Tukaram ka Jeevan

Tukaram Dehu ke sant the — Maharashtra ke Vaarkari aandolan ki vaani — jinke abhang — bhakti-geet — aaj bhi laakhon gaate hain. Unka jeevan saadhaaran dukaandaar ke asaadharan sant banne ki katha hai — bhakti ki shakti se. Tukaram Dehu gaanv mein anaaj-vyaapaari parivaar mein janme. Ve vidvaan ya pujaari nahi — saadhaaran vyaapaari the — Jijabai se vivaahit — jeevika ko sangharsharat. Praarambhik jeevan kathinaaiyon se bhara tha: akaalon ne vyaapaar nasht kiya, pehli patni marin — aur ve rinon aur shokon mein rahe. Niraasha mein ve Vitthal ki or mude — Pandharpur ke priya devta — shyaam khade dev — jinki Vaarkari pooja karte hain. Ve Bhamnath pahaadi par din bitaane lage — dhyaan aur geet-rachna karte. Geet unse phoote: asaadharan sundarta ke abhang — prem, virah, samarpan — aur kabhi paakhand ki teekhi aalochna vyakt karte. Unhone Vitthal ko maata, pita, mitra, sarvasva-roop mein gaaya. Lekin badhti khyaati shatru laayi. Braahman pujaari Rameshwar Bhat ne — nimn-jaati vyaapaari dvaara pavitra kavita rachne se eershyaalu — Tukaram par dharma bhrasht karne ka aarop lagaaya. Usne maanga ki Tukaram apni paandulipiyaan Indrayani nadi mein duboye — daava ki keval braahman pavitra chhand rach sakte hain. Tukaram ne — vinamrata mein — aagya maani. Unhone priya geet nadi mein phenke aur tat par niraash baithe. Terah din unhone upvaas aur praarthna ki — aur kinvadantiyaan kehti hain ki terahvein din paandulipiyaan nadi se tairkar lautin — akshat. Nadi ne swayam bhakti-geet nasht karne se inkaar kiya. Rameshwar Bhat vinamra hua — aur Tukaram ki pavitrata siddh hui. Tab se khyaati Maharashtra bhar phaili. Teerthayaatri Dehu aate — unhe gaate sunne. Swayam Chhatrapati Shivaji — mahaan Maratha raja — sant se milne chhipkar aaye aur bhakti se dravit hue. Shivaji ne Tukaram ko dhan aur sammaan diye — lekin sant ne sab thukraaye — gaaya ki Vitthal ke naam bina kuchh nahi chaahiye. Raja bhakt aur rakshak bana. Tukaram ke abhang aadhyaatmik jeevan ke har pehlu par hain. Unhone sab bhakton ki samaanta gaayi — ghoshana ki Ishwar ke saamne jaati aur pad kuchh nahi. Unhone bina prem karmakaand karne waale paakhandiyon ka upahaas kiya. Unhone Vitthal se antarang sambandh ka varnan aisi komalta se kiya ki divya parivaar-sa laga. Unki sabse prasiddh shiksha saral thi: prem se Ishwar ka naam japo — aur baaki sab hoga. Unke prasthaan ki kinvadantiyaan asaadharan hain. Kaha jaata hai ki Tukaram ki saadhaaran mrityu nahi hui. Ek din unhone patni se kaha ki Vitthal ne bulaaya hai — aur mandir gaye. Kaha jaata hai divya rath utra — aur Tukaram bhautik shareer sahit swarg gaye — gaate hue. Kinvadanti ho ya satya — katha vyakt karti hai jo bhakt maante the: ki woh saadhaaran mrityu ke liye bahut nirmal the. Unke abhang — Tukaram Gaatha-roop mein sangrahit — Vaarkari parampara ka hriday hain. Har varsh Pandharpur ki mahaan yaatra unke geet le jaati hai — aur laakhon maarg mein unhe gaate hain. Katha sikhaati hai ki bhakti ko hriday bina mandir nahi chaahiye. Tukaram pujaari nahi the — vidvaan nahi — raja nahi. Ve dukaandaar the jo Ishwar ko gaate the — aur unke geet saamraajyon se adhik jiye. Yeh bhi sikhaati hai ki divya nishkapat ko uttar deta hai — chaahe jo bhi sthiti ho. Vitthal ne Tukaram ki jaati ya vidya nahi maangi. Unhone keval prem maanga — aur Tukaram ne poorna diya.

Tukaram ke abhang har varsh Pandharpur ki mahaan yaatra mein laakhon gaate hain — aur unki Gaatha Vaarkari parampara ka hriday hai. Indrayani nadi se unki paandulipiyon ke tairkar lautne ki katha pramaan-roop mein sunaayi jaati hai ki bhakti-geet eershya se duboye nahi jaa sakte. Jaati-abhimaan ki unki avagya — us yug mein jab yeh khatarnaak tha — sachchi samaanta ke saahas-roop mein sammaanit hai. Unke prati Shivaji ki bhakti talvaar aur geet ke milan-roop mein smaran ki jaati hai: woh raja jisne raajya jeete — us sant ke saamne jhuka jisne hriday jeete. Divya rath mein swargaarohan ki kinvadanti saadhaaran mrityu ke liye bahut nirmal jeevan ke yogya ant-roop mein gaayi jaati hai. Aaj bhi unki vaani sikhaati hai ki bhakti ko hriday bina mandir nahi chaahiye — aur divya nishkapat ko uttar deta hai — chaahe jo bhi sthiti ho.