Devotion, singing without rules
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आवडेल तैसें तुज आळवीन । वाटे समाधान जीवा तैसें ॥1॥
नाहीं येथें कांहीं लौकिकाची चाड । तुजविण गोड देवराया ॥ध्रु.॥
पुरवीं मनोरथ अंतरींचें आर्त । धायेवरि गीत गाई तुझे ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे लेंकी आळवी माहेरा । गाऊं या संसारा तुज तैसें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I shall call upon You however my chitta desires. Let my jiva find whatever comfort it seeks. There is no concern here for worldly convention. Nothing is sweet to me but You, O King of gods. Fulfill the longings of my inner chitta. Let me sing Your song until the hunger of devotion is fully satisfied. Says Tuka, as a daughter calls out for her mother's home, so shall I sing to You in this world.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I will call out to you however I please, in whatever way settles my heart. There is no concern here for what the world thinks proper. Nothing is sweet to me but you, King of gods. Fill the wishes of my heart, the longing deep inside; let me sing your song until that hunger is full. Tuka says: as a daughter calls toward her mother's home, so will I sing to you in this world.
What it means
Tukaram claims the freedom to worship in his own way, refusing to measure his devotion against social rules of propriety. The point is that love decides the form, not custom: whatever calms his heart is the right way to call on God. He asks God to satisfy the inner longing, and frames himself with the image of a married daughter aching for her parents' home, a settled Marathi picture of homesickness. In that image this world is the in-laws' house and God is the true home he keeps singing toward.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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