Surrender, leave the burden on God
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देवावरिल भार । काढूं नये कांहीं पर ॥1॥
तानभुके आठवण । घडे तें बरें चिंतन ॥ध्रु.॥
देखावी नििंश्चती । ते चि अंतर श्रीपती ॥2॥
वैभव सकळ । तुका मानितो विटाळ ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The burden placed upon God should not be taken back for any reason. When hunger and thirst remind us of Him, that itself is good contemplation. Let unwavering faith be seen, for that alone is closeness to God. Says Tuka, I regard all worldly grandeur as defilement.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Do not take back the burden once it is laid on God; do not take it back for any reason. When hunger and thirst remind you of Him, that remembering is good. Let unwavering trust be what shows; that alone is closeness to Shripati. Tuka says: I count all worldly grandeur as defilement.
What it means
Tukaram describes what true surrender requires. Once you hand your cares to God, you do not quietly reclaim them; reaching for control again undoes the trust. He turns even bodily need to use: when hunger and thirst make you think of God, that is good contemplation, not a distraction. The proof of surrender is steady faith, and that faith itself is nearness to God. He ends by refusing the rival to surrender, treating all worldly splendor as something defiling rather than something to want.
Surrender and Acceptance
The conditions of spiritual receptivity and the letting go of the separate self.
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