them with a stone and threw them in the river. Tukaram’s opponents, who were jealous of him, were very happy.

Then Tukaram sat on the bank of the river Indrayani in constant prayer to Panduranga to show him the correct path. For 13 days, he sat unmoved, without water, food and sleep. On the thirteenth day, one of his followers had a dream in which Panduranga was telling him, "Go to the river, there you will find the poems of Tukaram floating on the surface intact." The man went to the river and retrieved the bundle of poems. Tukaram was overwhelmed with the generosity of Panduranga towards his followers.

One day Rameshwar Shastri passed through the village of Vaghdi and came to a village where a Muslim Fakir by the name of Anagadshah was staying. In Anagadshah’s compound, there was a big fountain sprinkling cool water all round. Rameshwar Shastri was tempted to take a bath in the cool water. Anagadshah was annoyed to see a stranger trespassing into his compound, and cursed him that all his body should feel a burning sensation inwardly. Immediately Rameshwar began to suffer from the effects of the curse. All his efforts to make his body cool failed, and in despair, unable to bear the pangs, he went to Alandi and sat before the Samadhi of Gyaneshwar and prayed to him to relieve him of the burning sensations in his body. At night, he saw Gyaneshwar in a dream. Gyaneshwar addressed him; "You had hatred in your mind towards Tukaram, who is the greatest devotee of Vithoba. Go and surrender to Tukaram, all your bodily pain will vanish." He was afraid to meet Tukaram due to the ill-will he had earlier kept in his mind against him, therefore, he decided to send him a letter, instead of meeting him personally. On receiving the letter, Tukaram sent a reply to Rameshwar in the following verse:

"If the mind is pure, even your enemies become your friends, you have no danger from cruel animals like tigers or serpents. Even poison becomes as beneficial to you as the nectar of heaven. All unhappiness will be converted into happiness and even suffering due to the burning of the body, will vanish."

As Rameshwar read the reply, all his burning sensations of the body disappeared. From that time, Rameshwar became a great admirer and an ardent follower of Tukaram. This incident made Tukaram’s name and fame travel far and wide. In his life, Tukaram underwent a lot of misery, including extreme poverty. His family business ran into losses, his first wife died and his second wife, Jijabai proved to be shrewd. But Tukaram remained unflinching in his devotion to the Lord of Pandharpur and composed mellifluous songs to His Divine Master. Tukaram’s songs are known as Abhangs (meaning: unbreakable ones).

What he sang was dutifully recorded by two of his disciples: Gangaram Maval and Santaji Teli and transferred to posterity. Today they are a part of psyche of the people of Maharashtra.

Tukaram conducted prayer meetings, singing bhajans, to which a large number of people flocked and his fame spread. As one of his disciples declared: No one could match Tukaram in Gyana, Bhakti and Vairagya (knowledge, devotion and detachment). His songs display rustic simplicity, deep devotion and a frank intimacy with the beloved personal God Vithala of Pandharpur.

Shivaji’s Respect for Tukaram

The great warrior of Maharashtra Shivaji was a great admirer of Tukaram and sent him a large number of costly presents and also invited him to his court. Tukaram refused both saying that he had nothing to do with the costly presents. It certainly won Shivaji’s admiration and he himself came to stay with Saint Tukaram. He then requested to accept something which Tukaram politely refused. Shivaji was so much impressed with Tukaram that he wanted to give up his kingdom and sing bhajans in the company of Saint Tukaram. But Tukaram dissuaded him and reminded him of his duty towards his subjects, to Hindu religion, to Dharma and finally advised him thus, "In order to realize God, it is not necessary to give up food or water and go to a forest. If the worldly pleasure comes to you of themselves, enjoy them by all means, but only in the name of God who dwells in all of us. Do not desire anything and do not give up anything." Shivaji returned to his court a happier and a more contented man.

