Moral ideal, where God dwells
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
दया क्षमा शांति । तेथें देवाची वसति ॥1॥
पावे धांवोनियां घरा । राहे धरोनियां थारा ॥ध्रु.॥
कीर्तनाचे वाटे । बराडिया ऐसा लोटे ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे घडे । पूजा नामें देव जोडे ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Where compassion, forgiveness, and peace abide, there God dwells. He runs to such a home and stays there, having found His true shelter. He is drawn along the path of kirtan, rushing toward the one who calls. Says Tuka, when worship is offered through the Name, God is joined.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Where compassion, forgiveness, and peace are, there God lives. He comes running to that house and stays, having found his shelter. He is drawn down the path of kirtan, rushing toward the one who calls. Tuka says: when worship is offered through the Name, God is joined.
What it means
Tukaram locates God not in ritual but in three qualities: compassion, forgiveness, peace. Where those are present, God settles in and makes that heart his home. He pictures God as eager, running toward such a house and rushing down the road of kirtan toward whoever calls his Name. The point lands as a quiet instruction: the way to gain God is not elaborate worship but a gentle character and the Name on the lips, and to that He comes.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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