Arati, Krishna born to deliver
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
उगवतां कोटि बिंबें रवि लोपले शशी । उत्साव सुरवरां मही थोर मानसीं ॥1॥
जय देवा कृष्णनाथा जय रखुमाईकांता। आरती ओंवाळीन तुह्मां देवकीसुता । जय देवा कृष्णनाथा ॥ध्रु.॥
वसुदेवदेवकीची बंद फोडुनी शाळ । होउनि विश्वजनिता तया पोटिंचा बाळ ।
दैत्य हे त्रासियेले समूळ कंसासी काळ । राजया उग्रसेना केला मथुरापाळ ॥2॥
राखतां गोधनें हो इंद्र कोपला वरि । मेघ जो कडाडिला शिळा वर्षतां धारीं ।
राखिलें गोकुळ हें नखीं धरिला गिरी। निर्भय लोकपाळ अवतरले हरी ॥3॥
कौतुक पाहावया माव ब्रह्म्यानें केली । वत्सें चोरोनियां सत्यलोकासि नेलीं ।
गोपाळ गाईवत्सें दोहीं ठायीं राखीलीं । सुखाचा प्रेमसिंधु अनाथांची माउली ॥4॥
तारिलें भक्तजना दैत्य निदानळूनि । पांडवां साहकारी आडल्यां निर्वाणी ।
गुण मी काय वणूप मति केवढी वाणी । विनवितो दास तुका ठाव देई चरणीं ॥5॥
सुंदर अंगकांती मुखें भाळ सुरेख । बाणली उटी अंगीं टिळा साजिरी रेख ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
When a million suns rise at once, sun and moon are eclipsed; great is the celebration among the gods and in the minds of all. Victory to you, Krishna, beloved of Rakhumai; we wave the lamp before you, son of Devaki. You broke the chains binding Vasudeva and Devaki, becoming the child of their womb though you are the creator of the universe. You terrorized the demons and became the very death of Kamsa. You restored King Ugrasena as the ruler of Mathura. When Indra raged and sent down a storm of hailstones upon Gokul, you lifted the mountain on your fingertip and sheltered everyone. Brahma played a trick to test you, stealing the calves and hiding them in his heavenly realm, yet you multiplied the calves and cowherd boys in both places. You are the ocean of loving bliss, the mother of the orphaned. You delivered your devotees and destroyed the demons; you stood by the Pandavas in their darkest hour. How can I describe your virtues with this small mind and tongue? Says Tuka, your servant begs for a place at your feet.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
When a million suns rose at once, the sun and moon were eclipsed; great was the joy among the gods and in every heart. Victory to you, Krishna, beloved of Rakhumai; I wave the lamp before you, son of Devaki, victory to you, Krishna. You broke open the prison binding Vasudeva and Devaki, becoming the child of their womb, though you are the maker of the world. You terrified the demons and became the very death of Kamsa; you set King Ugrasena back on the throne of Mathura. While you guarded the cattle, Indra raged above; the clouds cracked and poured down stones in torrents. You sheltered Gokul, holding the mountain up on your nail; fearless, lord of the worlds, you, Hari, had come down. To watch the fun, Brahma worked a trick and stole the calves away to his own heaven; you kept the calves and the cowherd boys in both places at once. Ocean of loving bliss, mother of the orphaned. You saved the devoted and rooted out the demons; you stood by the Pandavas when they were trapped at the end. What can I say of your virtues, with this small wit, this small tongue? Tuka your servant prays: give me a place at your feet.
What it means
This arati retells Krishna's life as one long work of deliverance. His birth eclipses sun and moon and breaks open the prison of Vasudeva and Devaki: the maker of the world enters the world as their child to become the death of the tyrant Kamsa and restore the rightful king Ugrasena. Tukaram dwells on the protective miracles, lifting Govardhan to shield Gokul from Indra's hailstorm, and undoing Brahma's theft by being calves and cowherds in two places at once. The thread tying these together is that God comes down precisely for those who cannot save themselves: he is the mother of the orphaned, the one who stood by the Pandavas at their last extremity. Faced with such a record, Tukaram confesses his small mind and tongue cannot praise it. So he ends not with description but with a servant's single request, a place at the feet.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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