The Lord bears the weight, deeds beyond counting
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देवीं आणि दैतीं सिंधू गुसिळला । भार पृथ्वीस जाला साहावेना ॥1॥
जालासी कासव धरिली पाठीवरी । चिंता तुज हरी सकळांची ॥ध्रु.॥
तये काळीं देव करिताती स्तुती । कृपाळु श्रीपती ह्मणोनियां ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे ऐसे उदंड पवाडे । ज्यासी सहस्र तोंडें सिणला तो ही ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
When the gods and demons churned the ocean, the earth could not bear the weight. You became the tortoise and held the burden upon Your back; O Hari, the care of all beings rests with You. At that time the gods sang Your praise, calling You the merciful Lord. Says Tuka, Your glorious deeds are beyond count; even Shesha with a thousand tongues grows weary recounting them.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The gods and the demons churned the ocean. The earth could not bear the weight. You became the tortoise and held the burden on Your back. O Hari, the care of all beings rests with You. At that time the gods sang Your praise, calling You the merciful Lord. Tuka says: Your glorious deeds are so many that even the serpent with a thousand tongues grows weary telling them.
What it means
Tukaram tells the churning of the ocean to make one point: when the weight grew too great even for the earth, the Lord took the tortoise form and carried it on his own back. The care of all beings rests with him, which is why the gods turn from their effort to his praise. The frame left unspoken is your own load. What you cannot carry is not yours to carry alone, and the same Hari bears it. Tuka closes by confessing that the Lord's deeds outrun all praise: the thousand-tongued serpent tires before the list is done.
Sacred Stories
Abhangas drawing on mythological narratives to illuminate spiritual truths.
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