The shared lunch, the orphan who clings to God
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
घ्या रे भोंकरें भाकरी । दहींभाताची सिदोरी । ताक सांडीं दुरी । असेल तें तयापें ॥१॥
येथें द्यावें तैसें घ्यावे । थोडें परी निरें व्हावें । सांगतों हे ठावें । असों द्या रे सकळां ॥ध्रु.॥
माझें आहे तैसें पाहे । नाहीं तरी घरा जाये । चोरोनियां माये । नवनीत आणावें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे घरीं । माझें कोणी नाहीं हरी । नका करूं दुरी । मज पायां वेगळें ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Take these flatbreads and the packed lunch of curd-rice; pour the buttermilk away, whatever you have, bring it along. Here we give as we receive; even if it is little, let it be honest. Let everyone know this, I say plainly. Look at what I have as it is; if there is nothing, go home and sneak some fresh butter from your mother. Says Tuka, at my home I have no one, O Hari. Do not keep me away from your feet.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Take these flatbreads and the packed lunch of curd-rice; pour the buttermilk away, bring whatever you have. Here we give as we receive; even if it is little, let it be honest. I say this plainly; let everyone know it. Look at what I have as it is; if you have nothing, go home and quietly bring some fresh butter from your mother. Tuka says: at home I have no one, Hari. Do not keep me away; do not set me apart from your feet.
What it means
The poem opens with the cowherds pooling their meal, flatbreads, curd-rice, butter, on a single rule: give as you receive, and let even a small share be honest and shared openly. Those with nothing are told to fetch a little butter from home so all may join. The last verse drops the play and becomes Tukaram's own prayer: he has no one of his own, so he begs Hari not to push him away or separate him from his feet. The shared meal of the cowherds becomes the orphaned soul's plea to belong to God, who is the only family it has.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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