The game of devotion, a lineage of players
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
त्रिगुणांचे फेरी थोर कष्टी होसी । या चौघांसी तरी धरीं सोई रे ॥१॥
खेळ खेळोनियां निराळा चि राही । सांडी या विषयाची घाई रे ।
तेणें चि खेळें बसवंत होसी । ऐसें सत्य जाणें माझ्या भाई रे ॥ध्रु.॥
सिंपियाचा पोर एक खेळिया नामा । तेणें विठ्ठल बसवंत केला रे । आपुल्या सवंगडिया सिकवूनि घाई ।
तेणें सतत फड जागविला रे । एक घाई खेळतां तो न चुके चि कोठें । तया संत जन मानवले रे ॥२॥
ज्ञानदेव मुक्ताबाई वटेश्वर चांगा । सोपान आनंदें खेळती रे । कान्हो गोवारी त्यांनीं बसवंत केला ।
आपण भोंवतीं नाचती रे । सकळिकां मिळोनि एकी च घाई । त्याच्या ब्रम्हादिक लागती पायीं रे ॥३॥
रामा बसवंत कबिर खेळिया । जोडा बरवा मिळाला रे । पांचा सवंगडियां एकचि घाई ।
तेथें नाद बरवा उमटला रे । ब्रम्हादिक सुरवर मिळोनियां त्यांनीं । तो ही खेळ निवडिला रे ॥४॥
ब्राम्हणाचा पोर खेळिया एक भला । तेणें जन खेळकर केला रे । जनार्दन बसवंत करूनियां ।
तेणें वैष्णवांचा मेळ मेळविला रे । एक चि घाई खेळतां खेळतो । आपणचि बसवंत जाला रे ॥५॥
पुढिलांची धरूनियां सोई रे । एक चि घाई खेळतां जो चुकला । तो पडेल संसारडाई रे ॥६॥
बाराही सोळा गडियांचा मेळा । सतरावा बसवंत खेळिया रे ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Caught in the cycles of the three gunas, you suffer greatly. Hold fast to these four companions and maintain your course. Play the game and then stand apart, untouched. Give up this frenzy of sensory indulgence. By that very play you will become the champion; know this to be true, my brother. The tailor's son Nama was one such player who made Vitthal his champion. He taught his companions the moves with great urgency and kept the arena alive at all times. Playing with a single stroke, he never faltered anywhere, and the saints and people were all won over by him. Jnaneshwar, Muktabai, Vateshwar, Changa, and Sopan played together in bliss. They made the cowherd Krishna their champion and danced around Him in circles. When all of them joined in a single stroke, even Brahma and the gods bowed at their feet. Rama was the champion and Kabir the player; what a fine pair they made. Five companions played with a single stroke, and from that union arose a beautiful resonance. Even Brahma and all the gods together could not surpass that game. Eknath, the Brahmin's son, was one fine player who made the whole world into players. He made Janardan the champion and gathered together the fellowship of Vaishnavas. Playing with a single stroke, he played and played until he himself became the champion. Whoever follows the course of those who went before succeeds. Whoever falters in that single stroke falls into the throw of worldly bondage. Twelve and sixteen players form the group, and the seventeenth is the champion.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Caught in the turning of the three gunas you suffer greatly. Hold fast to these four companions and keep your course. Play the game, then stay apart from it, untouched. Give up this frenzy for the senses. By that very play you become the champion; know this is true, brother. The tailor's son Nama was such a player; he made Vitthal his champion. He taught his companions the moves with urgency and kept the arena awake at all hours. Playing with one stroke, he never faltered anywhere, and the saints and the people were won. Jnaneshwar, Muktabai, Vateshwar, Changa, and Sopan played together in bliss. They made the cowherd Krishna their champion and danced around Him. When all joined in one stroke, even Brahma and the gods bowed at their feet. Rama was the champion, Kabir the player; what a fine pair. Five companions played with one stroke, and from that union a beautiful sound arose. Even Brahma and all the gods together could not surpass that game. The Brahmin's son, a fine player, made the whole world into players. He made Janardan the champion and gathered the fellowship of Vaishnavas. Playing with one stroke, he played until he himself became the champion. Whoever follows the course of those who went before, succeeds. Whoever falters in that one stroke falls into the throw of worldly bondage. Twelve and sixteen players make up the band, and the seventeenth is the champion.
What it means
Tukaram turns the village stick-dance into a teaching about how devotion is actually practiced and passed down. The instruction at the start is the heart of it: play the game wholeheartedly and yet stand apart from it, untouched, refusing to be ruled by the senses, and that very detachment-in-action makes you the champion. He then names a lineage of bhaktas, Namdev, Jnaneshwar and his family, Kabir, Eknath, to show this is not theory but a path many have walked, each making God Himself the champion at the center. The recurring phrase about one undivided stroke is the moral: single-mindedness wins, and the one who falters at it falls back into bondage. Devotion here is both a discipline you learn from those before you and a fellowship you join.
Worldly Metaphors
Poems using images from games, occupations, and daily life as spiritual teaching.
More in this theme →