Each in her rightful place
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अवघ्या जेष्ठादेवी । कोण पूजनाचा ठाव । धरितां चि भाव । कोठें नाहींसें जालें ॥१॥
दिसे सारिखें सारिखें । परि तें कारणीं पारिखें । तळीं गेलें देखें । वरी टोले न साहाती ॥ध्रु.॥
पट एका शिरीं । यथाविधीनें त्या येरी । बसकोळ्या घागरी । डेरे रांझण गाडगीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे माना । येथें कोणीं रुसावें ना । आपुलाल्या स्थानां । जेथें त्या चि शोभल्या ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Which is the eldest among all goddesses, and where is her proper seat of worship? The moment you hold true devotion, all that seemed lost reappears. Everything looks alike on the surface, yet each serves a different purpose; what lies beneath cannot withstand the blows that fall from above. One goddess wears the cloth of honor upon her head with full ceremony, while the others carry pitchers, pots, and vessels. Says Tuka, let none take offense here; each is beautiful in her rightful place.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Among all the elder goddesses, which one holds the true seat of worship? The moment you hold true faith, nothing is missing anywhere. On the surface they all look alike, yet each serves a different purpose. What sinks to the bottom cannot bear the blows that fall from above. One wears the cloth of honor on her head with full ceremony; the others carry the small pots, the pitchers, the jars and vessels. Tuka says: accept it, and let no one sulk here. Each is beautiful in her own place.
What it means
Tukaram looks at the many goddesses and asks where the real seat of worship lies, then answers that true faith finds it lacking nothing. His point is that things which look identical on the surface are not equal in function, and what is low cannot take the strain that the high one bears. He uses the image of a household: one vessel is honored, the rest carry humble loads, yet none is to be resented. The lesson is contentment with one's appointed place, since each is beautiful exactly where it belongs.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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