Devotion, spend all at the feet
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देवाचिये पायीं वेचों सर्व शक्ती । होतील विपित्त ज्याज्या कांहीं ॥1॥
मनाचे वांटणी चित्ताचा विक्षेप । राहो हा अनुताप आहे तैसा ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे घेई विठ्ठलाचा छंद । आनंदाचा कंद विस्तारेल ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Let me spend all my strength at the feet of God. Whatever difficulties arise, let them be. The partitioning of the mind and the scattering of attention: let this remorse remain as it is. Says Tuka, take up the practice of Vitthal with devotion, and the root of bliss will spread and flourish.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Let me spend all my strength at God's feet. Whatever troubles come, let them come. The mind is divided. The attention is scattered. Let this remorse stay just as it is. Tuka says: take up the love of Vitthal, and the root of bliss will spread and flourish.
What it means
Tukaram resolves to pour his whole strength out at God's feet and to accept whatever hardships that costs him. He does not pretend his mind is whole; he names it honestly as split and scattered, and rather than forcing it quiet he lets the pang of that failure remain as it is, not papering over it. The turn is in the last line: instead of fighting the restless mind directly, take up the loving practice of Vitthal. From that single devotion the root of bliss spreads and grows on its own, and the divided mind is healed not by struggle but by love.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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