An Exploration of The Concept of Spiritual Union in The Poetry of George Herbert and Tukaram

Abstract

The summum bonum of every human soul, according to men and women of faith, is union with God in mutual love. There is a quest within human beings to be united with God. The union is the convergence of physical and spiritual worlds, reason and matter, soul and body, flesh and Spirit. People want to coexist with the all-encompassing Spirit known as Brahman, or God. It demands harmony between being and becoming, immanence and transcendence, and contemplation and action. God is the creator of all things. The universe cannot tell us exactly who God is or what he is because the passing world cannot comprehend this mystery. The grace of oneness with the divine is given to a spiritual person when he or they have reached the illuminative stage. The paper begins with defining the basic concepts and ideas of spiritual union according to the seventeenth-century metaphysical poets George Herbert, a British, and Tukaram, an Indian, followed by a short description of Christian and Hindu tradition. While Herbert explains being united with the Almighty without losing one's identity as a creature, Tukaram points out that to be in union with the Lord is to lose one's identity and become one in the Lord. Thus, this study explores the vast array of mystical experiences and sentiments of divine connection found in their poetry. It delves into their deep cultural and religious traditions, emphasising the significance of love, surrender, adoration, and the transformative influence of the divine presence in their poetic works. This paper highlights a deeper awareness of the intricacies of human spirituality and various paths that lead to the intimate relationship with the Divine by pointing to the similarities and distinctiveness in their poetry. It further encourages investigating profound spiritual communication and relationship with the divine through different traditions.