Gratitude, God become kin
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देव सखा आतां केलें नव्हे काई । येणें सकळई सोइरीं च ॥1॥
भाग्यवंत जालों गोतें सपुरतीं । आतां पुण्या नीती पार नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥
पाहातां दिसती भरलिया दिशा । ठसावला ठसा लोकत्रयीं ॥2॥
अविनाश जोडी आह्मां भाग्यवंतां । जाली होती सत्ता संचिताची ॥3॥
पायांवरी डोई ठेवाया अरोथा । जाली द्यावी सत्ता क्षेम ऐसी ॥4॥
तुका ह्मणे जीव पावला विसावा । ह्मणवितां देवा तुमचींसीं ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Now that God has become my friend, what is there that cannot be done? Through Him, all have become my kinfolk. I have become fortunate, with family made complete; now there is no end to merit and righteousness. Wherever I look, all directions appear full; His imprint is stamped across all three worlds. This imperishable treasure has come to us, the fortunate ones; the power of accumulated merit has borne fruit. The liberty to bow my head at His feet, the grace of being received with affection, has been given. Says Tuka, my jiva has found rest by calling itself His own.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Now that God is my friend, what cannot be done? Through him, every one of these has become my kin. I have grown fortunate, my family made complete; now there is no end to merit and right living. Wherever I look, all the directions stand full; his mark is stamped across the three worlds. This treasure that does not perish has come to us, the fortunate ones; the power of long-stored merit has borne its fruit. The freedom to lay my head on his feet, the grace of being welcomed with love, has been given me. Tuka says: my jiva has found its rest by calling itself yours.
What it means
Tukaram counts his good fortune now that God has become his friend, and the whole world shifts around that one fact. With God as kin, every direction looks full and the divine mark is stamped across all three worlds, so he feels wealthy beyond counting. He names the gift as an imperishable treasure, the ripening of merit stored across lifetimes, and yet states it as something simply given, not earned. The deepest rest is in the last line: the soul finds its peace not by achieving anything but by daring to call itself God's own.
Ecstasy and Joy
Triumphant happiness: poems written from the far side of the struggle.
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