Autobiography, the beggar undone
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कोठें देवा बोलों । तुह्मां भीड घालूं गेलों ॥1॥
करावाया सत्त्वहाणी । भांडवलाची टांचणी ॥ध्रु.॥
दुर्बळा मागतां । त्याच्या प्रवर्तला घाता ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे नाहीं । मज कळलें ऐसें कांहीं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Where, O Lord, shall I even begin to speak? I went to press You for a favor, hoping to scrape together some capital for the trade. But when a poor man begs, the world moves to destroy him. Says Tuka, I never realized things could turn out like this.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Where, O Lord, shall I even begin to speak? I went to press you for a favor, hoping to scrape together a little capital for the trade. But when a poor man asks, the world moves to destroy him. Tuka says: I never realized things could turn out like this.
What it means
Tukaram describes coming to God almost like a small trader trying to raise a little capital, asking for help to get by. What he found is the cruel rule of the world: when a poor man begs, people turn against him rather than help. The blow leaves him at a loss for where to even begin his complaint. The closing line is plain bewilderment, that he never imagined his approach would meet with this, and he brings that wounded surprise to God instead of to the world that wronged him.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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