Editorial

‘Hewhoknowshowtoserve,knowshow torule,’wroteSwamiVivekananda. Recently, the Prime Minister of India echoed this idea in his first address to the parliamentariansoftherulingpartyelectedto the 17 th Lok Sabha. He called upon the parliamentarians to remain unattached to power, becausepowerisintoxicating.Tobefreefromits disorienting influence he advised them to cultivate the spirit of Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva—‘to servemanasGod’astaughtbySriRamakrishna. Heassertedthattherecouldn’tbeagreateror betterpaththanthisspiritofsevatoachieve theirowngoodandthegoodofthecountry.To the extent they developed this seva bhav, he assured them, the intoxication of power would decreaseandtheblessingsofpeopleincrease.

Sometimes, hidden in the folds of everyday events, life presents a profound thought, a subtle insight, or the deepest transcendentaltruths.Ordinarymindsusually fail to perceive these gifts. It requires a disciplined,creativemindtodiscoverthem. In the presence of an avatara these revelationsoflifearegrandandworld-moving. AstheavataraistheembodimentofLife,he presentsideasvitalfortheevolutionofhigher lifeinthatage.Morethanahundredyearsago, SriRamakrishna,theavataraoftheAge,gaveus a flood of such ideas. Those around him, disciples and lay householders, according to theircapacitycaughtsomeoftheseideasand workedthemout.Butitwasgiventohischief disciple Swami Vivekananda to recognise, interpretandbroadcastthecoreteachingsof theavatara.As The Life of Swami Vivekananda puts it, ‘His soul was most attuned to the spiritualvibrationsoftheMaster’swords.Thus hereadvolumeswhereothersreadbutpages

of that Revelation unto men which was the life and gospel ofSri Ramakrishna.’ One such profound idea that Swamiji discovered from an everyday conversation, was Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva.

One day, when sitting in his room at Dakshineswar surrounded by Naren (later Swami Vivekananda) and other disciples, Sri Ramakrishna spoke about the Vaishnava religion and explained the three practices enjoined upon its followers – relish for the name of God, compassion for all living creatures,andservicetotheVaishnavas.Even as he uttered, ‘compassion for all living creatures’, Sri Ramakrishna entered into Samadhi! Aftersometimeashecameoutof that deep level of consciousness, he said to himself,‘…Compassionforcreatures!…No,it cannotbe.Itisnotcompassionforothers,but ratherservicetoman,recognizinghimtobethe veritablemanifestationofGod!’WhenNaren cameoutoftheroomhetoldtheothers,‘What a strange light have I discovered in those wonderful words ofthe Master! … I have understoodthattheidealofVedantalivedby therecluseoutsidethepaleofsocietycanbe practised even from hearth and home and appliedtoallourdailyschemesoflife.…’Later as Swami Vivekananda, he preached this idea acrosstheworldasPracticalVedanta. ServingGodinmanisindeedanancient spiritualpractice.Butithadremainedconfined toasmallgroupofpeople.Itwasthegeniusof Swami Vivekananda that he unveiled the full dimensionofservingJivaasShiva.Hetracedit to the positive approach to life which sees the wholecreationasdivine.Thisaffirmationoflife in a spiritofconsecration is the basis from which people can discover their fundamental

oneness withthewholehumanityandbring aboutrealharmonyofmindandheart. Servingfellowbeingsasmanifestationsof God also transforms the receiver. In a relief work undertaken in a slum by one ofthe Ramakrishna Math centres, the swami inchargeexplainedinsimpletermsthedivinityin man and after leading them in devotional singingandprayers,joinedthemineatingthe food offered to God. Two women then approachedhimandsaid,‘Becausewearepoor and live in a slum, people sometimes come and give us old clothes and left-over food. Wefeelsmall.Today,whenwehad prasad we feltasenseofpeaceanddignity; wemaybe poor, but we know we are really equal to others.’ But is it so easy to see fellow human beings as Godandservethem?Itrequiresa long methodical preparation. Swamiji prescribed a three-step process that will graduallyempowerustoperceivethedivinity in man. The first step is to feel with a sympatheticheartthemiseriesandchallenges experiencedbythemasses.Thisfeelingshould besointensethatitpulsatesinourbloodand nervecurrents.Whenthewholebodyisthus tunedtotherealneedsoffellowbeings,weare readyforthesecondstep.Thisistodiscover the means to relieve individual and social miseries. These solutions, Swamiji stresses, shouldbeinlinewithourculturalandspiritual heritage.Thethirdstepistostrictlymonitor our motive in service and make sure that we ‘arenotactuatedbygreedofgold’or,‘bythirst for fame or power.’ If our legislators and administratorscanbetrainedtothink,feel,and act in this manner, they will manifest their higher nature, and the whole system of governancewillevolvetoShivaJnaneJivaSeva. Whatistherighttimetolearnandimbibe thespiritofShivaJnaneJivaSeva?Childhoodis theanswer.Educationistheonlytoolthatcan effectalargescalesocialtransformation.Itis

