God's faithfulness, walking beside you
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अनुसरे त्यासी फिरों नेदी मागें । राहें समागमें अंगसंगें ॥1॥
अंगसंगें असे कर्मसाक्ष देव । जैसा ज्याचा भाव तैसा राहे ॥2॥
फळपाकीं देव देतील प्राणीयें । तुका ह्मणे नये सवें कांहीं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
God follows one who follows Him and never lets such a one turn back. He walks alongside, step by step, witnessing every deed. As one's faith is, so God remains. When the fruit of actions ripens, God repays each being. Says Tuka, nothing accompanies you in the end.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Whoever follows him, God will not let turn back; he stays with that one, close as a body. Close as a body, God is the witness of every deed; as each one's faith is, so he remains for them. When the fruit of your actions ripens, God gives each living being its due. Tuka says: in the end nothing else goes with you.
What it means
Tukaram describes a God who answers commitment with commitment: turn toward him and he will not let you slip back, and he keeps step beside you so closely that he witnesses everything you do. He meets each person according to that person's own faith, so the relationship is exact and personal. He also weighs deeds, repaying each being when its actions ripen. The closing line strips life down to what survives it: nothing you carried goes with you at the end, only the God who walked beside you.
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