Nature of God, water the root
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जीविता तो माझा पिता । उखता तो उखत्यांचा॥1॥
जनादननीं सरती कर्में । वाते भ्रमे अनेत्र । अपसव्य सव्यामधीं । ऐसी शुद्धी न धरितां ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे खांद्या पानें । सिंचतां भिन्न कोरडी॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He who gives life is my father, and he who uproots belongs to the uprooted. In Janardana, all actions find their resolution. Without discerning the right from the wrong path, one wanders in delusion. Says Tuka, even when you water the leaves on the shoulder, the roots on the other side remain dry.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He who gives life is my father. He who uproots belongs to the uprooted. In Janardana all actions come to rest. Without telling the right path from the wrong, a person wanders in delusion, mixing the crooked with the straight, holding no clear understanding. Tuka says: if you water the leaves out on the branch, the far side stays dry.
What it means
Tukaram contrasts the one source of life with scattered, mistaken effort. God, Janardana, is the father who gives life and the place where all action finally comes to rest; the one who destroys belongs only to destruction. The danger is wandering without discernment, mixing crooked with straight and never settling on the true path. His closing image makes it plain: pour water on the leaves and the rest of the plant stays parched. You must reach the root, that is, God, or all your watering is wasted.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
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