on the foundation of education that a civilisation is built. The greatness ofancient Indiawasbasedonitsknowledgesystemwhich wascenteredaroundtheguru.Itwasasystem whoseeveryaspectwasfirmlylinkedwitha religious, spiritual outlook. Education in modernIndiatooshouldberootedinthetwin ideals of Renunciation and Service that Swami Vivekanandapresentedasournationalideals. Our students have to learn to renounce the lower ego which functions as selfishness, jealousy, etc. And they should pursue knowledgenotformerelivelihood,buttoserve thenation. TheDraftofNationalEducationalPolicy 2019,releasedlastmonth,speaksoftraining schoolchildreninethicalreasoningandthen inculcatinginthem‘traditionalIndianvaluesof seva, ahimsa, swacchata, satya, nishkama karma,tolerance,honesthardwork’etc.Butit shouldbenotedthatethicalreasoningcannot effect a spiritual orientation, and without a spiritual outlook, values by themselves are ineffectual for the good of humanity. The University Education Commission 1948-49, headedbyDr.S.Radhakrishnanrightlynotes: ‘Wehavetounderstandthatthegreatvirtuesof loyalty, courage, discipline and self-sacrifice maybeusedforgoodorbadends.Theseare essential for a successful citizen as for a successful villain. What makes a man truly virtuous is the purpose for which he lives, his general outlook on life. Virtue and vice are determinedbythedirectioninwhichwemove, bythewayinwhichweorganizeourlife.Unless moralityis taken in a larger sense, itis not enough. If we exclude spiritual training in our institutions, we would be untrue to our whole historical development.’

May the Guru who resides in our heart giveusthestrengthtoserveHiminourfellow beings.MayHeleadusfromuntruthtotruth, fromignorancetoknowledge,andfromdeath tolifeeternal.

The most popular of all the Maharashtriandevotional saints is undoubtedlySantTukaram(1608?- 1650). HissongsforVitthalaofPandharpurso deeply influenced Marathi literature and culturethattheyliterallyhavebecomepartof Maharashtra’s public memory! There is no home, no village where someone doesn’t memorizeatleastacoupleofTukoba’s abhangs –manyknowhundreds byheart!Comingfrom an ordinary background, showing his full tangible humanness by laying bare his anxieties,sufferings,weaknesses;speakingthe simpletongueofthecommonpeople, Tukaram is very much a saint the masses can identify with;theyregardhimasoneofthemselves! Inafamousabhang–santa kripa jhali–his disciple Bahinabai visualizes this BhaktiSampraday,theVarkari-Panth,asatemple built over the last eight centuries with the contributions and blessings of all the sants, culminatinginSantTukaramasthe kalash orpinnacle. Notbecausehewasgreaterthanthe othersaintsinhisrealizations,butbecausethe teachingsofthisgrand, straightandsimplepath ofbhakticametofullfruitioninhim.Heisthe people’s poet–millions ofilliterate villagers havebeen voicingtheirprayersofloveofGod through Tukoba’s abhangs, receiving all necessaryspiritualinstructionsthroughthem. He not only realized God himself, but broughtGod-realizationwithintheeasyreach ofall! ‘Jnanoba –Tukaram’ are the two great names chantedbyhundreds ofthousands of Varkaris duringtheannualAshad-pilgrimageto Pandharpur. SantJnaneshvar–the foundation, andSantTukaram–thepinnacle,containwithin them theblessingsofalltheotherbhakti-saints overthecenturies. Cover Story

