Tukaram's Abhangas: The Bhajans That Moved an Entire Tradition

Sant Tukaram was born in 1608 in Dehu, a small village near Pune in Maharashtra. His life was marked by extraordinary difficulty: family tragedy, financial ruin, social humiliation, and years of spiritual anguish before the breakthrough of sustained inner experience. What emerged from this crucible was one of the most remarkable bodies of devotional poetry in Indian literature.

The word abhanga means unbroken, and refers to a form of Marathi metrical verse that maintains a continuous, unbroken cadence. Tukaram's abhangas are famous for their directness. He did not beautify his difficulties into spiritual-sounding phrases. He wrote about them exactly as they were: the shame of poverty, the pain of mockery from religious authorities who dismissed him as unqualified, the grief of watching his child starve.

One of his most celebrated abhangas begins: "Ata kona re maya kari, ata kona re maya kari" (Who now will show me compassion, who now will show me compassion?). The repetition carries genuine anguish. And yet the poem ends by answering its own question with a turn toward Vitthala, who alone, Tukaram found, was reliably present.

His abhangas also carry extraordinary humor and warmth. He wrote teasingly about Vitthala's stubbornness, complained affectionately that God does not keep his promises, and used the language of ordinary Maharashtrian village life to illuminate spiritual realities. This earthiness is one reason the Varkari tradition has remained a living practice for over four centuries.

The Varkari pilgrimage is one of the largest regular religious gatherings in the world, with hundreds of thousands of devotees walking to Pandharpur on foot, singing abhangas the entire way. What makes this tradition remarkable is its profound egalitarianism. The line of pilgrims includes people from every walk of life, and on the road, the usual social distinctions dissolve.

His understanding of devotion was radical in its simplicity: God is accessible to anyone who calls out with genuine longing. Education, ritual correctness, and social standing are secondary. The quality of the heart is primary. This message scandalized his contemporaries and continues to challenge comfortable religiosity today.

The Arutra app includes a selection of Tukaram's most beloved abhangas with Marathi text, transliteration, and English meaning, making these timeless poems accessible even to those who do not speak Marathi.