Saguna Bhakti

Tukaram always advocated Saguna Bhakti in the form of repeating to Lord’s name and in the form of bhajans sung in his praise. He said that bhakti was the higher form of devotion and service, and was even higher than Mukti. He spent many days and nights singing bhajan. He used to get invitations from near by villages to go over there and sing bhajan with the villagers. Once he was performing Kirtan at Johagaon, a village near Dehu, and there was a large number of people singing Bhajan with him. Among them was a Brahman named Joshi who had come to sing the bhajan leaving his only dying child with his mother. Ultimately, the child died. The shocked mother came to where Tukaram was sitting in the bhajan and branded him that he was the cause of making her husband indifferent to the dying child and thus responsible for the child’s death. Tukaram immediately began to pray to God to grant life to the child and sang an extempore song in the most earnest and moving terms possible, in which the whole audience joined with the most heart felt devotion. Lord Pandarinath granted their prayer and the child came to life and joined in the bhajan.

Songs of Tukaram

Sunder te dhyan

Beautiful is your form standing on the back

Keeping your hands on the waist,

Crocodile-shaped earrings are shining on your ears!

The Kaustubha gem is radiant on your neck!

So too is the Tulsi garland!

And the yellow silk robe

always love this form

Says Tukaram, this is my entire happiness

I shall ever see the Lord’s face with pleasure.

O! Achyuta O! Narahari! O! Narayana!

Dhanya te Pandari

Blessed is this city of Pandharpur,

Blessed is the riverbank of Bhima!

Pundalik (the devotee) has brought the essence (of life) here!

Blessed are the people here to enjoy the grace of the Lord!

His bounty of love is seen in every house

Blessed is this land,

Blessed the trees!

The water of this lake is like holy nectar!

Blessed are these men and women,

Who chant the Lord’s name and sing His praises,

The happy home are filled with the echo of their music,

Blessed are the animals, birds, insects and stones of this place

As Narayana has appeared in this city!

Tukaram says: All are blessed here,

Despite household and family duties,

Everyone’s feelings and emotions are focused on Lord Hari!

The End

Tukaram grew weak and thought his time was being wasted in attending to the wants of the body when it should have been better utilized in kirtan, bhajan and praise of Vithoba. He prayed to the Lord that he might be taken away soon to the Lotus feet where he would remain worshipping Him continuously forever and after. When Tukaram’s end was near, he told his friends that he would be going away in a few days. The night before his departure, Tukaram performed a Kirtan which was memorable in many respects. The subject was Harikatha. Tukaram said, "Harikatha is like the union of three holy rivers—God, the devotee and His name. By listening to it, all sins are burnt off and one is purified. Even the pebbles lying around become holy and fit to be worshipped. Those among you, who wish to be fit for heaven, should take the holy Prasad. This is the easiest way to attain heaven." Next morning Tukaram said to his wife, "You will soon get a son called `Narayan’ and he would make you happy. You made my days happy. I shall never be able to repay your kindness." On hearing that his death was nearing, the people of the whole village assembled round him and Tukaram exhorted them thus,"

"Though you all bear the responsibilities of family life but never forget Panduranga. Never forget to worship Him and sing His praise—Pandharpur is very near you. It is the Vaikuntha on this earth. Go and worship the Lord there. It is my experience that the name of the Lord alone will save you at the time of death. All of you have protected and maintained me in your midst for such a long time. I can never repay you and I am very grateful to you. I shall never repay to Vithoba to bless you all and take you all to heaven after this life. This is my goodbye to you all and this is my advice to you. I prostrate before you and be such with you to never forget the name of the Lord. Always do Kirtan and Bhajan of Lord Narayan. Do not be anxious about your material welfare. The Lord will look to it. This is all ephemeral. The Lord’s name is eternal. Depend on it only. Ever sing the praises of the Lord. Do Jap of Ramakrishna Hari and he will always save you. This is my last request and advice to you."

Tukaram left this world in the year 1649 when he was only forty-one years old.

© "Gurus, Philosophers, Mystics, & Saints of India" published (2002) by Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd., X-30, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi 110 020. Website: diamondpocketbooks.com. Reprinted with permission.

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