Faith, the near and the far shore
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देव कैंचा तया दुरी । भाका बरी करुणा ॥1॥
आळवित्या न लगे धर । माय जाणे रे भातुकें ॥ध्रु.॥
नावे तरी ज्याचा भार । पैल पार जवळी त्या ॥2॥
आतां परदेशी तुका । जाला लोकांवेगळा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
How can God be far from one whose call is sincere? A mother knows the child's little desires without being told. The boat carries whatever burden is placed upon it; the far shore is near for the one who boards. Says Tuka, now Tuka has become a stranger to this world, set apart from all people.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
How can God be far from the one whose call is sincere? A mother knows her child's small wants before they are spoken. The boat carries whatever weight is put on it. For the one who steps aboard, the far shore is near. Tuka says: now Tuka has become a stranger, set apart from all people.
What it means
Tukaram is answering the fear that God is distant. He says distance is not the issue when the call is sincere, just as a mother reads her child's small needs without being told. The boat image makes the same point about effort: you do not swim the river, you board, and then whatever burden you carry the boat carries, and the far shore that looked impossible is suddenly close. The last line names the cost and the freedom together: leaning wholly on God has made him a stranger to ordinary people, set apart, which he reports without complaint.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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