Nature of God, all-seeing, all-hearing
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
विश्वंभरा वोळे । बहुत हात कान डोळे ॥1॥
जेथें असे तेथें देखे । मागितलें तें आइके ॥ध्रु.॥
जें जें वाटे गोड । तैसें पुरवितो कोड ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे भेटी । कांहीं पडों नेदी तुटी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The Sustainer of the world overflows with many hands, ears, and eyes. Wherever He is, He sees; whatever is asked, He hears. Whatever seems sweet to the chitta, He fulfills that desire. Says Tuka, He never allows any break in the meeting.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The Sustainer of the world overflows. He has many hands, many ears, many eyes. Wherever he is, he sees. Whatever is asked, he hears. Whatever seems sweet to you, that longing he fulfills. Tuka says: once he meets you, he lets nothing break the meeting.
What it means
Tukaram describes a God whose presence and attention have no edges. The image of many hands, ears, and eyes says that there is nowhere God does not see and no cry God does not hear. This God reaches into the heart's own preferences, fulfilling the very desire that seems sweet to the devotee rather than imposing something foreign. The final claim is one of constancy: once the meeting between God and soul has happened, God will not let it be cut off, so the relationship is kept unbroken from his side.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
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