Autobiography, poetry from God or vanity
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जगीं मान्य केलें हा तुझा देकार । कीं कांहीं विचार आहे पुढें ॥1॥
करितों कवित्व जोडितों अक्षरें । येणें काय पुरें जालें माझें ॥ध्रु.॥
तोंवरि हे माझी न सरे करकर । जो नव्हे विचार तुझ्या मुखें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे तुज पुंडलिकाची आण । जरी कांहीं वचन करिसी मज ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The world has accepted my words; is this Your doing, or is there some plan behind it? I compose verses and string together syllables, but has that truly fulfilled my purpose? This inner turmoil of mine will not cease until You Yourself speak through me. Says Tuka, I place You under oath by Pundalik: speak some word to me.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The world has accepted my words. Is this Your doing, or is there some plan still ahead? I make verses, I string syllables together. Has that fulfilled my purpose? This nagging in me will not end until the thought comes from Your own mouth. Tuka says: I put You under oath by Pundalik, if You will speak even one word to me.
What it means
Tukaram is anxious about the very thing that has made him famous: his poetry. He will not take the world's praise as proof of anything, and he asks God plainly whether the acclaim is God's work or just his own clever stringing of words. The fear underneath is that craft without God is empty, and his unrest cannot settle until the words come from God rather than from himself. So he presses God hard, swearing him by Pundalik, the devotee for whom Vitthal came to Pandhari, to speak just one word and quiet the doubt.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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