Faith, God does not go back on his word
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
वचना फिरती अधम जन । नारायण तो नव्हे ॥1॥
केला आतां अंगीकार । न मनी भार समर्थ ॥ध्रु.॥
संसाराचा नाहीं पांग । देव सांग सकळ ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे कीर्त वाणूं । मध्यें नाणूं संकल्प ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The base may go back on their word, but Narayana never does. He has now accepted me; the Capable One does not consider it a burden. The scheme of worldly life holds nothing; God is the whole of everything. Says Tuka, I will sing His glory and not let any doubts intrude.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Base people break their word, but Narayana is not like them. He has accepted me now; the Capable One does not feel me as a burden. The whole scheme of worldly life holds nothing; God is everything entire. Tuka says: I will sing his glory, and let no doubt slip in between.
What it means
Tukaram rests his whole confidence on the reliability of God. People may take you up and then drop you, but Narayana, having once accepted him, will not treat him as a weight to be set down. From this he draws the conclusion that worldly life offers nothing solid to lean on, while God is the entirety. The closing line names the discipline that faith requires: he will keep singing the glory and refuse to let doubt creep in midway. The poem is less about feeling than about a settled decision to trust a promise that, unlike human promises, will hold.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
More in this theme →