Devotion, Pandhari and Pundalik's deed
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
पुंडलीक भक्तराज । तेणें साधियेलें काज । वैकुंठींचें निज । परब्रह्म आणिलें ॥1॥
पांडुरंग बाळमूतिन । गाईगोपाळां संगती । येऊनियां प्रीति । उभें सम चि राहिलें ॥ध्रु.॥
एका आगळें अक्षर । वैकुंठ चि दुसरें । ह्मणविती येरें । परि ती ऐसीं नव्हेती॥2॥
पाप पंचक्रोशीमधीं । येऊ न सकेचिना आधीं । कैंची तेथें विधि-। निषेधाची वसति ॥3॥
पुराणें वदती ऐसें । चतुर्भुज तीं मानसें । सुदर्शनावरी वसे । रीग न घडे कल्पांतीं ॥4॥
महाक्षेत्र हें पंढरी । अनुपम्य इयेची थोरी । धन्य धन्य वारकरी । तुका ह्मणे तेथींचे॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The great devotee-king Pundalik accomplished the supreme task and brought the Absolute, the supreme Brahman, down from Vaikuntha itself. Panduranga, that youthful form, came in the company of cows and cowherd boys, and out of love stood still upon that very spot. That place is a singular, matchless syllable, a second Vaikuntha; other holy places call themselves sacred but are not of this order. Within a radius of five kroshi, sin itself cannot enter; how then could any worldly law of do and do-not dwell there? The Puranas declare that the people there are four-armed beings, and upon the Sudarshana chakra no evil can approach even until the end of time. This great pilgrimage site Pandhari is beyond all comparison. Says Tuka, blessed, truly blessed, are the pilgrims who belong to that place.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The great devotee-king Pundalik did the supreme thing: he brought the Absolute, the supreme Brahman, down from Vaikuntha itself. Panduranga, that childlike form, came with the cows and the cowherd boys, and out of love stood still upon that very spot. That place is a single, matchless syllable, a second Vaikuntha; other holy places call themselves sacred, but they are not of this kind. Within five kroshi all around, sin itself cannot enter; how then could the law of do and do-not live there? The Puranas say the people there are four-armed beings, and over the Sudarshana even evil cannot approach until the end of time. This great holy place, Pandhari, is beyond all comparing. Tuka says: blessed, truly blessed, are the pilgrims who belong to it.
What it means
Tukaram praises Pandhari as a place set utterly apart, and credits the devotee Pundalik with making it so: his love drew the supreme Brahman down from Vaikuntha to stand on a brick at Pandharpur as Panduranga, the cowherd boy. He stacks claim upon claim to mark its uniqueness. It is a second Vaikuntha, a place no sin can enter for miles around, where even the categories of ritual right and wrong no longer apply because there is nothing to forbid. Drawing on the Puranas, he says its people are themselves divine, guarded so that no evil approaches. The praise lands on the pilgrims, the Varkaris: blessed beyond measure simply for belonging to that place.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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