Nature of God, the Lord who serves
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देव धरी नाना सोंगें । नाम श्रेष्ठ पांडुरंग ॥1॥
तो हा गविळयाचे घरीं । नाम सारितो मुरारि ॥ध्रु.॥
धन्य यशोदेचें प्रारब्ध । नाचे अंगणीं गोविंद ॥2॥
ऐशा भक्तांसाटीं देवें । नाना धरियेलीं नांवें ॥3॥
होय दासांचा जो दास । तुका ह्मणे विठ्ठलास॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
God takes on many guises; the greatest name is Panduranga. Here He is, in the milkman's house, known by the name Murari. Blessed is Yashoda's fortune, for Govinda dances in her courtyard. For the sake of such devotees, God has taken on countless names. Says Tuka, the one who becomes the servant of His servants is Vitthal Himself.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
God takes on many disguises; the greatest name is Panduranga. Here He is in the milkman's house, going by the name Murari. Blessed is Yashoda's fortune, for Govinda dances in her courtyard. For the sake of such devotees, God has taken on countless names. Tuka says: the one who becomes the servant of His servants is Vitthal Himself.
What it means
Tukaram marvels at how God lowers Himself for love. The one Reality wears many forms and names, and He does it not out of grandeur but to draw near to those who love Him, becoming the child in a cowherd's house, dancing in Yashoda's courtyard. The closing turn is the radical claim: God's greatness shows not in being served but in serving, He makes Himself the servant of His own servants. So Vitthal at Pandhari is the same Lord who stoops lowest. Divine majesty, here, looks like tenderness and willing smallness.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
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