Life SantTukaram(1608?-1650)wasbornin Dehu,asmallvillagenearPune,notfaraway from Alandi, the sanjivan-samadhi ofSant Jnaneshvar.Bothtownslieonthebanksofthe riverIndrayani. Tukaram’sfamilyweredevotedVarkaris going back for generations. One of his ancestors,Vishvambar,wassoattractedtoLord Vitthala that he would walk the distance of 250 kmtoPandharpurtwiceamonthforekadashis! Movedbythisgreat‘love-toil’oftheirbhakta, VitthalandRukminimanifestedintwoblack stone murtis in Dehu itself and became Tukaram’sancestraldeities! Tukaram himself wrote many autobiographical abhangs. He calls himselfa ‘Kumbi’, apeasant andtrader.Havinginherited the officeof‘Mahajan’, theywerealsorevenuecollectorsandmoneylenders.Thefamilywas initially well-offand by no means socially backward. Tukaram,thesecondofthreesons, wasmarriedearlyandsincehisfirstwifewas ailing and couldn’tcope with the household chores,hemarriedasecondtime. ARPANA GHOSH

Arpana Ghosh, a German by birth, is settled in Chennai for 27 years. She has embraced Vitthal Bhakti and is Vitthal’s German Varkari. arpana-ghosh@hotmail.com

Thenadversitystruck.Hisparentsdied and he had to shoulder the burden ofhis extendedfamilyatthetenderageof17. Initially he showed a good hand with his father’s business,butgraduallyheranintolosses.Ina terriblefaminehisfirstwifeRakhumaandhis elder son starved to death, and though he strovehard,borrowedmoneyandtriedvarious trades, he was driven to bankruptcy and penury.Thevillagecouncilhumiliatedhimand stripped him ofhis‘mahajan’title! Tukaram became very desperate. Devastated by the horrors of the famine and failure afterfailuretomakealiving,henow turned whole-heartedly to their family-deityVitthala.

In an autobiographical abhang he says kaya khave ata…, ‘Whattoeat?Whereto go?Whattodo?Onwhosesupport? I’m tiredof everything - I shall now go and find out Vitthala!’ Tukoba’s one-pointed devotion

He set out with an unparalleled onepointedness,thinkingdayandnightofnothing else than Panduranga. He repaired the old Vitthala shrine and spent most of the time there orinthewildernessofthenearbyBhandara andBhamchanderhills,meditatingonVitthala andtryingtostudythe Jnaneshvari and other writings ofthe previous sants. He entirely stopped working for a living. There was no income and he hardly paid attention to householdresponsibilities;hiswifehadtofend forherself withthechildren. Therewas thisextremedesiretoseethe Lord,buthefeltshameandextremeanguish abouthisfaultsandshortcomings!Hewasin constantwarfarewithhimself!Allhewanted wasavisionofVitthal’sfeet! Theelementof seeking–begging for compassion–is so dominant in Tuka like in none ofthe other saints. Hesings tujalagi majha jiva jhala pisa…, ‘huntingafteryoumylifehasbecomemad!I’m seeingeverywhereonlyPanduranga!Ileftall worldlyaffairs! Inmymindthereisonlythe soundofhisname!I’mintotalanguish—likea panting,twistingfish outofwater!Tukasays: theonlyremedynowistoobtainhisfeet!’or anika dusare maj nahi ata… ‘now there is nothingelseforme—Panduranginmymind,in my thoughts, awake and also dreaming! My eyes seeonlyone—Himonthebrick!’ Many times he uses the expression: ‘Vitthal,I’m entirelysoldtoyou!My head is like a sacrificial animal at your feet—do with me what you want!’Peoplefirstregardedhimas mad;buthisdevotiontoVitthalaand hiscompassionforeveryonewonthemover.He helpedeveryoneinneed,evenanimals!Andhe never made a difference between his own familyandothers. Legends tell that Vitthala himself on various occasions came in disguise to help Tuka’shouseholdwithgrains,moneyandother goods. Tukaram however wanted to live on the graceofGodfromdaytoday, andalthough his own children didn’t have much to eat, he alwaysimmediatelydistributedanysurplus— to the great frustration of his wife Avali! Thoughintheworldlysenseshewasagood wife,shewasagreatnagandforeverberating Vitthala,callinghimthe‘blackdestroyerofher samsar’! Tuka practically led the life of a renunciate; notbecauseheadvocatedsucha wayoflifeinordertofindGod,butbecausehe madeGodsocentralinhislifethateverything else simply dropped off. He never thought abouthisbody,heate andsleptwhennature compelled, but he took no interest in it. Tukaram did not advise this lifestyle for everybody! TheVarkaris areallhardworking householders –peasants, labourers, traders, andthelikewhointegratebhakti,bhajanand

He made God so central in his life that everything else simply dropped off

therecommendedpilgrimagestoPandharpur–the varis–intotheirlife.Sannyasisaregenerally notfoundhere!

