Faith, the protected one untouched
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देव राखे तया मारील कोण । न मोडे कांटा हिंडतां वन ॥1॥
न जळे न बुडे नव्हे कांहीं । विष तें ही अमृत पाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥
न चुके वाट न पडे फंदीं । नव्हे कधीं कधीं यमबाधा ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे नारायण । येता गोळ्या वारी वाण ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Whom God protects, no one can harm. Not a thorn pricks such a one though they wander through the forest. They do not burn, they do not drown, nothing befalls them; even poison becomes nectar for them. They never lose the path or fall into a trap; the torment of Death never touches them. Says Tuka, when Narayana comes, he wards off every danger from the faithful.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The one God protects, who can kill? No thorn pricks him though he walks the forest. He does not burn, he does not drown, nothing harms him. Even poison turns to nectar for him. He does not lose the way or fall into a trap. The torment of Death never touches him. Tuka says: when Narayana comes, he wards off every danger from the faithful.
What it means
This is a poem of trust in divine protection. Tukaram piles up images of dangers that simply fail to land: blade, thorn, fire, water, poison, the lost path, the snare, even the agony of Yama. The one God guards passes through all of it unharmed; poison itself turns sweet. The claim is not that the faithful avoid the world's hazards but that they are held through them. The last line names the source plainly: it is Narayana who comes and turns aside every danger from those who keep faith, so the safety is his doing, not their own strength.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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