Sant Tukaram was a Varkari saint of Dehu village in Maharashtra. It is said that he first ran a small business and money-lending. Later his heart turned wholly to devotion to Vitthal.
According to folk tradition he held a ledger of loans given to poor people of the village. In a time of famine, many could not repay and the burden stayed upon them.
Tukaram thought that this ledger stood in the way of his devotion. He sank the whole ledger in the Indrayani river and told the people that they no longer owed anything.
After this he spent his time composing abhangs and singing kirtans. His abhangs are still sung with great love in Maharashtra.