Sant Namdev in a Dream AboutthistimeSantNamdevappearedto him in a dream, asking him to compose abhangs. More than 300 years ago Namdev Maharaj had vowed to write one billion abhangs forVitthala,buthadfallenshortby several thousand–Tukaram was now to completethetask. ButTukaramwasdiffidenttoacceptthis mysticinvitation.Hesang,‘HowcanIcompose? I never had a real darshan! I can sing with justification onlyifI have seen you, Vitthal!’ TherearesuchstrongparallelsbetweenSant NamdevandSantTukaram–intheirwritings andfervouroftheirbhakti–thatpeopleregard Tukaram Maharaj as an incarnation ofSant Namdev.

Tukaram finds his Guru Tukaramdidnothaveaguruinfleshand blood.Hetellsusthathereceivedinitiationin adream.Statingthespecificdayhesays:‘My Guruappearedinmy dream.Heputhishandon myhead, told his name as Babaji Chaitanya, mentionedhisspirituallineage andgavemethe mantra:‘RamKrishnaHari’!Itisassumedthat his Guru came from theshishya-parampara of SantJnaneshvar.Heexperiencedafullnessof beinglikeneverbeforeandtooktothemantra withallhisheart.

Darshan AftertheagoniesofTukaramreachedan extremestage,Vitthalagavehim darshanon theBhamchanderhill.Onecanvisitthiscave eventodayintheoutskirtsofDehu.Tukaram sings:‘Myanxietyanddoubtsareatanend,my previous outlook has entirely changed! I’m filled with infinite bliss, His light is like a millionmoons!WhereverIgoGodpursuesme now!Everythinghasbecomeauspicious,Isee God everywhere, I prostrate in front of rivers, treesandstones!Blessedthatmylovewasfixed in His name!’ Again, he says: ‘Howcould an uneducated fool have the power to speakwhat transcendstheVedas?Hefillseverynookand crannyofme!Ibearhisstamp! Nowmyonly business is to spread this easy road to the worldandcarrythemoverthe oceanoflife!’ Tukaramstartedsinginginstreetprocessions withtalandchipliperformingkirtan.

The ‘Drowning of the Gatha’ Though Tukaram Maharaj had a great following, there were many who hated him. Afterallitwassomethingcompletelyunheard of:aShudraguruwhogavethemessageofthe Vedas in the vernacular Marathi and who had evenbrahmindisciples!Startingrightbackin the13 C.E.withSantJnaneshvarthisradical bhakti-movementhadbeeninconstantconflict withthebrahminicalrules, ritualismandthe caste-system.TheBrahminsfeltveryoffended! TheysentagreatscholarnamedRameshvar BhatttochargeTukobawithheresyforwriting thesecretsoftheVedasinMarathiwhilebeing ofalow-caste. HeforcedTukaramMaharajtodestroyhis abhangmanuscriptsbyimmersingtheminthe Indrayani river. Though Tukaram meekly complied,itwastheworstordeal.The Gatha washislife-achievement,hissong-offeringof loveforVitthala!ThatVitthalaallowedthemto be destroyed meant that everything was meaningless!TukaramMaharajwentonafast unto death. Then, after 13 days the Gatha bundlefloatedupdryandintact,andhehad Vitthala’sdarshan! Thiswasaturningpointinhiscareeras poetandsaint.Hisdetractorsweresilenced, andhebecamephenomenallypopularinhis lifetime. And his persecutor Ramesh Bhatt becameoneofhisprimediscipleswhowrote the famous Arati Tukarama and the abhang

‘Repeathisname—Tukaram,Tukaram—and death is trembling!’ His brahmin disciple Bahinabaistates: ‘Hisabhangsweremagical, his personality charismatic!’ People started arrivingfromfarawayplacesofMaharashtra. Hehadagroupof14tal-bearerswhofollowed himeverywheretoplaythecymbals(tal)inhis kirtans. Marathi-speaking people were brought together like never before with the audience singing along in the chorus. His messagewaseasyto understandandsimplein nature. Chatrapati Shivaji

