Mother and child, faltering speech is dear
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
3287 जैसी तैसी तरि वाणी । मना आणी माउली ॥1॥
लेकरांच्या स्नेहें गोड । करी कोड त्या गुणें ॥ध्रु.॥
मागें पुढें रिघे पोटीं । साहे खेटी करीतें ॥2॥
तुका विनवी पांडुरंगा । ऐसें पैं गा आहे हें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
However faltering the child's speech, the mother takes delight in it. Out of love for her little one, she finds sweetness in its every sound. The child runs behind and clings to her belly, enduring every bump and push. Tuka prays to Panduranga: this is truly how it is.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
However broken the child's words, the mother takes them to heart. Out of love for her little one she finds them sweet, just for that. The child runs behind her and clings to her belly; she puts up with all its bumping and pushing. Tuka prays to Panduranga: this is truly how it is.
What it means
Tukaram uses the image of a mother and her small child to explain how God receives the devotee's clumsy prayer. The child cannot speak clearly, yet the mother delights in every garbled sound simply because she loves it, and she endures all its pushing and clinging without complaint. He then turns the image into a plea to Panduranga: this is exactly how the Lord treats his devotees. So the faltering, imperfect worship of a sincere heart is not rejected for its faults; it is loved for the love behind it.
Worldly Metaphors
Poems using images from games, occupations, and daily life as spiritual teaching.
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