Longing, where is such a rule
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आह्मी तुझ्या दासीं । जरि जावें पतनासी ॥1॥
तरि हें दिसे विपरीत । कोठें बोलिली हे नीत ॥ध्रु.॥
तुझें नाम कंठीं । आह्मां संसार आटी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे काळ । करी आह्मांसी विटाळ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
If we, who are Your servants, are allowed to fall into ruin, then something is truly amiss. Where has such a rule ever been spoken? Your Name is on our lips, yet worldly life torments us. Says Tuka, even Death will not come near us, yet troubles come all the same.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
We are your servants. If we are still to fall to ruin, then something here is plainly wrong. Where has such a rule ever been spoken? Your Name is on our throats, yet worldly life grinds us down. Tuka says: even Death keeps its distance from us, yet defilement still touches us.
What it means
Tukaram presses a simple, almost legal objection: a master does not let his own servants fall to ruin, so if that is happening, the order of things has been broken. He insists no scripture or settled rule supports such an outcome. The grievance is concrete, the Name is constantly on their lips, yet worldly life keeps grinding them down, and even though death itself holds back, trouble still soils them. The whole abhanga is a servant's appeal, reminding the Lord that the bond of belonging carries an obligation he expects to be honored.
Longing and Separation
Cries from the dark night of the soul: remonstrances, complaints, and desperate yearning.
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