Longing, breaking God's silence
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मौन कां धरिलें विश्वाच्या जीवना । उत्तर वचना देई माझ्या ॥1॥
तूं माझें संचित तूं चि पूर्वपुण्य । तूं माझें प्राचीन पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥
तूं माझें सत्कर्म तूं माझा स्वधर्म । तूं चि नित्यनेम नारायणा ॥2॥
कृपावचनाची वाट पाहातसें । करुणा वोरसें बोल कांहीं ॥3॥
तुका म्हणे प्रेमळाच्या प्रियोत्तमा । बोल सर्वोत्तमा मजसवें ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Why have You fallen silent, O Life of the universe? Answer my words. You are my destiny, You are my past merit, You are my ancient inheritance, O Panduranga. You are my righteous action, You are my own dharma, You are my daily practice, O Narayana. I watch for a word of grace from You. Speak something, overflowing with compassion. Says Tuka, O Beloved of the loving, O Supreme One, speak with me.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Why have You gone silent, O Life of the universe? Answer my words. You are my stored merit, You are my old good deeds, You are my ancient inheritance, O Panduranga. You are my good works, You are my own dharma, You are my daily practice, O Narayana. I am watching for a word of grace from You. Overflow with mercy; say something. Tuka says: O Beloved of those who love, O Highest of all, speak with me.
What it means
The whole abhanga is one cry against God's silence. Tuka, the Life of the universe, has gone quiet, and Tuka pleads for a single word in answer. He then lays everything he has at God's feet: his merit, his past good deeds, his inheritance, his righteous works, his dharma, his daily discipline, all of it is not his own doing but Panduranga himself. Having no other ground to stand on, he simply waits, watching for one word of grace, asking God to overflow with compassion and speak. The longing is total because he has handed God his entire spiritual account and now needs only the reply.
Longing and Separation
Cries from the dark night of the soul: remonstrances, complaints, and desperate yearning.
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