Cry from the fire, run to me
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
लोहागांवीं स्वामींच्या अंगावर ऊन पाणी घातलें - तो अभंग ॥1॥
जळे माझी काया लागला वोणवा । धांव रे केशवा मायबापा ॥1॥
पेटली सकळ कांति रोमावळी । नावरे हे होळी दहन जालें ॥ध्रु.॥
फुटोनियां दोन्ही भाग होऊं पाहे । पाहातोसी काय हृदय माझें ॥2॥
घेऊनि जीवन धांवें लवलाहीं । कवणाचें काहींहीं न चले येथें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Composed when hot water was poured over the Swami at Lohagaon. My body is burning; a wildfire has caught hold of me. Run to me, O Keshava, my mother and father! My entire skin and every hair is ablaze. This conflagration cannot be contained; I am consumed. My body is on the verge of splitting in two. What are You gazing at, as my heart breaks apart? Take up life-giving water and run here without delay, for nothing of anyone else can avail here.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Composed when hot water was poured over him at Lohagaon. My body is burning; a wildfire has caught me. Run to me, O Keshava, my mother and father. My whole skin and every hair is ablaze. This fire cannot be held back; I am being consumed. My body is about to split in two. What are You gazing at, while my heart breaks apart? Take up the life-giving water and run here at once. Here nothing of anyone else can help.
What it means
This is a cry torn out of real bodily agony, scalded by hot water, and turned straight toward God. Tukaram calls Keshava his mother and father and begs Him to run, because the burning has caught his whole skin and every hair and cannot be held back. The sharpest line is the reproach in the middle: what are You merely watching for, while my heart breaks. He insists that in this extremity no human help avails; only God can bring the water that saves, so the pain itself becomes the most direct possible prayer.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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