Devotion, the pledge to reach Pandhari
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
केली प्रज्ञा मनाशीं । तई मी दास सत्यत्वेशीं । नेईन पायांपाशीं । स्वामी मूळ पंढरिये ॥1॥
तोंवरी हें भरीं पोट । केला तो मिथ्या बोभाट । नाहीं सांपडली वाट । सइराट फिरतसें ॥ध्रु.॥
घडे तैसें घडो आतां । मायबापाची सत्ता। तुका ह्मणे चिंता । काय पाहें मारगा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I made a pledge to my own mind: that truly, as a faithful servant, I would bring it to the feet of the Lord at Pandhari. Until then, I was merely filling my belly, making an empty clamor. I had not found the road and was wandering aimlessly. Says Tuka, let happen what may; the authority lies with the Divine Parents. Why should I watch and worry about the path?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I made a pledge to my own mind: that truly, as a faithful servant, I will carry it to the feet of the Lord, to the source at Pandhari. Until now I was only filling my belly, making an empty noise. I had not found the road, and I wandered with no direction. Tuka says: now let happen whatever happens; the power lies with the Mother and Father. Why should I keep watching the road and worrying?
What it means
Tukaram looks back on a life spent astray and tells the resolve that turned it. He has vowed within himself to be a true servant and to bring his own mind home to Vitthal's feet at Pandhari, the source. Before this he sees only wasted motion, feeding the body and raising empty noise while never finding the road. The release comes in the surrender at the end: now that the direction is set, he hands the outcome to God as Mother and Father. With the authority resting in them, there is no reason left to stand anxiously scanning the path.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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