Sant Tukaram Aarti
आरती तुकारामा
What is the Sant Tukaram Aarti?
Tukaram Aarti The Sant Tukaram Aarti is a traditional Marathi hymn of the Warkari tradition that honours the 17th-century poet-saint Tukaram Maharaj and prays for refuge at his feet.
The Sant Tukaram Aarti is sung by Warkari devotees in Maharashtra to honour Tukaram Maharaj, the Bhakti poet who left behind thousands of abhangs devoted to Vitthal of Pandharpur. The opening line, Aarti Tukarama, Swami Sadgurudhama, greets him as a true guru and a home for seekers. Its two short verses recall the well-known legends of his sunken abhangs surfacing whole and of the scholar Rameshwar Bhat bowing to him.
Sant Tukaram Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Aarti Tukarama
Swami Sadgurudhama
Sachchidananda Murti
Paay Dakhavi Amha
Raghave Sagarat
Pashan Tarile
Taise he Tukobache
Abhang Udaki Rakshile
Meaning
Just as Rama made stones float on the sea to reach Lanka, so were Tukoba's abhangs kept safe within the water. The line points to the story of his verses, sunk in the Indrayani river, coming back untouched.
Tukita Tulanesi
Brahma Tukasi Aale
Mhanoni Rameshware
Charani Mastak Thevile
Meaning
When his worth was weighed, it matched Brahman itself; seeing this, Rameshwar Bhat placed his head at Tukaram's feet. It recalls the learned Brahmin who first opposed the saint and later became his follower.
Meaning & Significance
The aarti works on two levels. The refrain treats Tukaram as a living guru whose feet are a place of shelter, calling him a form of sachchidananda, pure being, awareness and joy. This mirrors how the Warkari community relates to its sants, not as distant figures but as guides one can still turn to.
The two verses do not describe rituals. Instead they retell miracles tied to Tukaram’s life, his drowned abhangs returning whole and a proud scholar submitting to him, as proof that his devotion carried real weight. Singing the aarti is a way of affirming that a simple bhakta’s love for God can outlast learning, doubt and even water.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Light the lamp. — Prepare a brass or clay diya with ghee or oil and a cotton wick, and keep it ready before an image or photo of Tukaram Maharaj or Vitthal.
- Begin with the refrain. — Start by singing the opening lines, Aarti Tukarama, Swami Sadgurudhama, and let others join the chorus.
- Circle the lamp. — Move the lit diya in slow clockwise circles before the image while the two verses are sung together.
- Close with devotion. — Finish with the refrain, offer a short prayer, and share the lamp's warmth and any prasad among those present.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Devotees sing the Tukaram Aarti to draw closer to the saint’s example of simple, steady devotion.
- Keeps the Warkari path alive: Singing it links the household to the living tradition of Pandharpur pilgrimage and abhang kirtan.
- Steadies the mind: The short, repeated refrain is easy to hold on to and helps settle a restless mind during evening worship.
- Builds humility: The verses celebrate a farmer-saint over a scholar, a reminder that sincere bhakti counts more than status.
- Strengthens family worship: Its simple Marathi lines let children and elders sing together without needing formal training.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The aarti is traditional and its composer is not recorded by name. It grew within the Warkari community that reveres Tukaram Maharaj, and its second verse names Rameshwar Bhat, a contemporary of the saint, which ties the hymn closely to the events of Tukaram’s own lifetime in 17th-century Dehu. Tukaram himself did not write it; the community shaped it in his honour and it has been passed down orally and in aarti collections ever since.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sant Tukaram Aarti?
It is a traditional Marathi hymn of the Warkari tradition that honours the 17th-century poet-saint Tukaram Maharaj and prays for refuge at his feet.
Who was Sant Tukaram?
Tukaram Maharaj was a 17th-century Bhakti poet-saint from Dehu in Maharashtra, known for thousands of abhangs devoted to Vitthal of Pandharpur.
When is the Tukaram Aarti sung?
It is sung at evening worship, on Ekadashi and during Warkari kirtans, and especially around Tukaram Beej, the day marking his passing.
What do the verses of the aarti mean?
They recall two legends, his sunken abhangs returning whole from the river and the scholar Rameshwar Bhat bowing to him, as signs of the power of his devotion.
Which language is the Tukaram Aarti in?
It is in Marathi, the language of Tukaram's own abhangs and of the Warkari tradition of Maharashtra.
॥ जय जय राम कृष्ण हरि ॥