Pilgrimage joy, Pandhari at Kartik
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कार्तिकीचा सोहळा । चला जाऊं पाहूं डोळां । आले वैकुंठ जवळां । सन्निध पंढरीये ॥१॥
पीक पिकलें घुमरी । प्रेम न समाये अंबरीं । अवघी मातली पंढरी । घरोघरीं सुकाळ ॥ध्रु.॥
चालती स्थिर स्थिर । गरुड टकयांचे भार । गर्जती गंभीर । टाळ श्रुति मृदंग ॥२॥
मळिालिया भद्रजाती । कैशा आनंदें डुलती । शूर उठावती । एका एक आगळे ॥३॥
नामामृत कल्लोळ । वृंदें कोंदलीं सकळ । आले वैष्णवदळ । कळिकाळ कांपती ॥४॥
आस करिती ब्रम्हादिक । देखुनि वाळवंटीचें सुख । धन्य धन्य मृत्युलोक । म्हणती भाग्याचे कैसे ॥५॥
मरण मुक वाराणसी । पितृॠण गया नासी । उधार नाहीं पंढरीसि । पायापाशीं विठोबाच्या ॥६॥
तुका म्हणे आतां । काय करणें आम्हां चिंता । सकळ सिद्धींचा दाता । तो सर्वथा नुपेक्षी ॥७॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Come, let us go see the festival of Kartik with our own eyes. Vaikuntha has come near, right here at Pandharpur. The harvest of love is overflowing; even the sky cannot contain it. All of Pandhari is intoxicated, with abundance in every home. Stately processions of Garuda banners move with a steady pace, and the deep sounds of cymbals, chanting, and drums resound. Noble elephants sway with joy, and heroes rise, each surpassing the other. Waves of the nectar of the Name fill the air, and all the gatherings are brimming. The host of Vaishnavas has arrived, and even Death trembles before them. Brahma and the other gods look on with longing at the joy on the sands and say: blessed, blessed are these mortals, how fortunate they are. Kashi grants liberation at death, Gaya frees one from ancestral debts, but at Pandharpur, at Vitthoba's feet, there is no such delay. Says Tuka, what worry remains for us now? The giver of all accomplishments will never forsake us.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Come, let us go see the Kartik festival with our own eyes. Vaikuntha has come near, right here at Pandhari. The harvest of love has ripened and overflows; the sky cannot hold it. All of Pandhari is drunk with joy, and there is abundance in every home. The processions of Garuda banners move at a steady pace, and cymbals, chanting, and drums sound deep. Noble elephants sway with joy, and heroes rise, each greater than the last. Waves of the nectar of the Name fill the air, and all the gatherings are brimming. The host of Vaishnavas has come, and Death itself trembles. Brahma and the other gods look on with longing at the joy on the sands and say: blessed, blessed are these mortals, how fortunate they are. Kashi grants release at death, Gaya frees one from the debt to the ancestors, but at Pandhari, at Vithoba's feet, there is no waiting. Tuka says: what worry is left for us now? The giver of all that is sought will never forsake us.
What it means
Tukaram calls everyone to the great Kartik gathering at Pandharpur and tells them that heaven is not somewhere else: Vaikuntha has come down to the riverbank here. He paints the festival as a ripened harvest of love so full it spills past the sky, with processions, drums, and the Name sounding everywhere until even Death shakes. He raises the stakes by comparing Pandhari to the famous holy cities: Kashi gives liberation only at death and Gaya pays off the ancestral debt, but at Vithoba's feet the gift comes now, with no delay. The closing turn is the point: when the giver of everything is this near and this generous, the devotee has nothing left to fear.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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