EventhegreatkingChatrapati Shivaji hadheardaboutthesaintand was very eager to meet him. Yet Tukaram Maharaj declined an invitation to the kingly court. He refusedallhonoursandkinglypatronageand chose to live life day to day accepting its uncertainties.Legendtellsthatthekinghimself cametoDehuwithpreciousgifts,butTukaram Maharaj rejected them all saying. amhi tene sukhi… ‘IamhappyifyousayVitthala,Vitthala! Whatisforyouagreattreasureisformeequal todust!Weartulsibeadsontheneckandkeep the Ekadashi-fast, tell that you are a servant of Hari—that is what makes me happy!’ and mungi ani rava ….‘antsandkings areallthesametome!’Shivaji wantedtorenouncehiskingdom then, but Tukaram Maharaj asked him not to leave his dharma. After Sant Tukaram’s disappearance Chatrapati Shivaji became the disciple of Sri SamarthaRamdas. onGarudaduringoneofhisecstatickirtansand carried him away to Vaikuntha—with his mortalbody!Wehavesamadhisofalltheother saints,butnotofTukaram!Intriguinglyheleft asetoffarewellabhangs,wherehetellsthathe isleavingforgoodforPandurangawascalling! He requested everybodyto stickto the holy name,he solicitedtheirblessingsandvanished. The Abhangs

What Tukaram Maharaj left for us are around 4500 abhangs which are known as Tukaram Gatha. His abhangsaremorepopularandwidely sungthan those ofthe othersants, andtherearegreatVarkariMaharajs who know the whole Gatha byheart! Tukaram’s abhangs can be easily discerned by his mudra in the last line, Tuka mhane, ‘says Tuka’. Unfortunately, thereisnochronologicalorderintheabhangs; theyappearasahugejumbledupcollection! Among them we find many socio-critical abhangs–against false sadhus and pandits, aboutthehypocrisyofbrahmins,againstthe worship of many different idols, against superstition and caste etc. Apart from the differentbhakti-topics,hisabhangsforVitthala canbecategorizedintoabhangsofgreatagony Shivaji wanted to renounce his kingdom, but Tukaram Maharaj asked him not to leave his dharma.

Sant Tukaram leaves for Vaikunth

Ifwesethisyearofbirthas1608,Sant Tukaramdisappearedattheageof42without atrace.PeoplebelievethatVitthalhimselfcame and yearning, abhangs ofresignation and waiting, and abhangs ofindifference. In the latteroneshechallengeseventheexistenceof Celebrations at Sant Tukaram Temple in Dehu

God! He accuses Vitthala ofnotkeeping his promise. He sings, ‘God is nothing but a meaningless word, an empty symbol! I’m ashamedtocallmyselfyourservant!Youarea beggarandaliar!Irefusetoutteryourname again! WouldIhaveknownyoudon’texist,I wouldhavenothankeredafteryou!’Andthen therearethesongsofbliss,wherehetellshow everything entirely changed after getting Vitthala’sdarshan,howhislimbsarebathedin wavesofindescribablebliss! Vitthal’s form

The most popular ofall his abhangs is ‘sundara te dhyana…, which along with SantJnaneshvar’srupa pahata locanim… issung asaninvocationduringanybhajanorkirtan. Here Tukaram Maharaj describes Vitthala’s enchantingformstandingonabrick,handon thewaist,withtulsigarlandsaroundhisneck, yellow dhoti, decorated with fish-shaped earringsandthekaustubha-gem.Tukasays:‘He isallmyhappiness! Ialwayslovetothinkof himlikethis!’; andTukawasveryparticular that he wanted to see Vitthala exactly like this andnotinanyotherform! Tukaram is like the otherbhakti saints firm in his sagun approach. He says: nako brahmajnana… ‘I don’t want brahmajnana – I’m yourbhaktaandyouaremyDeva, keepitlike this!Iwanttoseeyourface,wanttoembrace you,wanttospeakwithyou!Don’tmakelate now, enchanter of the Gopis, keep your feet on myhead!’ melovingwords,letus eatthefoodofbliss together!Motherandchildarenotseparate— theyeattogether from one plate!’ Again, he sings: thakalose dvari… ‘I’mabeggarstanding atyourdoor!Vitthala,Iwantsomealms—send meoutsomelittlelove-tokens!’ On the human birth

TheVarkarisdon’thaveaself-negating, renouncingapproachtolife.Tukasays: barve jhalo alo ya janmasi …‘ItwasgoodthatI took birth and acquired a human body, a vessel of bliss, the greatestgain!Hegavethefive senses—hands, feet, ears, eyes andamouthtospeak! Ifyou, Vitthala, jointothemandbethesole object of perception, then the bhavarog, thedisease of worldlylife isdestroyed!’

