Devotion, the Lord who runs to His own
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मी दास तयाचा जया चाड नाहीं । सुख दुःख दोहऴिवरहित जो ॥1॥
राहिलासे उभा भीमरेच्या तीरीं । कट दोहीं करीं धरोनियां ॥ध्रु.॥
नवल काई तरी पाचारितां पावे । न श्मरित धांवे भक्तिकाजें ॥2॥
सर्व भार माझा त्यासी आहें चिंता । तों चि माझा दाता स्वहिताचा ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे त्यास गाईन मी गीतीं । आणीक तें चित्तीं न धरीं कांहीं ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I am the servant of that One who has no wants, who stands beyond both joy and sorrow. He stands upon the banks of the Bhima, His hands resting upon His waist. It is no wonder that He comes when called; He runs even unbidden for the sake of devotion. All my burden is His concern; He alone is my benefactor and the giver of my true welfare. Says Tuka, I will sing His praises in my songs and hold nothing else within my chitta.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I am the servant of the One who wants nothing, who stands beyond both joy and sorrow. He stands on the bank of the Bhima, His hands resting on His waist. It is no wonder He comes when He is called. He runs even when no one remembers Him, for the sake of devotion. All my burden is His care. He alone is my giver, the one who works my true good. Tuka says: I will sing Him in my songs and hold nothing else in my mind.
What it means
The poem fixes on Vitthal as he famously stands at Pandhari, beside the Bhima river, hands on his hips, needing nothing for himself. Tukaram makes that self-sufficiency the very reason for trust: a Lord who wants nothing has no motive but love. He marvels that this God comes not only when called but unbidden, running of his own accord for the sake of devotion. The middle line carries the comfort: the whole weight of the devotee's life is already God's own concern, and he is the only true benefactor. So Tukaram resolves to keep his mind on nothing else and to spend himself in song.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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