Tukaram

Tukaram Biography

Tukaram, commonly known as Sant Tukaram was a spiritual poet and saint who lived in 16^th century. Tukaram was born in the year 1577 and lived most of his life in Dehu near Pune. Sant Tukaram is generally regarded as one of the great saints of the Bhakti Movement in India. Though it’s widely regarded that he was born on 1577, historians have other opinions too – like 1602, 1608, 1618 and 1639 CE. Tukaram was a devotee of Vitthala, a form of Lord Vishnu. His real name is Tukaram Bolhoba Aambile. Tukaram has married twice in his life. First wife was Rukhumabai who died at a younger age. His second wife was Jilibai and has three children from this marriage. His opinion that there is no reference of any caste hierarchy mentioned in the Vedas made him immensely popular.

Tukaram was a great devotee of Vishnu and one of the great saints who propagated Bhakti movement. Tukaram is considered to be the climactic point of the Varkari tradition. Tukaram accepted 'Namdev maharaj as his Guru. Between the eras of 500 BC and 1000 AD, India was one of the most culturally prospered nations of the world. But it noted depreciation since the division of people based on caste since 1000 AD. Brahmins made education, religious practices and worships inaccessible to other classes of the society which caused the deterioration of Indian culture in the world cultural map. Tukaram was one among those prominent spiritual leaders who propagated the true mentions of culture and openly criticized Brahmin stand in this matter.

He had a great understanding of Hindu philosophy and wrote many songs in praise of God Vitthal, incarnation of Vishnu. He even faced opposition from higher classes of the society and even his works were tried to be destroyed. When they challenged his interpretation of the Vedas and Puranas, he said that there is no reference of any caste hierarchy mentioned in the Vedas. Tukaram has attacked almost every form of myth existing in Hindu society during his time and opposed the misinterpretation of chaturvana as division of people into four based on caste.  

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Updated: January 27, 2014