Autobiography, the toy and the teacher
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
माझ्या बापें मज दिधलें भातुकें । ह्मणोनि कवतुकें क्रीडा करीं ॥1॥
केली आळी पुढें बोलिलों वचन । उत्तम हें ज्ञान आलें त्याचें ॥ध्रु.॥
घेऊनि विभाग जावें लवलाहा । आलेति या ठाया आपुलिया ॥2॥
तुका ज्ञानदेवीं समुदाय । करावा मी पाय येइन वंदूं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
My Father has given me a toy; with delight I play with it. I made my demands, I spoke my words, and from that, supreme knowledge came. Take your share and go swiftly to your own rightful place. Says Tuka, let Dnyanadeva gather his assembly. I shall come to bow at his feet.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
My Father gave me a toy, so I play with it in delight. I made my demands, I spoke my words, and from that the highest knowledge came to me. Take your share and go quickly to your own place. You have come here to what is yours. Tuka says: let Dnyanadeva gather his assembly; I will come to bow at his feet.
What it means
Tukaram speaks as a child who was simply handed something to play with and finds that the play itself bore fruit. The Name, given by the Father, is the toy; out of nothing more than a child's demanding and a child's words came supreme knowledge, unearned and given. He invites others to take their own portion and go to their rightful place, the place that already belongs to them. At the close he bows to the lineage, vowing to come and lay his head at the feet of Dnyanadeva and the assembly of saints.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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