Faith, God does not put off the beggar
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ऐसा तंव मोळा । तुमचा नसेल गोपाळा ॥1॥
मागत्याची टाळाटाळी । झिंज्या ओढोनि कपाळीं ॥ध्रु.॥
नसेल ना नवें । ऐसें धरियेलें देवें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे जाला । उशीर नाहीं तो विठ्ठला ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Surely, O Gopala, You do not have such a temperament as to keep putting off the petitioner, scratching his forehead in frustration. If this is nothing new, then it is God's way that has been established. Says Tuka, there has been no delay, O Vitthal; it is just that the time was not yet ripe.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Surely, Gopala, you do not have such a nature as to keep putting off the one who asks, scratching his forehead in frustration. If this is nothing new, then it is God's settled way. Tuka says: there has been no delay, Vitthal; only the time was not yet ripe.
What it means
Tukaram talks himself out of resentment. He refuses to believe Gopala has the kind of character that fobs off a petitioner and leaves him scratching his head; that would make stinginess God's standing habit, which he will not accept. So when the answer seems slow, he reinterprets the silence: with Vitthal there is no real delay. What looks like being made to wait is only the matter not yet being ripe, and the fault is never in God's willingness to give.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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