Humility, living on God's remnants
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
स्तुति करीं जैसा नाहीं अधिकार । न कळे विचार योग्यतेचा ॥1॥
तुमचें मी दास संतांचें दुर्बळ । करूनि सांभाळ राखा पायीं ॥ध्रु.॥
रामकृष्णहरि मंत्र उच्चारणा । आवडी चरणां विठोबाच्या ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे तुमचें सेवितों उिच्छष्ट । क्षमा करीं धीट होऊनियां ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I offer praise for which I have no authority. I do not understand the measure of my own worthiness. I am Your servant, the feeble one among the saints. Hold me, care for me, keep me at Your feet. The mantra of Rama, Krishna, Hari is what I love to utter. My delight is in the feet of Vithoba. Says Tuka, I live on Your blessed remnants. Forgive me for being so bold.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I offer praise I have no right to offer. I do not know the measure of my own worth. I am Your servant, the feeble one among the saints. Hold me, care for me, keep me at Your feet. The mantra of Rama, Krishna, Hari is what I love to say. My delight is in the feet of Vithoba. Tuka says: I live on Your leftovers. Forgive me for being so bold.
What it means
Tukaram approaches praise as something he is not qualified to give, since he does not know his own worth. From that low place he asks only to be kept: held, cared for, kept at God's feet as the weakest among the saints. What he can claim is love, the names of Rama, Krishna, and Hari on his lips, and delight in Vithoba's feet. He calls himself one who lives on God's remnants, the leftover prasad, and asks forgiveness for the boldness of even speaking. The register is the smallness of the devotee set against the largeness of what he loves.
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