Confession, the formless one made small for love
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कृपावंता कोप न धरावा चित्तीं । छळूं वक्रोक्ती स्तुती करूं ॥1॥
आह्मी तुझा पार काय जाणों देवा । नेणों कैसी सेवा करावी ते ॥ध्रु.॥
अनंता अरूपा अलक्षा अच्युता । निर्गुणा सचिता सवाौत्तमा ॥2॥
चांगलीं हीं नामें घेतलीं ठेवून । जालासी लाहान भक्तिकाजा ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे तुझ्या पायांवरी सदा । मस्तक गोविंदा असो माझा ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
O merciful one, do not hold anger in Your chitta; whether I praise or provoke You, I am only offering worship. I do not truly know Your measure, O God; I do not know how to serve You properly. O infinite, formless, imperceptible, unfailing one; O attributeless, ever-conscious, supreme being. You have kept all these lofty names, yet for the sake of devotees You have made Yourself small. Says Tuka, may my head always rest upon Your feet, O Govinda.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Merciful one, do not hold anger in Your heart. Whether I praise You or provoke You, it is all my worship. I do not know Your measure, O God. I do not know how to serve You rightly. Infinite, formless, unseen, unfailing one. Without attributes, ever-conscious, highest of all. You bear all these great names, yet for the sake of Your devotees You have made Yourself small. Tuka says: may my head rest forever on Your feet, O Govinda.
What it means
After the bold quarrels, Tukaram softens and asks God to keep no anger in His heart, since even his teasing and provocation are only forms of worship from one who does not know how to do it better. He admits he cannot measure God or serve Him as He deserves. Then he piles up the great names, infinite, formless, beyond perception, without attributes, supreme, and against them sets the wonder at the center: this measureless God has made Himself small for the sake of those who love Him. The poem ends in plain surrender, asking only that his head rest forever at Govinda's feet.
Confession and Sin
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