Mythology, the rescuing deeds of the Lord
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
गोबरधन नखपर गोकुल राखा । बर्सन लागा जब मेंहुं फत्तरका ॥1॥
वैकुंठनायक काल कौंसासुरका । दैत डुबाय सब मंगाय गोपिका ॥2॥
स्तंभ फोड पेट चिरीया कसेपका । प्रल्हाद के लियें कहे भाई तुकयाका ॥3॥ ॥22॥
॥ साख्या ॥ 30 ॥
तुका बस्तर बिचारा क्यों करे रे । अंतर भगवा न होय।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He lifted Mount Govardhan on His fingernail and sheltered Gokul when the rain of stones came pouring down. The Lord of Vaikuntha, the destroyer of Kansa the demon: He drowned the demons and called the gopis back. He split the pillar and tore open the belly of Hiranyakashipu for the sake of Prahlada. Says Tuka's brother, hold this in your heart.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He lifted Mount Govardhan on his fingernail and sheltered Gokul when the rain of stones came pouring down. The Lord of Vaikuntha, the destroyer of Kansa the demon: he drowned the demons and called the gopis back. He split the pillar and tore open the belly of Hiranyakashipu for the sake of Prahlada. Tuka's brother says: hold this in your heart.
What it means
Tukaram gathers three rescues into a single litany of the Lord's protective power. He held Govardhan on one fingernail to shelter Gokul from the storm of stones; he is the Lord of Vaikuntha who destroyed the demon Kansa, drowned the demons, and brought the gopis back; he burst from the pillar and tore open Hiranyakashipu to save the child Prahlada. The pattern across all three is the same: when the devotee is in danger, God acts, and acts without limit. The closing line names the purpose of the recital, to keep these deeds in the heart as the ground of trust.
Sacred Stories
Abhangas drawing on mythological narratives to illuminate spiritual truths.
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