Surrender, the net of illusion
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
तुझिये चरणीं माझे दोन्ही पक्ष । अवघी करुनि दाखवीं पिंडी रे रे ॥1॥
माझें साच काय केलें मृगजळ । वर्णा याती कुळ अभिमान । कुमारी भातुकें खेळती कवतुकें । काय त्यांचें साचपण ॥ध्रु.॥
वेगळाल्या भावें चित्ता तडातोडी । केलों देशधडी मायाजाळें । गोत वित्त माय बाप बहिणी सुत ।
बंधुवर्ग माझीं बाळें । एका एक न धरी संबंध पुरलिया । पातलिया जवळी काळें ।
जाणोनियां त्याग सर्वस्वें केला। सांभाळीं आपुलें जाळें ॥2॥
एकां जवळी धरी आणिकां अंतरीं । तीं काय सोयरीं नव्हतीं माझीं । एकांचे पाळण एकांसी भांडण ।
चाड कवणिये काजीं । अधिक असे उणें कवण कवण्या गुणें । हे माव न कळे चि तुझी ।
ह्मणोनि चिंतनीं राहिलों श्रीपती। तुका ह्मणे भाक माझी ॥3॥
आणिकां छळावया जालासी शाहाणा । स्वहिता घातले खानें । आडिके पैके करूनि सायास ।
कृपणें सांचलें धन। न जिरे क्षीर श्वानासी भिक्षतां । याती तयाचा गुण ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I place both my wings at Your feet; show me the whole creation gathered in one body. What is truly mine? Caste, lineage, family, and pride are all a mirage, like little girls playing house with toy utensils, with no reality in their game. Through conflicting desires my mind was torn apart, and the net of illusion scattered me far from home. Kin, wealth, mother, father, sister, son, brothers, and children: none of them hold any bond once death draws near. Knowing this, I have renounced everything; now gather me into Your own net. You nurture some and keep others at a distance; were they not all equally my own? You favor one and quarrel with another, and I cannot fathom Your mysterious play. Says Tuka, I rest in contemplation of You, O Lord; this is my solemn vow.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I lay both my wings at your feet; gather the whole of me and show me, made one. What is truly mine? Caste, lineage, family, and pride are all a mirage, like little girls playing house with toy pots; there is no truth in their game. Through clashing desires my mind was torn, and the net of illusion scattered me far from home. Kin, wealth, mother, father, sister, son, brothers, my own children: none holds any bond once death draws near. Knowing this, I have given up everything; now gather me into your own net. You hold some close and keep others at a distance; were they not all my own? You nurture one and quarrel with another; I cannot fathom your strange play. Tuka says: so I rest in remembering you, O Lord; this is my vow.
What it means
Tukaram surrenders by first emptying his hands of everything he once called his own. Caste, family, and pride he names a child's game of toy pots, and even the closest kin, parents, spouse, children, he sees losing all hold the moment death comes near. The net of illusion, maya, had scattered him from his true home by setting his desires at war with each other, so he asks God to gather him instead into God's own net. He admits he cannot understand why the Lord draws some near and holds others off, calling it a play beyond his grasp, and rather than solve the riddle he simply settles into remembrance of God and makes that his single vow. Surrender here is letting go of all false belonging so the only bond left is to God.
Surrender and Acceptance
The conditions of spiritual receptivity and the letting go of the separate self.
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