Confession, a child's bold love
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कांहीं बोलिलों बोबडें । मायबापा तुह्मांपुढें । सलगी लाडें कोडें । मज क्षमा करावी ॥1॥
काय जाणावा महिमा । तुमचा म्यां पुरुषोत्तमा । आवडीनें सीमा । सांडविली मज हातीं ॥ध्रु.॥
घडे अवज्ञा सख्यत्वें । बाळें बापासी न भ्यावें । काय म्यां सांगावें । आहे ठावें तुह्मासी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे देवा । प्रेम लोभ न संडावा । पािळला पाळावा । लळा पुढती आगळा ॥3॥
बहु भितों जाणपणा । आड न यो नारायणा ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I have spoken some stammering words before You, O Mother and Father. Forgive my bold and childish familiarity. How could I ever know Your greatness, O Supreme Being? In my eagerness, I overstepped all bounds. In the freedom of friendship, a child does not fear its father; what shall I tell You that You do not already know? Says Tuka, O God, do not abandon this love and tenderness; the affection You have nurtured, nurture it ever more.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I have spoken some stammering words before you, Mother and Father. Forgive my bold, childish, fond familiarity. How could I ever measure your greatness, Purushottama? In my love I let myself overstep every bound. In the freedom of friendship, a child does not fear its father; what is there for me to tell you that you do not already know? Tuka says: God, do not let go of this love and tenderness; the affection you have nurtured, nurture still more. I am much afraid of knowingness; do not let it come between us, Narayana.
What it means
Tukaram begs pardon for the brashness of his own devotion, addressing God as Mother and Father. He knows he cannot measure God's greatness, and admits his love made him overstep every bound. But he defends the boldness: a child at ease with its father feels no fear, and what could he hide from one who already knows all. The plea is that God not withdraw the tenderness he has nurtured, but deepen it. The last line names the danger he dreads: knowingness, the self-conscious cleverness that would stand between him and Narayana, and he asks God to keep it from intruding on this simple, childlike love.
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