Surrender, no escape from the one kingdom
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
करितां विचार अवघें एक राज्य । दुजा कोण मज पाठी घाली ॥1॥
कोण्या रीती जावें आह्मी वो पळोनि । मोकळ अंगणीं मागें पुढें ॥ध्रु.॥
काय तें गव्हाणें हिंडावीं वो किती । दूत ते लागती याच पाठी ॥2॥
कोठें याची करूं केलों कुळवाडी । आतां हा न सोडी जीवें आह्मां ॥3॥
होऊनि बेबाख येथें चि राहावें। देईल तें खावें तुका ह्मणे ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
When I consider it carefully, it is all one kingdom; who else stands behind me? In what way can I flee? It is all open ground, before me and behind. How many alleys must I wander? His agents follow me everywhere. Where can I lodge a complaint against this One who has made me His tenant? He will not let me go alive. Says Tuka, let me become free of debt and stay right here, eating whatever He gives.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
When I think it through, it is all one kingdom; who else is there to stand behind me? Which way could I run? It is all open ground, before me and behind. How many alleys can I wander down? His agents are on my trail everywhere. Where would I lodge a complaint against the One who has made me his tenant? Now he will not let me go alive. Tuka says: let me clear my debt and stay right here, eating whatever he gives.
What it means
Tukaram works out that there is no escape from God because there is nowhere outside God to escape to. It is all one kingdom, open on every side, and wherever he runs the Lord's agents are already on his trail. There is no higher court to appeal to, since the landlord he would complain about owns everything. The honest conclusion is not defeat but rest: stop running, settle the account, stay put, and live on whatever the master hands out. The dread of being trapped resolves into the peace of having no need to flee.
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