God the Friend of the Helpless
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
करितां कोणाचें ही काज । नाहीं लाज देवासी ॥1॥
बरे करावें हें काम । धरिलें नाम दीनबंधु ॥ध्रु.॥
करुनि अराणूक पाहे । भलत्या साहए व्हावया ॥2॥
बोले तैसी करणी करी । तुका ह्मणे एक हरि ॥3॥ ॥4॥
उभें चंद्रभागे तीरीं । कट धरोनियां करीं ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
God feels no shame in doing anyone's work. He should do this work well, for He has taken the name Friend of the Helpless. He watches for the chance to assist, ready to help in any way. Says Tuka, Hari alone both speaks and acts accordingly.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
God feels no shame to do anyone's work. He must do this work well, for he has taken the name Friend of the Helpless. He looks for the chance, ready to help in any way at all. He acts exactly as he speaks. Tuka says: Hari alone is like this. He stands on the bank of the Chandrabhaga, his hands resting on his hips.
What it means
Tukaram reminds God of his own name: if he is called Friend of the Helpless, then he is bound to act like one, and he is not too proud to do even the lowliest person's work. Tukaram presses the claim that God watches for openings to help and that his deeds match his promises exactly, unlike human beings whose words and acts come apart. The closing image is Vitthal standing on the river bank at Pandhari, hands on hips, waiting, the Friend who keeps his post. The poem is half praise and half a held God to his word.
The Nature of God
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