Krishna, the swing and the fair share
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
शिंकें लावियेलें दुरी । होतों तिघांचे मी वरी ॥१॥
तुम्ही व्हारे दोहींकडे । मुख पसरूनि गडे ॥ध्रु.॥
वाहाती त्या धारा । घ्यारे दोहींच्या कोंपरा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे हातीं टोका । अधिक उणें नेदी एका ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He hung the swing up high, and I climbed above the other three. You two, stand on either side with your mouths open wide, O friends. The streams of milk are flowing; catch them at both ends. Says Tuka, He holds the rope-end in His hand and does not let anyone receive more or less than their share.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He hung the swing up high, and I climbed above the other three. You two, stand on either side, and open your mouths wide, friends. The streams of milk are flowing; catch them at both ends. Tuka says: he holds the rope-end in his hand, and gives no one more or less than their share.
What it means
This is the cowherds' game, with a high swing and streams of milk caught in open mouths, a scene of play that is also a parable of grace. The speaker climbs above the others, and friends are placed on either side to receive the flow. The point arrives in the signature line: Krishna himself holds the rope-end, and he portions out the bounty so that no one gets more or less than their due. The play conceals a teaching about divine fairness, that the giver controls the measure and gives each soul exactly its share, no favoritism, no shortfall.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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