Arati, the beauty beyond all likeness
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मस्तकीं मुगुट कानीं कुंडलां तेज फांके। आरक्त दंत हिरे कैसे शोभले निके ॥1॥
जय देवा चुतर्भुजा जया लावण्यतेजा । आरती ओवाळीन भवतारिया हा वोजा । जय. ॥ध्रु.॥
उदार जुंझार हा जया वाणिती श्रुति । परतल्या नेति ह्मणती तयां न कळे गति ।
भाट हा चतुर्मुखें अनुवाद करिती । पांगलीं साही अठरा रूप न गति ॥2॥
ऐकोनि रूप ऐसें तुजलागीं धुंडिती। बोडके नग्न एक निराहार ईित ।
भरूनि माजी लोकां तिहीं नांदसि एक। कामिनी मनमोहना रूप नाम अनेक ।
नासति नाममात्रें भवपातकें शोक । पाउलें वंदिताती सिद्ध आणि साधक ॥4॥
उपमा द्यावयासी दुजें काय हें तुज । तत्त्वासि तत्त्वसार मूळ जालासी बीज ।
खेळसि बाळलीळा अवतार सहज । विनवितो दास तुका कर जोडोनि तुज ॥5॥
सकुमार मुखकमळ निजसारनिर्मळ । सावळी सुनीळ तनु भ्रमरांग कुरळ ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
A crown upon your head, earrings blazing with light, beautiful teeth set with gems shining perfectly. Victory to you, four-armed one, radiant with beauty; we wave the lamp before you, O deliverer from worldly bondage. Generous warrior, the Vedas attempt your praise; even when they say 'not this, not this,' they cannot grasp your nature. Four-faced Brahma sings your glory ceaselessly. The six and eighteen branches of knowledge lose themselves and cannot contain your form. Hearing of such beauty, seekers search for you; some go naked, some fast, some stand in silent penance. Yet you pervade all beings, dwelling in all three worlds as one. Enchanter of minds, you bear infinite names and forms. By your name alone, all sins and sorrows of existence are destroyed. The perfected and the seekers bow at your feet. Says Tuka, your servant, with hands folded: to what shall I compare you, O seed and essence of all truth, who plays the game of incarnation so effortlessly?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
On your head a crown, in your ears earrings flashing light; your beautiful teeth set like gems, shining perfectly. Victory to you, four-armed one, radiant with beauty; I wave the lamp before you, ferry across the world's flood, victory. Generous warrior, the Vedas try to speak you; turned back, they say "not this" and cannot grasp your way. Four-faced Brahma keeps repeating your praise; the six and the eighteen branches of learning lose themselves and cannot reach your form. Hearing of such beauty, they search for you: some go bald and naked, some take no food, some stand in penance. Yet filling all, you live as one inside all three worlds. Enchanter of the mind, you bear many forms and many names. By the name alone, the sins and sorrows of existence are destroyed; the perfected and the seekers bow at your feet. To what shall I liken you, since there is no second thing? Essence of essences, you became the root and the seed. You play the child's games, you take birth as easily as play. Tuka your servant prays with folded hands.
What it means
The arati begins with the visible beauty of the image, crown, earrings, gem-like teeth, and lets that beauty open onto the unsayable. The Vedas try and are turned back at "not this"; Brahma and all the branches of learning lose themselves trying to reach his form. Tukaram notes the austerities people undertake on hearing of this beauty, going naked, fasting, standing in penance, and quietly contrasts them with the simple power of the Name, which by itself destroys the sins and sorrows of existence. He holds together the enchanter of infinite names and forms with the One who pervades all three worlds as a single presence. The praise reaches its limit at the claim that there is no second thing to compare him to: he is the very root and seed of truth, who still plays a child's games and takes birth as lightly as play. So Tukaram, calling himself servant, can only fold his hands.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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