Devotion, the Lord becomes a servant
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अनुसरे तो अमर जाला । अंतरला संसारा ॥1॥
न देखती गर्भवास । कधीं दास विष्णूचे ॥ध्रु.॥
विसंभेना माता बाळा। तैसा लळा पाळावा ॥2॥
त्रिभुवनीं ज्याची सत्ता । तुक्या रिक्षता तो जाला ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He who follows God becomes immortal and is freed from worldly existence. The servants of Vishnu never again see the womb of rebirth. Just as a mother never neglects her child, so must this tender bond be nurtured. He whose sovereignty spans all three worlds, that very Lord has made Himself a servant for Tuka's sake.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The one who follows God has become deathless; he has slipped free of worldly life. The servants of Vishnu never again see the womb of birth. As a mother never forgets her child, so this tender bond must be tended. He whose rule covers all three worlds has become Tuka's protector.
What it means
Tukaram states the reward of giving oneself wholly to God. The one who follows is made deathless and is freed from samsara, and Vishnu's servants are spared from ever entering the womb of rebirth again. He likens the bond to a mother who never neglects her child, a closeness that must be kept warm on both sides. The wonder he lands on is the reversal: the Lord whose sovereignty spans all three worlds has stooped to become the guardian and servant of one small devotee.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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