Mother – As seen by Sant Tukaram

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Maharashtra is land of saints and their beloved god. Even this land has given them the name of mother. Saint Dnyaneshwar is called as “Mauli” means mother. Their beloved deity “Vithoba” is also known as “Vithai” means mother. It is wonderful to know that Mother has become genderless in the saint cult of Maharashtra. Anyone who carries the characteristics of mother such as compassion, love, soft hearted are called with the prefix or suffix “Aai- Mother”

Sant Tukaram is one of the most popular saint who has composed thousands of Abhang (poetry). In today’s blog we will see how Sant Tukaram has portrayed mother through his literature (Abhang).

धांव घालीं माझें आईं । आतां पाहतेसी काईं ॥१॥ धीर नाहीं माझे पोटीं । जालें वियोगें हिंपुटीं ॥२॥

करावें सीतळ । बहु जाली हळहळ ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे डोईं । कधीं ठेवीन हे पायीं ॥४॥

This is a yearning of a child for mother. Child needs mother and says…

What are you seeing, oh! Mother rush to me and come running. I cannot hold myself anymore, this separation is unbearable. Please come and shower your love and cool off my burning desire of seeing you, Tukaram is longing to keep his head to the feet of mother

Sant Tukaram in one of his Abhang proclaims greatness of Mother

राग आला तरी कापूं नये मान । बाळा मायेविण कोण दुजें ॥ तुका ह्मणे ऐसा होइऩल लौकिक । मागे बाळ भीक समर्थाचें Even if there is terrible anger Mother cant slit the throat of her child, who else is going to understand the child more than mother? I am your child oh Lord and I beg to pardon me as mother.

Relationship of Mother and child is unique. Once Yashoda takes a stick to beat Krishna since he ate soil and mud. When she asked Krishna to open his mouth is he has eaten mod, Krishna shows the universe in his mouth. However Sant Tukaram also takes this story and says

जगाचा हा बाप दाखविलें माये । माती खातां जाये मारावया ॥1॥ मारावया तिणें उगारिली काठी । भुवनें त्या पोटीं चौदा देखे ॥2॥ For any mother her child should behave good and be neat and clean, however mother is the only one who sees the whole universe while taking care of her child.

Sant Tukaram has compose enormous Abhang on Mother and her love

न लगे मायेसी बाळें निरवावें । आपुल्या स्वभावें ओढे त्यासी ॥1॥ मज कां लागला करणें विचार । ज्याचा जार भार त्याचे मायां ॥ध्रु.॥ गोड धड त्यासी ठेवी न मगतां । समाधान खातां नेदी मना ॥2॥ खेळतां गुंतलें उमगूनी आणी । बैसोनियां स्तनीं लावी बळें ॥3॥ त्याच्या दुःखेंपणें आपण खापरीं । लाही तळीं वरी होय जैसी ॥4॥ तुका ह्मणे देह विसरे आपुला । आघात तो त्याला लागों नेदी ॥5॥

When the child is hungry, mother is one who pulls and makes the child eat. Without even asking mother offers sweet to the child, and when the child eats it, the happiest person is mother. When the child is ill, mother is one who suffers the most, Tukaram says mother forgets her own being for the child.

Ofcourse there are hundreds of Abhang by Sant Tukaram on Mother, we will explore them in future. Keep reading about greatness of mother written by great Indian philosophers in upcoming blogs until Vijaya Dashami.

Author; Dr.Sandeep Sadanand Chaugule, you may reach out to him on Twitter @sandipchaugulie