Nature of God, beyond the Vedas
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जयापासोनि सकळ । महीमंडळ जालें ॥1॥
तो एक पंढरीचा राणा । नये श्रुती अनुमाना ॥ध्रु.॥
विवादती जयासाठीं। जगजेटी तो विठ्ठल ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे तो आकळ । आहे सकळव्यापक॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He from whom this entire earth was born is the one King of Pandhari, beyond the reach of even the Vedas' speculation. It is over Him that the scriptures debate. That Lord of the world is Vitthal. Says Tuka, He is beyond comprehension, yet He pervades all things.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He from whom this whole earth was born is the one King of Pandhari. The Vedas cannot reach him by guessing. The one the scriptures argue over is Vitthal, the master of the world. Tuka says: he cannot be grasped, yet he spreads through everything.
What it means
Tukaram identifies the source of all creation with the figure who stands on the brick at Pandhari. The same God the Vedas strain after and cannot pin down by reasoning, the one the scriptures dispute among themselves, is simply Vitthal, near and present at the shrine. He sets two truths side by side without softening either: this God is beyond comprehension, and this God fills all that exists. The unspoken claim is that what the learned chase through argument, the devotee finds standing plainly at Pandhari.
The Nature of God
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