Devotion to the saints, Hari's servants
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
त्यांचिया चरणां माझें दंडवत । ज्यांचें धनवित्त पांडुरंग ॥1॥
येथें माझा जीव पावला विसांवा । ह्मणऊनि हांवा भरलासें ॥ध्रु.॥
चरणींचें रज लावीन कपाळा । जीं पदें राउळा सोई जाती ॥2॥
आणिक तीं भाग्यें येथें कुरवंडी । करूनियां सांडीं इंद्राऐसी ॥3॥
वैष्णवांचे घरीं देवाची वसति । विश्वास हा चित्तीं सत्यभावें ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे सखे हरिचे ते दास । आतां पुढें आस नाहीं दुजें ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I bow at the feet of those whose wealth and treasure is Panduranga. Here my jiva has found its rest, and I am filled to overflowing with zeal. I will take the dust of their feet and press it to my forehead, those feet that walk the path to the temple. I would sacrifice even the fortune of Indra and offer it as a tribute to them. In the homes of the Vaishnavas God Himself resides; I hold this conviction with true faith in my chitta. Says Tuka, the friends of Hari are His servants; beyond them I have no further longing.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I bow at the feet of those whose only wealth is Panduranga. Here my soul has found its rest, and so I am filled with longing. I will take the dust of their feet and press it to my forehead, those feet that walk the road to the temple. I would give up even the fortune of Indra and offer it to them as tribute. God himself lives in the homes of the Vaishnavas; I hold this with true faith in my heart. Tuka says: the friends of Hari are his servants. Beyond them I want nothing else.
What it means
Tukaram turns his devotion not only toward God but toward God's people, the Vaishnavas, and explains why. Their one treasure is Panduranga, so to bow at their feet is to bow toward the only wealth that counts; his restless soul finds its rest there. He would press the dust of their feet to his forehead and trade away even Indra's heavenly fortune for it, because he believes God actually dwells in their homes. The claim he lands is that the company of Hari's servants is itself the goal: once he has them, no other longing is left.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
More in this theme →