Nature of God, the dealings run backward
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मागितल्यास कर पसरी । पळतां भरी वाखती ॥1॥
काय आह्मी नेणों वर्म । केला श्रम नेणतां ॥ध्रु.॥
बोलतां बरें येतां रागा । कठीण लागा मागेंमागें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे येथें बोली । असे चाली उफराटी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
When asked, He extends His hand in giving, yet He flees when You pursue Him. Do I not know this secret? Effort was wasted due to ignorance. He responds well to sweet talk but grows stern when you get demanding. Says Tuka, here the dealings run in reverse.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
When you ask Him, He opens His hand and gives. When you chase Him, He runs. Do I not know this secret? My effort was wasted because I did not understand it. He answers sweet talk kindly, and turns hard when you press and demand. Tuka says: here the way of dealing runs in reverse.
What it means
Tukaram has worked out how God behaves, the hard way. Ask, and the hand opens; pursue and grab, and He slips away. Speak softly and He responds; turn demanding and He goes cold. He admits his own labor was thrown away because he did not see this sooner. The point is that the rules with God are the opposite of worldly bargaining: grasping loses, and the open, unhurried hand receives.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
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