Longing, watching the road
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
डोिळयां पाझर कंठ माझा दाटे । येऊं देई भेटे पांडुरंगे ॥1॥
बहु दिस टाकिले निरास कां केलें । कोठें वो गुंतलें चित्त तुझें ॥ध्रु.॥
बहु धंदा तुज नाहीं वो आठव । राहिलासे जीव माझा कंठीं ॥2॥
पंढरीस जाती वारकरी संतां । निरोप बहुतां हातीं धाडीं ॥3॥
तुजविण कोण सांवा धांवा करी । ये वो झडकरी पांडुरंगे ॥4॥
काय तुझी वाट पाहों कोठवरी । कृपाळु कांपरी विसरलासी ॥5॥
एक वेळ माझा धरूनि आठव । तुका ह्मणे ये वो न्यावयासी ॥6॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Tears stream from my eyes and my throat chokes with emotion; come, O Panduranga, come and meet me. So many days You have abandoned me, left me without hope; where, O Lord, has Your attention wandered? You are so busy with Your affairs that You have forgotten me; my life hangs by a thread. Saints and pilgrims travel to Pandhari; I send word through many hands. Without You, who will come running to my rescue? Come quickly, O Panduranga. How long must I keep watching the road for You? O merciful one, have You forgotten me? Says Tuka, remember me just once, and come to take me home.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Tears stream from my eyes; my throat chokes. Come, Panduranga, come and meet me. So many days You have left me without hope. Where has Your mind wandered? You are so busy that You do not remember me; my life hangs in my throat. The Warkari saints are going to Pandhari; I send word with many hands. Without You, who will come running to my aid? Come quickly, Panduranga. How long must I keep watching the road for You? Merciful one, have You forgotten me? Tuka says: remember me just once, and come to take me home.
What it means
This is the cry of the soul that feels abandoned by the God it loves. Tukaram is not arguing; he is weeping, throat closed, watching the road to Pandhari for a Panduranga who seems to have wandered off and forgotten him. He does the only thing a helpless lover can: he sends his message with the pilgrims streaming toward Vitthal's town, hoping it reaches the Lord by many hands. The complaint is also faith, because he insists there is no one else who comes running to the rescue. The plea narrows at the end to the smallest possible request: not rescue, not reward, only that God remember him once and come carry him home.
Longing and Separation
Cries from the dark night of the soul: remonstrances, complaints, and desperate yearning.
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