Nature of God, refuge of the helpless
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
भागल्याचें तारूं शिणल्याची साउली । भुकेलिया घाली प्रेमपान्हा ॥1॥
ऐसी हे कृपाळू अनाथांची वेशी । सुखाची च राशी पांडुरंग ॥ध्रु.॥
सकळां सन्मुख कृपेचिया दृष्टी । पाहे बहु भेटी उतावीळां ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे येथें आतां उरला कैंचा । अनंता जन्मींचा शीण भाग ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
For the weary He is a raft, for the exhausted He is shade, and for the hungry He pours forth the milk of love. Such is this compassionate refuge of the helpless, a very treasure of joy: Panduranga. He looks upon all with the gaze of mercy, eager to meet those who long for Him. Says Tuka, what weariness or burden of countless births can remain here now?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
For the worn-out He is a boat; for the weary, shade; to the hungry He gives the milk of love. So merciful is this gateway for the orphaned, this very heap of joy, Panduranga. With eyes of mercy He faces everyone, looking eagerly to meet those who long for Him. Tuka says: what is left here now of the weariness, the burden of my endless births?
What it means
Tukaram describes God by what God does for the helpless. To the one exhausted by life's crossing He is the boat; to the tired He is shade; to the starving He gives love like a mother's milk. Calling Him a gateway for the orphaned, Panduranga is named as a sheer mass of joy who turns His merciful gaze on all and waits eagerly for whoever longs for Him. Against such a refuge the speaker's own long weariness has no standing left: the fatigue accumulated over countless births simply cannot survive contact with this mercy.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
More in this theme →