Arati, beholding the feet that uplift
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
पाहातां पाउले हे विष्णुमूर्ती । कोटिकुळां सहित जे उद्धरती ॥1॥
जय देव जय देव जय पंढरिराया । श्रीपंढरिराया। करुनियां कुरवंडी । सांडीन काया ॥ध्रु.॥
मंगळआरतीचा थोर महिमा । आणीक द्यावया नाहीं उपमा ।
श्रीमुखासहित देखे जो कर्मा । पासुन सुटे जैसा रवि नासी तमा ॥2॥
धन्य व्रतकाळ हे एकादशी । जागरण उपवास घडे जयांसी ।
विष्णूचें पूजन एकाभावेंसी। नित्यमुक्त पूज्य तिहीं लोकांसी ॥3॥
न वजे वांयां काळ जे तुज ध्याती । असे तुझा वास तयांच्या चित्तीं ।
धालें सुखें सदा प्रेमें डुल्लती । तीथॉ मिळन वास तयांचा वाहाती ॥4॥
देव भक्त तूं चि जालासी दोन्ही । वाढावया सुख भक्ति हे जनीं ।
जड जीवां उद्धार होय लागोनि । शरण तुका वंदी पाउलें दोन्ही ॥5॥
कंसरायें गर्भ वधियेले सात । ह्मणोनि गोकुळासी आले अनंत ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Beholding these feet of the supreme Vishnu, millions of families are uplifted. Victory to you, king of Pandhari. I would offer my very body as a sacrifice. Great is the glory of the Mangal-Arati; no comparison can be found for it. Whoever beholds the divine face is freed from all karma, just as the sun destroys darkness. Blessed is the vow-day of Ekadashi; fortunate are those who keep vigil and fast. Worship Vishnu with single-minded devotion and become worthy of honor in all three worlds. Those who meditate on you never waste a moment; you dwell in their chitta. Filled with bliss, they sway in love, and holy places long for their presence. You yourself have become both God and devotee, to increase the joy of devotion in this world. For the deliverance of the dull and bound jivas, Tuka bows at both your feet in surrender.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Looking at these feet of the supreme Vishnu, millions of families are lifted up. Victory to you, victory, victory, king of Pandhari; I will make my offering and lay down this body. Great is the glory of the Mangal-Arati; nothing else can stand as its equal. Whoever sees the holy face is freed from his deeds, as the sun destroys the dark. Blessed is the vow-day of Ekadashi; fortunate are those who keep the vigil and the fast. Worship Vishnu with single feeling and you become worthy of honor in all three worlds. Those who meditate on you waste not a moment; you dwell in their hearts. Filled and happy, they always sway in love; and the holy places long to carry their presence. You yourself became both the God and the devotee, to grow the joy of devotion among people. For the rescue of the dull and bound jivas, Tuka bows in surrender at both your feet.
What it means
This arati centers on the darshan of Vitthal's feet and face as the act that saves. To see the feet uplifts not just the seer but generations of his family; to see the face wipes out karma as the sun wipes out night. Tukaram raises the worth of the Mangal-Arati and of the Ekadashi vow, vigil, and fast, but he ties their fruit to single-minded feeling, not to mere observance. The devotees he describes are not waiting for a future reward; God already lives in their hearts and they sway, filled, in present love. The striking claim is that God became both deity and devotee, taking the devotee's part himself so that devotion would spread and grow among ordinary people. Tukaram places himself among the dull and bound jivas who need exactly this rescue, and surrenders at the feet.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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