Pandharpur as the city of grace
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
तेथील मोकासी चार भुजा त्यासी । बाइला सोळा हजार रे ॥१॥
नाचत जाऊं त्याच्या गांवा रे खेळिया । सुख देईल विसावा रे ।
पुढें गेले ते निधाई जाले । वाणितील त्याची सीमा रे ॥ध्रु.॥
बळियां आगळा पाळी लोकपाळां । रीघ नाहीं कळिकाळा रे ।
पुंडलीक पाटील केली कुळवाडी । तो जाला भवदुःखा वेगळा रे ॥२॥
संतसज्जनीं मांडिलीं दुकाने । जया जें पाहिजे तें आहे रे ।
भुक्तिमुक्ति फुका च साठीं । कोणी तयाकडे न पाहे रे ॥३॥
दोन्हीच हाट भरले घनदाट । अपार मिळाले वारकरी रे ।
न वजों म्हणती आम्ही वैकुंठा । जिहीं देखिली पंढरी रे ॥४॥
बहुत दिस होती मज आस । आजि घडलें सायासीं रे ।
तुका म्हणे होय तुमचेनी पुण्यें । भेटी तया पायांसी रे ॥५॥
पंढरी चोहटा मांडियेला खेळ । वैष्णव मिळोनि सकळ रे ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Its ruler has four arms and sixteen thousand wives. Let us dance our way to His town, O players, for He will give us rest and joy. Those who have gone before have become treasures beyond measure; none can describe their glory. Mightier than the mighty, He sustains the guardians of the world, and even Death has no access there. Pundalik the headman tilled the field of devotion and became free of the sorrow of worldly life. The saints and the righteous have set up their shops there, where whatever you need is available. Liberation and worldly enjoyment are given away for nothing, and yet no one even glances at them. Both the market days are packed and overflowing with countless pilgrims. Those who have seen Pandhari say, we will not go to Vaikuntha. For many days I held this longing, and today, through great effort, it has been fulfilled. Says Tuka, by the merit of your company, I have touched those holy feet. On the crossroads of Pandhari, the game is set up; all the Vaishnavas have gathered together.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Its lord has four arms and sixteen thousand wives. Let us dance our way to His town, players; He will give us rest and joy. Those who went ahead became treasures beyond measure; no one can describe their glory. Mightier than the mighty, He sustains the guardians of the world, and Death has no way in. Pundalik the headman tilled the field of devotion and became free of the sorrow of this world. The saints and the good have set up their shops there; whatever you need is to be had. Liberation and worldly enjoyment are given away for nothing, and yet no one even glances at them. Both market days are packed thick; countless pilgrims have gathered. Those who have seen Pandhari say, we will not go to Vaikuntha. For many days I held this longing; today, with great effort, it is fulfilled. Tuka says: by the merit of your company, I have touched those holy feet. On the crossroads of Pandhari the game is set up; all the Vaishnavas have gathered.
What it means
Tukaram describes Pandharpur as a city run by God Himself, where Death cannot enter and the saints keep open shops stocked with everything a soul could want. The startling line is that liberation and worldly enjoyment, the two great prizes people chase, are handed out for free here and no one bothers to look at them, because the pilgrims want only the feet of God. Pundalik, the devotee whose love drew Vitthal to Pandhari, is named as the one who plowed devotion into freedom. The claim at the center is a refusal: those who have seen Pandhari say they will not even go to Vaikuntha, heaven itself, because the company of saints on this earth is the higher thing. Tukaram closes by crediting his own arrival not to his effort but to the merit of that very company.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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