About the sharira, the body, he says: sharira dukhace kothara… ‘The body is a storehouse of misery, full of diseases and impurities, the cause of entanglement in Maya—atthesametimethisbodyisthebestof all,you can reach with it Parabrahma, you can breakwithitthefettersof samsar!Tukasays: QuicklyuseittodobhajansoftheLord!’ Letters

Special to Sant Tukaram are a set of abhangstitled Patrika.Thesearewistfulletters which Tukoba formulated for Vitthala when oncehewastoosicktojointhepilgrimageto Pandharpur. He sent them along with the Varkarispassingbyhishouse. I don’t want brahmajnana –

I’m your bhakta and you are my Deva, keep it like this!

Vitthal as a mother Tukaramfelthimselfmuchlikealittleboy andVitthalaashismother.HechidesVitthala: ‘Whatmotherareyouthatyouleftyourchildin theforestalone!?Howcouldamothernotfulfill the wishes ofher darling child?’ He pleads: bhetivancuniya duje nahi chitti… ‘No other thoughtthantomeetyou!Comeandwhisperto

Pandharpur In many wonderful abhangs he invites peopletogotoPandharpurandplunderthere the unlimited treasure ofthe holyname. He callsthecityatouchstoneandwish fulfilling tree! sakala tirthahuni Pandhari mukutamani… ‘Whatcan I tell you aboutthe splendour of Pandhari,thecrestjewelofalltirthas!There

thehusbandofLakshmistandsonabrick!No need ofvows, pilgrimages, alms—the same punya yougetherebyjusthavingonedarshan ofVitthala!Sadhusandsantssinghisname!It’s a place ofabsolute restfor all beings! Tuka says:NomatterhowmanypraisesIheapon Pandhari—it’s neverenough!’ Who are the Sants?

The association with these supreme bhaktas,whohavemadeVitthalatheirallinall, is one of the most significant elementsoftheVarkariSampraday. ‘SantisGodandGodisSant!’Many sants plead for this divine association in their abhangs, and Tukaram Maharajstressesitthemost.‘Asaint whogiveshimselfovertotheLord and is entirely without desire is the ornament ofall ornaments, greater than a touchstoneorwish-fulfillingtree! Allhesees andspeaksisGod!Iwanttobethesandand pebblesinPandharpurwherethesantswalk!’ Helistsuptheirqualities:‘Theservantsof Hariareentirelyfreefromfear,desire,worry and hope! They are full ofcompassion, see everybodyasequal,andfriendandfoealike! Theyhavenoegoandpride,andtheycalmly bear the buffets ofthe world! They never engage in miracle-mongering! They have abandonedtheworld—theyneednohonouror perishablegoods!God’snameiseverontheir tongue,theyarefilledinandoutwiththeLord andtheybearhisseal!Peopleliveattheirfeet!’ Upadesh

TukaramMaharajrecommendedconstant repetition of God’s name with one-pointed devotion andholdingon to Vitthala’s feetin one’sheart!‘Sayhisnamewithsuchlovethat Godstandsbeforeyou! Youdon’tneedtogo anywhere—God comes home! The name is utterlysweet—repeating it, all bad qualities dropoffautomatically!Amongallsadhanasthe holynameisthegreatestandmosteffective!Go and plunder Pandhari! There is the marketplaceofGod’sname—andit’sallfree!’ God’s grace is mostimportantbecause youcannotenforcespiritualvision!Butifyou callhimwithtearsandallsatvikabhavas,he cannot hold himselfback and he will give darshan! svalpa vate cale jaun …‘AfterGod’s embraceyouwillseehimeverywhere! Then whymortifythebody?Youcandancenow!Why insolitude? Thereisgreatblissinthecompany ofthesants!’ ‘I’mwalkingthesimple and easy road—and I’m singing Vitthala! You and me in merry playfulness,roaring,shoutinginbliss! Carrying flags, adorned with gopichandan and tulsimalas! Tuka says: Thisroadisstraightandgoes righttoVaikuntha!’ Tukaram Maharaj expects from his Varkarisveryhighmoralvalues.Allmenand women are considered as Panduranga and Rukmini! The worst is to hanker after somebodyelse’swifeorproperty!Amongother qualities he emphasizes utter simplicity, truthfulness,humilityandsteadfastness. The hardcore Varkaris

