Krishna's lila, the chase of love
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
चाले झडझडां उसंतूनि वाट । पाहे पाळतूनि उभा तो चि नीट वो ॥१॥
चाळा लावियेले गोप गोपीनाथें । जाणे आवडीचें रूप जेथें तेथें ।
दावी बहुतांच्या बहुवेषपंथें । गुणातीतें खेळ मांडियेला येथें वो ॥ध्रु.॥
मनीं आवडे तें करावें उत्तर । कांहीं निमित्ताचा पाहोनि आधार ।
उगा राहे कां मारिसी कंकर । मात वाढविसी उत्तरा उत्तर वो ॥२॥
धरिली खोडी दे टाकोनियां मागें । न ये विनोद हा कामा मशीं संगें ।
मिठी घालीन या जीवाचिया त्यागें । नाहीं ठाउकी पडिलीं तुझीं सोंगें रें ॥३॥
सुख अंतरींचें बाहय ठसठसी । म्हणे विनोद हा काय सोंग यासी ।
तुज मज काय सोयरीक ऐसी । नंदानंदन या थोरपणें जासी रे ॥४॥
करी कारण तें कळों नेदी कोणा । सुख अंतरींचे बाह्य रंग जाना ।
मन मिनलें रे तुका म्हणे मना । भोग अंतरींचा पावे नारायणा वो ॥५॥
आजि नवल मी आलें येणे राणें । भेटी अवचिती नंदाचिया कान्हें ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
She walks on briskly, pausing now and then, and he stands watching her, perfectly still. The Lord of the gopis has cast this spell: he knows the face of love wherever it appears. He reveals himself in many guises through many paths, for the one beyond all qualities has set this game in motion here. If something pleases the mind, make it a reply; look for any excuse to speak. Why do you stand there silently, or else throw pebbles at me? You build the conversation word upon word. She pretends to be offended and turns her back: this playful banter is no use to me. I will seize you even at the cost of my life, for I know your disguises. The inner joy presses outward and will not be hidden. She asks: what is this pretense for? What bond is there between you and me? O son of Nanda, you think too highly of yourself. He acts in secret so that no one sees, but the inner joy colors his every outward gesture. Says Tuka, the mind has merged with the mind; the inner bliss reaches Narayana.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
She walks on briskly, pausing now and then. He stands watching her, perfectly still. The Lord of the gopis has cast this spell. He knows the face of love wherever it appears. He shows himself in many guises along many paths, for the one beyond all qualities has set this game going here. If something pleases the mind, make it your reply; look for any excuse to speak. Why do you stand there silent, or throw pebbles at me? You build the talk word upon word. She pretends to take offense and turns her back. This banter is no use to me. I will hold you even if it costs my life, for I know your disguises. The inner joy presses outward and will not stay hidden. What is this pretending for? What bond is there between you and me? O son of Nanda, you think too highly of yourself. He acts in secret so no one sees, yet the inner joy colors his every outward move. Tuka says: mind has merged with mind; the inner bliss reaches Narayana.
What it means
Tukaram stages the play of teasing and pursuit between Krishna and a gopi as a picture of how love between the soul and God actually works. She walks ahead and he stands watching; he provokes, she protests, and the back-and-forth is itself the courtship. The frame the poem leaves unspoken is that this is no idle flirtation: the one beyond all qualities has deliberately set the game going, taking many forms to draw out love wherever he finds it. The claim it lands is that the joy inside cannot be hidden; it presses through every disguise and every gesture. When the two minds finally merge, that inner bliss reaches Narayana, which is the whole point of the chase.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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