Longing, the servant of servants
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
तुझिया दासांचा हीन जालों दास । न धरीं उदास मायबापा ॥1॥
तुजविण प्राण कैसा राहों पाहे । वियोग न साहे क्षणभरि ॥ध्रु.॥
आणिक माझ्या जीवें मोकलिली आस । पाहे तुझी वास पांडुरंगा ॥2॥
सर्वभावें तुज आणिला उचित । राहिलों नििंश्चत तुझे पायीं ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे तुज असो माझा भार । बोलतों मी फार काय जाणें ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I have become the lowliest servant of Your servants. Do not hold me in contempt, O mother and father. How can life go on without You? I cannot bear separation even for a moment. My jiva has given up all other hopes and waits only for You, O Panduranga. With my whole being I have brought what is fitting and now rest assured at Your feet. Says Tuka, let my burden remain on You. I may speak too much, but what do I know?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I have become the lowest servant of your servants. Do not turn away from me in coldness, mother and father. Without you, how can my life go on? I cannot bear the parting even for a moment. My life has let go of every other hope and watches only for you, Panduranga. With my whole heart I have brought you what is fitting, and now I rest unworried at your feet. Tuka says: let my burden be yours. I talk too much; what do I really know?
What it means
Tukaram takes the humblest place he can find, calling himself the servant of God's servants, and begs God, his mother and father, not to look on him coldly. He cannot bear even a moment's separation, and his life has dropped every other hope to keep watch for Panduranga alone. Having offered his whole heart, he sets down his anxiety and rests at God's feet. The closing line lays the entire weight of his life on God and admits his own ignorance, that he chatters and truly knows nothing. This is surrender as relief: handing the burden over and trusting the One who holds it.
Longing and Separation
Cries from the dark night of the soul: remonstrances, complaints, and desperate yearning.
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