Faith, the words are not mine
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
विश्वास तो देव । ह्मणुनि धरियेला भाव ॥1॥
माझी वदवितो वाणी । ज्याणें धरिली धरणी ॥ध्रु.॥
जोडिलीं अक्षरें । नव्हेती बुद्धीचीं उत्तरें ॥2॥
नाहीं केली आटी । कांहीं मानदंभासाटीं॥3॥
कोणी भाग्यवंत । तया कळेल उचित ॥4॥
तुका ह्मणे झरा । आहे मुळींचा चि खरा ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Faith itself is God, and so I have held fast to devotion. He who upholds the earth makes my tongue speak. The words I compose are not the products of mere intellect. I have not labored for the sake of pride or pretense. Some blessed soul will recognize what is worthy. Says Tuka, the original spring is pure and true from its very source.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Faith itself is God. So I have held to that trust. The one who holds up the earth makes my tongue speak. These words I put together are not answers from my own mind. I have not strained for honor or for show. Some blessed soul will know what is worth keeping. Tuka says: the spring is pure and true right from its source.
What it means
Tukaram makes two claims about his own poetry: that faith is not a step toward God but is God, and that his verses do not come from his intellect. The same power that upholds the earth is what moves his tongue, so the words are given, not composed for pride or display. He does not expect everyone to receive them; only a blessed soul will recognize what is worthy in them. The closing image of the spring says the source is what matters: water that is pure at the wellhead is pure all the way down, and so is speech that rises from God rather than from ego.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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