Faith, the child's stubborn claim
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
लेकराची आळी न पुरवी कैसी । काय तयापाशीं उणें जालें ॥1॥
आह्मां लडिवाळां नाहीं तें प्रमाण । कांहीं ब्रह्मज्ञान आत्मिस्थति ॥ध्रु.॥
वचनाचा घेईन अनुभव पदरीं । जें हें जनाचारीं मिरवलें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे माझी भोिळवेची आटी । दावीन शेवटीं कौतुक हें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
How can a mother not fulfill a child's demands? What is lacking in her? For us, the dear and playful children, that is not the criterion: neither Brahman-knowledge nor abidance in the Self. I will take the proof of Your words as my own experience, for You have displayed it openly before the world. Says Tuka, this stubbornness of mine is born of simplicity. I will show this wonder at the very end.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
How can a mother not meet a child's demand? What is lacking in her? For us, the dear and playful children, that is not the test: not knowledge of Brahman, not abiding in the Self. I will take the proof of Your words as my own experience, since You have shown it openly before the world. Tuka says: this stubbornness of mine comes from simplicity. I will show this wonder at the very end.
What it means
Tukaram refuses to approach God through learning and presses a child's claim instead. A mother cannot deny her child, he reasons, and as God's playful children we are not measured by knowledge of Brahman or steadiness in the Self. He intends to hold God to God's own promises, treating them as something he will live and prove, not merely believe, because God has displayed them openly. He names his own insistence as simplicity rather than cleverness, and trusts that the wonder of it will be shown in the end.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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