Kirtan, God walks behind the singer
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कीर्त्तनाच्या सुखें सुखी होय देव । पंढरीचा राव संगीं आहे ॥1॥
भक्त जाय सदा हरि कीतिन गात । नित्यसेवें अनंत हिंडतसे ॥ध्रु.॥
त्रैलोक्य भ्रमण फिरत नारद । त्यासंगें गोविंद फिरतसे ॥2॥
नारद मंजुळ सुस्वरें गीत गाये । मागाअ चालताहे संगें हरि ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे त्याला गोडी कीर्त्तनाची । नाहीं आणिकांची प्रीति ऐसी ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
God Himself is made happy by the bliss of kirtan. The King of Pandhari walks alongside. The devotee who always sings of Hari's glory is followed everywhere by the Infinite Lord. Narada roams the three worlds, and Govinda wanders with him. Narada sings in a sweet and melodious voice, and Hari walks right behind him. Says Tuka, God has such a taste for kirtan. No one else has such love from Him.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
God Himself is made happy by the joy of kirtan. The King of Pandhari walks at the singer's side. The devotee who always sings Hari's glory is followed everywhere by the Infinite. Narada roams the three worlds, and Govinda wanders with him. Narada sings his song in a sweet, tuneful voice, and Hari walks right behind him. Tuka says: God has such a taste for kirtan. He gives no one else this kind of love.
What it means
Tukaram makes a startling reversal: kirtan is not only the devotee reaching for God, it is God being delighted and drawn near. He says the singer does not chase the Lord; the Lord follows the singer, walking at his side wherever he goes. The example of Narada, the wandering sage-musician with Govinda always a step behind him, shows this as a settled habit of God, not a one-off favour. The claim he lands is that of all forms of devotion, the sung praise of the Name is the one God most loves, so that to sing is to keep the best company there is.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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