Steady service, God walks alongside
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
सुखरूप चाली । हळूहळू उसंतिली ॥1॥
बाळगोपाळाची वाट । सेवे सेवकता नीट ॥ध्रु.॥
जरी झाला श्रम । तरी पडों नये भ्रम ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे दासां । देव सरिसासरिसा॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The joyful path unfolds slowly and steadily. This is the way of the young and old together, walking in devoted service. Even if weariness comes, one should not fall into delusion. Says Tuka, God walks step by step alongside His servants.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The happy path opens slowly, gently, with room to breathe. This is the way of young and old together, walking straight in willing service. Even if weariness comes, do not fall into confusion. Tuka says: with His servants, God walks step for step beside them.
What it means
Tukaram is describing the pace of the devotional path and the company you keep on it. It is a happy road that opens slowly and gently, not a sprint, and it is walked in plain service where young and old move along together. He warns about the one real hazard along the way: tiredness, which can tip into confusion and make you doubt the road. Against that he sets the steadying fact he wants remembered. God does not watch the servant from ahead or behind but walks step for step at his side, so the weariness need never become despair.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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