Sant Tukaram : A Social Reformer

Sant tukaram was a praminant poet and saint during the Bhakti  movement in India. He was born in 1608 in Dehu, a small village near Pune. His father Bholaba More was a rich farmer and a staunch devotee of God vitthala. He was  influenced by the saint like Namdev, Dnyaneshwar, Kabir and Eknath. All Saints have enlightened and awakened society through mediums like abhangas, kirtans and pravachnas. There is a strong relationship between saints and society.

                Sant tukaram established the unbroken tradition of warkari sect. In the 17^th Century, Tukaram is regarded as a refermer sant who laid the foredation for social awarkening. During this period, Maharashtra was in turnail. Through his  abhangas ( devotional verses ), he  guided society on the right path. Sant Tukaram was a realistic, fearless and at time, a saint who foldly attacked the bypocrisy in society with straingh foreward words. He is best known for his abhangas.  Abhang is a type of poetry that is sung as a form of praise to the hindu god vitthala. His abhangas are marked by their direchness and simplicity. They lack the elaborate imagety and symbolism. Instead, they use plain language to convey the poet’s heartfelt dewotin to vithala. These abhangas reflect the prevailing religious ideas of the time period in which they were written. They emphasize the importance of devotion, the power of god’s grace, and the inter connectedness of all beings. Tukaram’s Personal life was quite remarkable he lost his parents when he was only 17 years old. His the has emerged radiant from the furnace of adversity and sorrow. He has expressed his personal life through many of his abhang as as

बरे जाले देवा निघाले दिवाळे

वरी या दुष्काळे पीडा केली

बरा कुणबी केलो नाही तरि दंभेची असतो मेलो

भले केले देवरायां नाचे तुका लागे पाया