Tuka Mhane : Bhag 1

The English scholar Acworth is said to have remarked that understanding the poetry of Dnyanoba and Tukaram reveals the innermost depths of the Marathi people's minds. Rajaramshastri Bhagwat quoted this observation in one of his essays.

Even today, these saint-poets continue to bind us together as a vast linguistic community. It would be difficult to find a Marathi person who does not know at least one abhang from the tradition extending from Dnyaneshwar to Tukaram, whether educated or uneducated. Knowing an abhang is, in itself, an authentic mark of Marathi identity.

In the old days, when devotional listening was central to religious life, abhangs were explained at length through kirtans. Today, kirtankars have become celebrities because we, too, have developed a taste for artificial spectacles and contrived celebrations.

In such times, Dr. Dilip Dhondge has undertaken an interpretation of Tukaram’s abhangs spanning approximately 1,000 pages. His work is not only scholarly but also communicates a wealth of meaning to readers through the precise and economical use of words. Interpretation necessarily involves determining and explaining meaning, and he has carried out this task with exceptional care, dedication, and affection.

Dr. Dhondge maintains that the literature of the saints springs from their intense devotion to God and their profound compassion for suffering humanity. By undertaking this extraordinary work in the modern age, he has rendered an immense service to us. We can repay him, at least in some measure, only by reading his interpretation and internalising the wisdom it conveys.