The nature of God, the infinite made a fool by love
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
चवदा भुवनें लोक तिन्हीं दाढे जो कवळी । संपुष्ट तो संबळीमध्यें देखा ॥1॥
उत्पित्तसंहारकरिता जो पाळण । तो नंदा नंदन ह्मणवीतसे ॥ध्रु.॥
असुर तोडरी दैत्यांचा काळ । जाला द्वारपाळ बळीचा तो ॥2॥
लक्षुमीचा स्वामी क्षीराच्या सागरा । उिच्छष्टकवळा पसरी मुख ॥3॥
तुकयाबंधु ह्मणे चतुरांचा रावो । भावें तो पाहा हो केला वेडा ॥4॥
कोण या पुरुषार्थाची गति । आणियेला हातोहातीं ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He who swallows all fourteen worlds and the three realms in His jaws is found contained within a tiny morsel of food. He who creates, sustains, and destroys calls Himself the son of Nanda. The slayer of demons and the terror of the wicked became the doorkeeper of King Bali. The Lord of Lakshmi, master of the ocean of milk, stretches out His hand for a morsel of leftover food. Says Tukya-bandhu, the King of the clever has been made a fool by love. Such is the glory of devotion; it has been brought within arm's reach.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He who holds all fourteen worlds and the three realms in his jaws is the same one found inside a small morsel of food. He who creates, sustains, and destroys lets himself be called the son of Nanda. The slayer of demons, the death of the wicked, became the doorkeeper at Bali's gate. The Lord of Lakshmi, master of the ocean of milk, opens his mouth for a scrap of leftover food. Tukya-bandhu says: the King of the wise has been made a fool by love. Look at the power of this: it has been brought right into our hands.
What it means
The poem heaps up God's cosmic greatness only to show him stooping low for love. The one who swallows all the worlds is content inside a single morsel; the creator and destroyer answers to the name son of Nanda; the demon-slayer takes a post as Bali's doorkeeper; the husband of Lakshmi begs a scrap of leftovers. Each contrast says the same thing: devotion makes the all-powerful God small and reachable. The closing line names the wonder directly. The infinitely wise Lord lets himself be made a fool by love, and so he comes within the devotee's own hands.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
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