Nature of God, the all-pervader
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
विश्वीं विश्वंभर । बोले वेदांतींचा सार ॥1॥
जगीं जगदीश । शास्त्रें वदती सावकास ॥ध्रु.॥
व्यापिलें हें नारायणें । ऐसीं गर्जती पुराणें ॥2॥
जनीं जनादनन । संत बोलती वचनें ॥3॥
सूर्याचिया परी । तुका लोकीं क्रीडा करी ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Vishvambhara pervades the universe. This is the essence spoken in Vedanta. Jagadisha dwells in the world. The scriptures declare this patiently. Narayana has pervaded all of this, so proclaim the Puranas. Janardana is in all people, so the saints speak in their utterances. Says Tuka, like the sun, he plays among the worlds.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Vishvambhara fills the whole universe. This is the heart of what Vedanta says. Jagadisha dwells in the world; the scriptures say so plainly. Narayana has spread through all of this; so the Puranas declare. Janardana is in every person; so the saints speak. Tuka says: like the sun, he plays among the worlds.
What it means
Tukaram stacks witness on witness to one claim: God is everywhere. Under each of His names, Vishvambhara, Jagadisha, Narayana, Janardana, he cites a different authority, the Vedanta, the scriptures, the Puranas, and the saints, all saying the same thing. The God who fills the universe is also the God in every single person. The closing image is light at play: like the sun, He pervades and shines through all the worlds without being bound by any of them.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
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