The Politics of Devotion: How Sant Tukaram’s Abhangs Challenge Social Hierarchy
Dr Dilip M. Bawane
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Dr Khatri Mahavidyalaya, Tukum, Chandrapur
Mob- 8788399233, Email- dilip3bawane@gmail.com
Abstract-
The paper analyses the Abhang literature of Sant Tukaram (1608–1649) from a socio-political critical perspective, contending that his devotional poetry expresses both spiritual equality and a profound challenge to the caste-based social structures of seventeenth-century Maharashtra. Bhakti traditions are often praised for their focus on personal devotion, but Tukaram’s work goes beyond religious feelings. His Abhangs challenge Brahminical authority, question ritualism, raise the value of everyday work, and present a vision of moral equality that shakes up caste ideology. Utilizing Subaltern Studies, Dalit literary study, and Bhakti studies, this paper positions Tukaram as a poet whose devotional voice transforms into a political tool—challenging orthodoxy, redefining holiness, and proposing a concept of “spiritual democracy.” The study shows how Tukaram employs metaphor, satire, humility, and moral exhortation to criticize power systems by closely analyzing several of his Abhangs. It also shows how he models a different moral society based on compassion, humility, and devotion.
Keywords: Sant Tukaram, spiritual equality, Bhakti traditions, Abhangs, Subaltern Studies, Dalit literary study, Bhakti studies, etc.
DOI link – https://doi.org/10.69758/GIMRJ/2512I10VXIIIP0006
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