Self-abasement, dust at the saints' feet
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
होइन खडे गोटे । चरणरज साने मोठे । पंढरीचे वाटे । संतचरणीं लागेन ॥1॥
आणीक काय दुजें । म्या मागणें तुजपासीं । अविट तें सुख । भय नास नाहीं ज्यासी ॥ध्रु.॥
होइन मोचे वाहणा । पायीं सकळां संतजनां । मांजर सुकर सुणा । जवळी शेष घ्यावया ॥2॥
सांडोवा पायरी । वाहळ बावी गंगातिरी । होइन तयावरी । संतसज्जन चालती ॥3॥
लागें संतां पांयीं । ऐसा ठेवीं भलता ठायीं । तुका ह्मणे देई । धाक नाहीं जन्माचा ॥4॥
आपुलें कारण साधों जी विचार । करावा हा धीर धरूनियां ॥ध्रु.॥
काय कराविया आणिका या युक्ति । काय नव्हे भक्ति विठोबाची ॥2॥
एक पुढें गेले वाट दावूनियां । मारग तो वांयां कोण सांडी ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे माझी विठोबासी चिंता । भेईना सर्वथा न घडे तें ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Let me become the pebbles and stones, small and great, on the road to Pandhari, so that the feet of saints may touch me. What else do I ask of You? Only that imperishable joy which knows no fear or decay. Let me become the sandals and shoes on the feet of all the saints, or a cat, a pig, or a dog nearby to eat their leftovers. Let me be a stepping-stone, a well-bucket, a railing by the Ganga, upon which saints and good people walk. Says Tuka, place me at the saints' feet wherever You will; I have no fear of any birth.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Let me become the pebbles and stones, small and large, on the road to Pandhari, so the feet of the saints may touch me. What else would I ask of You? Only that unfading joy which knows no fear and no decay. Let me become the sandals and shoes on the feet of all the saints, or a cat, a pig, a dog nearby to eat their leftovers. Let me be a stepping-stone, a well-bucket, a railing by the Ganga, on which saints and good people walk. Tuka says: place me at the saints' feet wherever You will; I have no fear of any birth. Let me secure my own purpose; hold steady and stay patient. What use is there in other devices? Is the devotion of Vithoba not enough? Some have gone ahead and shown the way; who would throw that road away? Tuka says: my care is fixed on Vithoba; I have no fear at all, for what should not happen will not.
What it means
Tukaram prays to be made the lowest thing near the saints rather than anything high away from them. He asks to be the road-stones, the sandals, even the animals that eat their scraps, anything that keeps him at their feet. The frame is that nearness to the saints is worth more than any dignity, and the only thing he truly wants is the deathless, fearless joy that company brings. Because of that, he says he no longer dreads being reborn in any form. The second movement turns to resolve: the one needed thing is patience and trust, since Vithoba's devotion is already enough and the saints have walked the road ahead and marked it. He ends without fear, certain that with his care set on Vithoba, nothing that should not happen ever will.
Surrender and Acceptance
The conditions of spiritual receptivity and the letting go of the separate self.
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