According to legend, the local Brahmins compelled him to throw the manuscripts of his poems into the river Indrayani, and taunted him with the observation that if he were a true devotee of God, the manuscripts would reappear. Not only did he dare to impinge upon this prerogative, but he wrote in Marathi rather than Sanskrit. In composing abhangs, Tukaram incurred the wrath of the Brahmins, who believed themselves to be the only true custodians and interpreters of religion. He spent most of his later years in devotional worship, community kirtans (group prayers with singing) and composing Abhanga poetry.Īccording to Ranade, Tukaram’s spiritual teacher was Babaji Chaitanya, who himself was fourth generation disciple of the 13th-century scholar Jnanadeva.Īccording to some scholars, Tukaram met Shivaji – a leader who challenged the Mughal Empire and who founded the Maratha kingdom Tukaram introduced Shivaji to Ramdas for his spiritual education. Tukaram married again, and his second wife was Avalai Jija Bai. The deaths and widespread poverty had a profound effect on Tukaram, who became contemplative, meditating on the hills of Sahyadri range (Western Ghats) in Maharashtra, and later wrote he “had discussions with my own self”. However, both his son and wife starved to death in the famine of 1630–1632. Sant Tukaram’s first wife was Rakhama Bai, and they had a son named Santu. Both his parents died when Tukaram was a teenager. His parents were devotees of Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu deity Vishnu (Vaishnavas). Tukaram’s family owned a retailing and money-lending business as well as were engaged in agriculture and trade. Sant Tukaram was born to Kanakar and Bolhoba More, and scholars consider his family to belong to the Kunbi caste. He was either born in the year 1598 or 1608 in a village named Dehu, near Pune in Mahārāshtra, India.

The year of birth and death of Saint Tukaram has been a subject of research and dispute among 20th-century scholars.

Bhakta tukaram