Maharashtra’s Treasure

 


Aamhaa ghari dhan shabdaanchich ratne 


Earlier in the month I finally completed reading a book on Sant Tukaram’s abhangas titled “Tuka Mhane“ ( Tuka Speaks). This is a commentary in Marathi on selected 366 abhangas of this beloved poet saint’s compositions by Dr.Mukund Datar. One page in this book is dedicated to one abhanga. I tried to read at least one page each night before going to bed for the past year. 

For nearly four centuries the people in Maharashtra,and sometimes beyond,have reveled in the teachings that are folded so neatly in the lines of Tukoba’s poetry. The beauty and simplicity in the words lighten the weight and thus prove complementary to the profound wisdom these abhangas carry on their shoulders.

 The phrase “ Tuka mhane” became familiar to me at a very early age thanks to the songs by Lata Mangeshkar and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Much later after I had moved to the USA and was introduced to and became fond of the soulful singing by the Carnatic Music legend MS Subbulakshmi I was pleasantly surprised to hear a Marathi devotional song in her voice. Ba re Panduranga is the abhanga she sang. The poet is none other than Sant Tukaram. 

It is evident that single pointed devotion to Panduranga, the presiding deity of Pandharpur, is the shining light and common thread in all the compositions. Yet the subject matter diversifies into broader categories that include verses of pure praise of Vitthala, revelry in HIS various playful activities, Tukaram’s personal strife during his search for GOD, pearls of wisdom for seekers, stinging criticism of fake seekers and compositions referring to his final days leading to his ascent to Vitthala’s abode. I concur with Dr. Datar that if one was to pick the two most important categories out of the entire works of Tukoba it would be his pointers to recognize a saint and his pearls about how to live an ideal life. I will discuss these two subjects in individual posts in this series.

Before I go into some details on those two topics it would be pertinent to understand the life and times of Tukaram Maharaj. 

Tukaram was born in 1608 in village Dehu near Pune into a family of grocers and money lenders. The family was fairly well to do in the early years. It was also very devoted to Panduranga( Vitthal). One of Tukaram’s ancestors had built the local Vitthal temple which later Tukaram in his adulthood helped restore. He lost his parents when he was about 18. His elder brother left on a pilgrimage and all responsibilities fell on young Tukaram’s shoulders. Soon thereafter Maharashtra was struck with an unprecedented drought. Not only did the family business suffer during this period but Tukaram also lost his wife and son in the famine. He was barely 22 at the time. These extreme calamities were pivotal for the shift in thinking for the young Tukaram. He lost interest in worldly pleasures and turned to spiritual studies in a bid to find meaning in life. The mountains around Dehu became his retreats to study the texts such as the Bhagwad Gita and works of other saints like Dnyaneshwar and Eknath. He met his Guru Baba Chaitanya in a very unconventional manner in 1640. The Guru initiated him in his dream with the Guru mantra Ramkrishna Hari. About the same time Saint Namdev beckoned him, also in the dream, to compose abhangas. Thus began Tukaram’s poetic journey. 

It wasn’t an easy road. The religious establishment in his  village was very hostile towards him. He faced unfair criticism and even outright harassment from several quarters. Someone stole his writings and claimed them as theirs. Yet another ordered these compositions to be thrown into the river. Thus far he had suffered all humiliation silently. However the despair from the threatened loss of his life’s work was the last straw for him. He prayed in desperation to Lord Panduranga to save his works from destruction and his plea was so earnest and heart wrenching that Vitthala could not have turned a blind eye to his devotee. The written compositions or Gaathaa miraculously floated and were rescued without the slightest damage from the river. The blessings from the Lord Himself sealed Tukaram’s standing in the eyes of the people. And his works proved to be truly abhanga ( indestructible). 

He continued to perform keertans in the local temple and continued to pour out his heart into his writings. The compiled works are known as Tukaram Gaathaa and consist of over 4000 abhangas set in 5 different meters. Dr Datar has very nicely explained these meters with examples in the introduction to his book. Several abhangas are autobiographical and describe events from his personal journey as well as his internal struggles. The journey proceeds from being a seeker to the self realized state and the intermediate periods of self doubt. 

Besides the autobiographical verses the poetry touches upon bhakti or devotion as well as dnyaan or knowledge of God. The description is earnest, emotional and filled with longing or gets into a playful mood on occasion . Sometimes there is a sense of peace and calm and at other times it is like a lightning strike against the deceitful practices and people with hidden agendas. One is also surprised to find an occasional touch of humor. There is a sense of responsibility to awaken the people around him, both to spiritual pursuit as well as for righteous living. History shows Tukaram played an important role in encouraging the village folk in Maharashtra to believe in and supporting the political causes of Shivaji Maharaj. 

The broad scope of his teachings that rest on the the strong foundations of his self experience and honest living, combined with the easy flow of words, his use of examples from daily life that are relatable for the common man and the distinct local flavor that it has embodied, proved to be the perfect recipe for assimilation into the cultural fabric of Maharashtra. Many lines of these abhangas have gained status of  proverbs or are frequently quoted in daily conversations. Aartis sung in Marathi households often end with Tukaram’s lines “ Hechi daan dega deva tuza visar na vhava “, a prayer that is the hallmark of a devotee or spiritual seeker. 

Tukaram’s passing away is shrouded in mystery. He is widely said to have attained to heaven while in the mortal body. Historically this event is dated around 1649 which implies he was about 41-42 years of age at the time. In such a short span he created and left behind the wealth of over 4500 gems in the form of his abhangas. He has repeatedly attributed all credit for the writings to Vitthala Himself. There is no mistaking that divinity chose to express itself through Tukaram. Not only are his abhangas and he himself immortal, his legacy is such that anyone who tries to sip the nectar from his words gets at least a fleeting taste of eternity. He famously declared that his home is a treasure house of words, which he likened to precious gems. The magic of this wealth is such that if you partake of it, it keeps growing instead of shrinking. I consider it my great fortune to touch a small part of it and also  owe my gratitude to Dr. Datar for his brilliant work to make the larger work of Tukoba accessible in a version that is easy to read and understand. 

Photos include my copy of the original Gaatha of Sant Tukaram and Dr. Mukund Datar’s “ Tuka Mhane”( the latter published by Snehal Prakashan). 
Saree is a Puneri cotton in a shot shade brown, ochre,black with red borders. Paired with a blouse stitched using scraps of khun fabric. 








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