Devotion, the fellowship of lovers of Hari
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अवघ्यां अवघा हा कैसा नवलाव । सर्वसाक्ष तेथें चि त्याचा जीव वो ॥१॥
आपआपणाशीं करिती नवल । परि वादावाद न संडिती बोल ।
एका मेघःशामें जलधर वोल । रसीं उतावळि हृदय सखोल वो ॥ध्रु.॥
एक विषय तो सकळांचा हरि । त्याच्या आवडीनें आवडी इतरीं ।
अंध बहिर हे प्रेत लोकां चारी । त्यांची कीर्ति गाइली पुराणांतरी वो ॥२॥
स्तुति पराविया मुखें रुचिकर । प्रीतिपात्राच्या गौरवीं आदर ।
परस्परें हे सादरा सादर । योग सज्जनाच्या सुखा नाहीं पार वो ॥३॥
भक्तिवल्लभ न तुटे चराचरीं । आप्त अनाप्त हे ऐशी ठेवी उरी ।
दुरी जवळी संचिता ऐसें धरी । रंगा रंगा ऐसें होणें लागे हरि वो ॥४॥
तुका लाधला हें उच्छिष्ट भोजन । आला बाहेरी प्रेमें वोसंडून ।
पडिलें कानीं त्या जीवाचें जतन । धरियेले एकाभावें हृदयीं चरण वो ॥५॥
आजि का वो तूं दिससी दुश्चिती । म्हणी एका मन लगे तुझ्या चित्तीं ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
How marvelous that the one who witnesses everything has his very life dwelling right there. Each one marvels to herself, yet the loving debate never ceases. One dark-cloud-hued beloved, Hari, has drenched them all; their hearts overflow, eager and deep. The one object of love for all of them is Hari, and for his sake they love one another. The four worlds of the blind, the deaf, and the lifeless have been redeemed, and their glory is sung in the ancient texts. Praise from another's lips is sweeter still; in honoring the beloved, there is great tenderness. Each vies to please the other, and the joy of holy company knows no limit. The love of God pervades all movable and immovable creation, making no distinction between intimate and stranger. Near and far are held according to past merit; one must become like Hari to reach Hari. Says Tuka, I have received the blessed leftovers of that feast. The love poured out of me, and when it fell upon my ears, my very life was guarded. With single-minded devotion, I hold those feet within my heart.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
How wonderful that the One who witnesses everything has his very life right there among them. Each one marvels to herself, yet the loving argument never stops. One dark-cloud-hued Beloved, Hari, has drenched them all; their hearts overflow, eager and deep. The one object of love for all of them is Hari, and for his sake they love one another. The blind, the deaf, the lifeless, the four kinds of beings have been redeemed, and their glory is sung in the old texts. Praise from another's lips tastes sweeter; honoring the beloved is done with great tenderness. Each one vies to please the other, and the joy of holy company has no end. The love of God runs through all that moves and stays still, making no difference between intimate and stranger. Near and far are held according to past merit; one must become like Hari to reach Hari. Tuka says: I have received the blessed leftovers of that feast. The love poured out of me, and when it fell on my ears my very life was guarded. With single heart I hold those feet within my heart.
What it means
Tukaram is celebrating the fellowship of those who love God together. The wonder is that the witness of all things lives right among his devotees, who marvel at him and never tire of their loving back-and-forth. One dark-hued Hari has soaked them all, and because each loves him, they come to love one another too; their shared object turns into shared affection. He notes that even the most hopeless, the blind, the deaf, the lifeless across all kinds of creatures, are redeemed in this love, and that praising the Beloved through one another's mouths is sweeter than praising him alone. The closing turn is the key: God shows no preference between intimate and stranger, and to reach Hari one must become like Hari. Tukaram counts himself fed on the leftovers of that feast, his life guarded, his heart fixed on those feet.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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