Devotion, the sinner who still hopes
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अनंताचे मुखीं होसील गाइला । अमुप विठ्ठला दास तुह्मां ॥1॥
माझें कोठें आलें होईल विचारा । तरीं च अव्हेरा योग्य जालों ॥ध्रु.॥
सर्वकाळ तुह्मी असा जी संपन्न । चतुरा नारायण शिरोमणि ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे ऐसे कलियुगींचे जीव । तरी नये कीव बहुपापी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
You will be praised from the lips of Ananta, for countless, O Vitthal, are Your devotees. If anything of mine falls short upon reflection, then I am rightly fit to be turned away. You are forever abundant, O clever Narayana, the crown jewel among the wise. Says Tuka, such are the jivas of this age of Kali, yet even they, though full of sin, deserve compassion.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
You will be sung from the mouth of Ananta; countless, O Vitthal, are your servants. If anything of mine is found wanting on reflection, then I am rightly fit to be cast aside. You are always full and complete, O clever Narayana, crown jewel among the wise. Tuka says: such are the creatures of this Kali age, yet even they, full of sin, should not be denied compassion.
What it means
Tukaram sets his own smallness against God's fullness. God has servants beyond counting and will be praised endlessly, so God loses nothing by anyone; if Tukaram himself falls short, he admits he would deserve to be turned away. But he will not let the matter rest on desert. Pointing to the present age of Kali and its sin-soaked people, he pleads precisely for them, himself included, arguing that the ones least worthy are exactly the ones who most need compassion. The logic is the heart of his bhakti: grace is not a wage earned but a mercy given to those who cannot earn it.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
More in this theme →