Arati to Ganapati, the dancing god
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
एक चि दंत शोभे मुख विक्राळ दोंद । ब्रह्मांडामाजि दावी अनंत हे छंद ॥1॥
जय जया गणपती ओंवािळत आरती । साजिया सरळ भुजा फरशकमळ शोभती ॥ध्रु.॥
हे मही ठेंगणी हो तुज नृत्यनायका । भोंवरि फेर देतां असुर मदिले एकां ।
घातले तोडरीं हो भक्तजनपाळका । सहस्र नाम तुज भुक्तिमुक्तिदायका ॥2॥
सुंदर शोभला हो रूपें लोपलीं तेजें । उपमा काय देऊं असे आणिक दुजें ।
रविशशितारागणें जयामाजी सहजें । उदरी सामावलीं जया ब्रह्मांडबीजें ॥3॥
वणिनता शेष लीळा तया भागलीं मुखें । पांगुळले वेद चारी कैसे राहिले सुखें ।
अवतार जन्मला हो लिंगनाभी या मुखें । अमूर्त मूतिनमंत होय भक्तीच्या सुखें ॥4॥
विश्व हें रूप तुझें हस्त पाद मुखडें । ऐसा चि भाव देई तया नाचतां पुढें ।
धूप दीप पंचारति ओंवािळन निवाडें । राखें या शरणागता तुका खेळतां लाडें ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
One tusk gleams upon a vast and mighty face; within that belly the infinite play of all creation is revealed. Victory to Ganapati; we wave the arati before him, his graceful arms adorned with axe and lotus. This earth feels small beneath your dancing, O lord of the dance. In a single whirl you intoxicate the demons. Your anklets ring out, O protector of the devoted; your thousand names bestow both worldly joy and liberation. Beautiful in form, your radiance swallows all other light; what comparison can be offered when nothing else matches? Sun, moon, and stars reside within you naturally; the seeds of all creation are held in your belly. Shesha grew weary trying to describe your play, and the four Vedas fell silent in contentment. You were born from the Linga's navel; formless, you take form for the delight of the devoted. Says Tuka, the universe is your body with its hands and feet and face. Grant us this vision as we dance before you. We wave the lamp of five flames and guard this one who has come to your shelter, playing at your feet.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
One tusk gleams on the great, fierce face. Within that belly the whole of creation plays without end. Victory, victory to Ganapati; we wave the arati before him. His straight arms are lovely, holding the axe and the lotus. The earth feels small under you, lord of the dance. In a single whirl you make the demons reel. Your anklets ring, protector of your devotees; your thousand names give worldly joy and freedom. You are beautiful in form, and your light swallows every other light. What likeness can I offer; there is no second thing to compare. Sun, moon, and stars rest in you of their own accord; the seeds of all the worlds are held in your belly. Shesha grew tired trying to tell your play; the four Vedas fell silent in their content. You were born from the navel of the Linga; you are without form, yet you take form for the joy of those who love you. This whole world is your body, with its hands and feet and face. Give me that very seeing as I dance before you. I wave the incense, the lamp, the five flames, clearly and well. Tuka says: keep this one who has come to your shelter, while he plays at your feet.
What it means
This is an arati, a song sung while waving lamps before the deity, here addressed to Ganapati. Tukaram first praises the visible form: the single tusk, the great belly, the axe and lotus in the hands, the anklets and divine ornaments. Then he keeps widening the frame until the form contains everything: sun, moon, and stars rest inside the god, and the seeds of all the worlds are held in his belly, so that the whole universe is his body. The point of the praise is the request at the end: Tukaram asks for the seeing that lets him recognize the formless one inside this form. He closes by placing himself in the god's shelter, asking to be kept safe as a child kept safe while it plays.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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