Autobiography, the saints lifted me
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कृपेचे सागर हे साधुजन । तिंहीं कृपादान केलें मज॥1॥
बोबडे वाणीचा केला अंगीकार । तेणें माझा िस्थर केला जीव ॥ध्रु.॥
तेणें सुखें मन िस्थर जालें ठायीं । संतीं दिला पायीं ठाव मज ॥2॥
नाभी नाभी ऐसें बोलिलों वचन । तें माझें कल्याण सर्वस्व ही ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे जालों आनंदनिर्भर । नाम निरंतर घोष करूं ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The saints are oceans of grace. They bestowed their merciful gift upon me. They accepted my faltering, lisping speech, and by that my jiva was steadied. With that happiness, my mind became firm in its place; the saints granted me a spot at their feet. I stammered "Name, Name" as my only utterance, and that became my salvation and everything. Says Tuka, I am brimming with bliss. Let us raise the constant chorus of the Name.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The saints are oceans of grace. They gave me their merciful gift. They accepted my faltering, lisping speech, and by that my soul was steadied. With that happiness my mind grew firm in its place; the saints gave me a spot at their feet. I could only stammer "Name, Name," and that became my whole salvation. Tuka says: I am brimming with bliss. Let us raise the Name's unbroken chorus.
What it means
Tukaram tells how the saints rescued him. They are oceans of grace, and their gift to him was simple acceptance: they took in his clumsy, lisping speech instead of despising it, and that welcome alone steadied his wavering soul. Given a place at their feet, his mind settled and grew firm. He had nothing eloquent to offer, only the stammered cry of the Name, yet that became his entire salvation. The poem ends in overflow, with Tukaram so full of bliss that he calls everyone to keep the chorus of the Name unbroken.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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