Rama's return to Ayodhya, public joy
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आनंदले लोक नरनारी परिवार । शंखभेरीतुरें वाद्यांचे गजर ॥1॥
आनंद जाला अयोध्येसी आले रघुनाथ । अवघा जेजेकार आळंगिला भरत ॥ध्रु.॥
करिती अक्षवाणें ओंवािळती रघुवीरा । लक्ष्मीसहित लक्ष्मण दुसरा ॥2॥
जालें रामराज्य आनंदलीं सकळें । तुका ह्मणे गाईवत्सें नरनारीबाळें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The people rejoiced, men and women and all their families, as conches, kettle-drums, and horns rang out together. Great joy arose in Ayodhya when Raghunath returned. Cries of "Jai Jai!" filled the air, and Bharat was embraced. They scattered akshata and waved the lamp before Raghuvira, who stood with Lakshmi on one side and Lakshmana on the other. Rama's kingdom was established and all were filled with joy. Says Tuka, like cows with their calves, men, women, and children rejoiced together.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The people rejoiced, men and women and whole families, while conches, kettledrums, and horns rang out together. Joy rose in Ayodhya when Raghunath came home. Cries of "Jai, Jai" filled the air, and Bharat was embraced. They scattered grains of rice and waved the lamp before Raghuvira, who stood with Lakshmi on one side and Lakshmana on the other. Rama's kingdom was set up and everyone was filled with joy. Tuka says: like cows with their calves, men and women and children rejoiced together.
What it means
Tukaram paints the homecoming of Rama to Ayodhya as pure shared gladness. The whole town turns out, every instrument sounds, and the long separation ends in Bharat's embrace and the welcoming rites of rice and lamp. He shows Rama flanked by Lakshmi and Lakshmana, the picture of a kingdom restored to its rightful order. The closing image, cows running to their calves, names what the joy actually is: not ceremony but the natural rush of love toward what was lost and is now returned.
Sacred Stories
Abhangas drawing on mythological narratives to illuminate spiritual truths.
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