Longing, the silence of God
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
विठ्ठला विठ्ठला । कंठ आळवितां फुटला ॥1॥
कई कृपा करिसी नेणें । मज दीनाचें धांवणें ॥ध्रु.॥
जाल्या येरझारा । जन्मां बहुतांचा फेरा ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे नष्टा । अबोलण्या तुझ्या चेष्टा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Vitthal, Vitthal! My throat has cracked from calling out to You. When will You show mercy? I do not know. Come running to this pitiable one. Many rounds of coming and going, many births have I endured. Says Tuka, O scoundrel, this silence of Yours is just one of Your tricks.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Vitthal, Vitthal! My throat has cracked from calling out to You. When will You show mercy? I do not know. Come running to this pitiable one. Many rounds of coming and going, many births, I have endured. Tuka says: O scoundrel, this silence of Yours is just one of Your tricks.
What it means
This is a lover's complaint pushed to the edge. Tukaram has called God's name until his throat splits, and still no answer comes, so he openly admits he does not know when mercy will arrive. He begs God to run to him, reminding Him of how many births of coming and going he has already suffered. The closing word is daring: he calls God a scoundrel and accuses Him of playing a game, treating the divine silence not as rejection but as a deliberate trick a beloved plays to draw the lover further in.
Longing and Separation
Cries from the dark night of the soul: remonstrances, complaints, and desperate yearning.
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