Among the hundreds ofthousands of Varkaris, there are groups who take Sant Tukaram’smessageinaveryliteralway.Theytry to follow all his precepts, and these ‘hardcore Varkaris’ arethepersonificationofsimplicity. Theypracticallyliveontheroad,walkingupand downPandharpur-AlandionEkadashis,during whichtheyfastandsingthroughoutthenight. Theyreceivefoodandclothingasisneededto survive,andtheyleadalifeofbhajanabsorbed inVitthala.Withtheirworn-outdhotis,stitched up bags, lota and tal dangling from their shoulders,sleepingonplasticsheetsandgunny bags,theytakeprideinlivinglifedaytoday, acceptingtheuncertaintiesoflife.Thefrequent expression in the abhangs: kaya vaca mana Say His name with such love that God stands before you!

You don’t need to go anywhere— God comes home!

samarpana, ‘surrenderbody,speech,andmind’ iswhattheypractice.

Dehu and the Tukaram Palkhi EveryyearinMarch(phalgun),thelittle town Dehu celebrates Sant Tukaram’s Vaikunth-ArohanorascensiontoVaikuntha.It isaone-dayfestivalofbhajanwherehundred thousand ofVarkaris fill up everynookand corner. It is called the ‘Tukaram Beej’. Pandharpur,Alandi,DehuandPaithanarethe mostvenerableplacesfortheVarkaris. InJune/JulytheTukaramPalkhisetsout fromDehufortheAshad-Yatra(the‘Vari’)with hundred thousands ofVarkaris walking to PandharpurforthegreatAshadEkadashi.The TukaramPalkhiisnexttotheJnaneshvarPalkhi themostprestigous. The journey itself has the greatest significance—the pilgrims become the embodimentofthismanycenturyoldtradition. Itisopentoall,anditisconsideredagreat honourandprivilegetowalkthesacredroadto Pandharpur. Here on the road everybody is deemedasant.

Vitthal’s heroes and the timeless Pandharpur

TukaramMaharaj appearssomeekand gentle,yetthereareseveralabhangswherehis voiceisfullofpower.Heisawareofhisability to inspire people and claims the status of a messenger: amhi namace dharaka… and kas ghaloni balkat… ‘I have wrestled with time and death and made apathway over the ocean of samsara! I have come! I’m the bearerofthe name! IbearthestampofVithoba!’In many an abhang he says: eka gave amhi vithobace nama… ‘There is no more birthanddeath, I promise!Iplantedmyfootontheforeheadof death!’‘Ihavedestroyedtherazorbladenarrow pathsodifficulttocross—nowwecanwalka broad road fit for a king! Take out the mridangam,thevinaandthetal! Let’senjoy, let’s taste brahmarasa, “the Bliss of the Absolute”!NowIhavenootherworkthanto sing Vithoba’s name! Tuka says: Even the greatest sinner becomes a jivanmukta and crossesoverinnotime!’ Speakingofthe‘Warriors ofVitthala.’he says:‘Theonlytruewarriorsintheworldare thesants—theyaresofterthanbutter,butthey cancleaveadiamond—notto fightformaterial goodslikelandandproperty,buttofightfaults andbadqualities!Whathastobedestroyedare the fetters of samsar!’ Tukaram Maharaj envisagedaunited worldinthefootsteps of these sants! He says vira vitthalace gadhe… ‘Death even falls at the feet of these powerful warriorsofVitthala!Whentheythunderously roarthenamesofHariupinthesky,theyburn all faults. Their weapons are forgiveness, compassionandpeace!’ Tuka’svisionisaPandharibeyondtime anddeath!Thecityofthesants,thecityoflove and joy,where there is no pride of caste, where people fall at each other’s feet, where everybody is equal! A place where Vitthala comes out of the priest-and-ritual controlled templetodancewithhisbhaktasonthesand bed ofthe river! Tuka says: Heci dana dega deva…‘Vitthala,givemetheboonthatIshall neverforgetyou!AllIeverwantistosingyour name with love! I don’t want liberation or wealth—letmealwaysbewiththesants!I’m happilyacceptingthentoberebornagain!’ TheVarkaritradition is very much alive eventoday.ButapersonalitylikeSantTukaram has notsprungup since the last370 years! TheabhangsofhisdiscipleSantNilobawere the last to be integrated in the abhang collectionofalltheMarathibhakti-saints.Sant Tukaram remains the last ofthe great, the pinnacle!