Surrender, the trusted storekeeper
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ठेवूनि इमान राहिलों चरणीं । ह्मणउनि धणी कृपा करी ॥1॥
आह्मांसी भांडार करणें जतन । आलें गेलें कोण उंच निंच ॥ध्रु.॥
करूनि सांभाळीं राहिला निराळा । एक एक वेळा आज्ञा केली ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे योग्यायोग्य विनीत । देवा नाहीं चित्त येथें देणें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I have placed my trust at Your feet, and so the Master shows me grace. My duty is to keep guard over the storehouse, without judging who comes and goes as high or low. Having entrusted all to my care, He remains apart, having given His command once for all. Says Tuka, God does not trouble Himself with the details of what is fit or unfit; that devotion is left to the humble servant.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I have laid my trust at his feet, and so the Master shows me grace. My work is to guard the storehouse; who comes and who goes, high or low, is not mine to judge. He handed it all to my keeping and stayed apart, giving his order once and for all. Tuka says: God does not bother with what is fit or unfit; that care he leaves to his humble servant.
What it means
Tukaram describes surrender as a job given to him by God. Because he has placed his trust at God's feet, the Master shows him grace and makes him the keeper of the storehouse. His only duty is to guard it and to receive all who come without ranking them high or low. God, having entrusted everything to him, withdraws and gives his command just once, leaving the servant to carry it out. The point is that the work of sorting the worthy from the unworthy is not God's concern; God simply hands over the keeping, and the devotee receives all without judgment.
Surrender and Acceptance
The conditions of spiritual receptivity and the letting go of the separate self.
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