Sant Tukaram: The modern Indian saint who challenged the Brahmanical dominance of the society.

 

India is a religiously diverse nation. Many outside religion also came to India and become more powerful in the ripe Indian social soil. But the relation between the religion and the society was not always on equilibrium.

The Hindu religion which is the majority religion in India is based on the doctrine of “Chaturvarnashram” meaning the fourfold division of the society.

This system divided the society in four parts. The Brahmins at the top and the Shudras at bottommost. The Shudras were denied the basic rights like access to public water tank, to take education, to accumulate property. Shudras were not allowed to enter temple to worship god.

From the 9^th century many saints in India tried to challenge this whole system of brahmnical dominance of the society. In Maharashtra also various saints spreads the message of equality.

In this article we are going to see the contribution of Sant Tukaram in the social and religious life of people in the medieval period.

Sant Tukaram was the follower of the Bhakti movement which had started in the south India. He is of the thought that true salvation can be gained only through the “Bhakti”.

“Bhakti” mean true devotion to the God. Bhakti cult has true branches one which follows the Shiva as a supreme god and another following Vishnu as a supreme of all gods.

Sant Tukaram wanted to use this Bhakti movement to improve  the religious backwardness in the society. He tried to spread the message of unity through the means of “Abhang” which are hymns sings in the devotion of god.

It is said that saints are always busy in the religious activities. But the saints of “Bhakti” movement were the true leaders of the society in the medieval India. They worked for removing superstition and the various other social evils from the society.

Tukaram’s Abhangs became the strong weapon against the brahmnical dominance of the society.

Tukaram always said that Brahmins are taking undue advantage of the society by denying the education to majority of the peoples in society. Brahmins wants to asserts their dominance over the society by telling them that they knows the Shastras and that they are the true interpreter between the god and the society.

Tukaram and the majority of the Saints in Maharashtra considers “Vithhal” as their true and loved god. The “Varkari” cult of Bhakti movement was founded by Sant Jyaneshwar and Sant Namdeo in the 13^th century.

This Bhakti movement unites peoples from all castes and creed under one roof of devotion to god.

These saints rejuvenates the Vedic philosophy and inculcates it in their literature to reach to the common people. The literature of Bhakti saints was basically for the common people and it was in the written in the language of people like Marathi, telugu, tamil etc.

Sant Dyaneshwar translates the “Gita” into Marathi language for the common people. Sant Namdeo and Sant Eknath also spread awareness among people through the means of Bhajans and Abhangas.

The another important social evil which Tukaram tried to change was the system of Caste. During those times Brahmins controlled all the social system in India. They made rules for the benefit of themselves. They made themselves great by taking the monopoly of gaining knowledge.

This caste system also gave birth to the evil of untouchability. Varkari cult launched a frontal attack on the caste system. These saints spread the message of equality in the society.

Sant Tukaram also opposed various rituals which were prevalent at that time. Brahmins and other orthodox people told that  It has been written in Vedas that the rituals must be performed in order the get the happy life. Hence in fear people started conducting Rituals , Sacrifices ,Donations etc.

But the Purohit and the Brahmin class got the undue benefits from this. Their position became more strong in the society. Sant Tukaram found this wrong and he opposed it through his abhangas and bhajanas.

Tukaram said that if there is nothing in donating to Brahmins and Purohit , only the true devotion to Vitthal is necessary.

He told that we should stop inviting Brahmins to conduct rituals. He also didn’t like worshiping so many gods and goddesses. According to him “Vitthal” is god of gods.

Tukaram also wrote various Abhangas on superstitions. The society during that time was caught in the web of religions superstition and social backwardness .

While launching attacks on the social issues Tukaram also gave some moral life lessons to people. Tukaram thought that it is necessary for the society to follow certain faith to live a happy married life.

 

Except Sant Dnyaneshwar all the other saints in Varkarni cult were married. And Hence majority of the Abhangas of Sant Tukaram dealt with the problems and the solutions in the married life.

 Tukaram had two wives Rukhama and Jijabai. He got mixed experience with his married life. His lessons about the life and marriage are still relevant.

Tukaram married life was very good in the initials days. He was happy with his  parents and his first wife Rakhumai. Due to consistent illness of the first wife he got married to jijabai. But then his life got shattered with the death of family members.

And in 1629-30 there was severe drought in Maharashtra . Cattles died due to lack of fodder. Normal life of people was shattered. In this situation Tukaram became frustrated and he took up the way Bhakti to get the mental peace.

But he didn’t sacrifice his family or got into the Sanyasa. He thinks that it is possible for the married man also to delve into the devotion of God.

In historical point of view Tukaram’s Abhangas helped us in getting the idea about the social and economic life of the people in the medieval period.

His literature tells us about the various economic activities which were prevalent in that time. He also tells about the food, clothing , folk arts and various others thing through his abhangas.

Sant Tukaram was a farmer and he had a close experience of farming. Hence he tells about the life of a farmer through his abhangas.

Sant Tukaram’s teachings can play a role of guiding principles in this 21^st century also.

Also Read- Sant Eknath Maharaj: Information on the 16th-century Hindu Saint from Maharashtra