Nature of God, formless yet visible
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
पहावया तुझा जरि बोलें अंत । तरि माझे जात डोळे देवा ॥1॥
स्तंबीं तुज नाहीं घातलें प्रल्हादें । आपुल्या आनंदें अवतार ॥ध्रु.॥
भक्ताचिया काजा जालासी सगुण । तुज नाहीं गुण रूप नाम ॥2॥
ऐसा कोण देवा अधम यातीचा । निर्धार हा साचा नाहीं तुझा ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे बोले कवतुकें गोष्टी । नेदीं येऊं पोटीं राग देवा ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
If I try to test Your patience, O God, my own eyes will wear out first. It was not Prahlada who placed You in the pillar; You took incarnation of Your own delight. For the sake of Your devotees You became visible, though You truly have no quality, form, or name. What person, O God, is so lowly in caste that Your firm resolve will not reach them? Says Tuka, I speak these words playfully. Do not harbor anger in Your heart, O Lord.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
If I tried to find the end of You by speaking, my own eyes would give out first, O God. Prahlada did not put You inside the pillar. You took that form out of Your own delight. For the sake of Your devotees You took on form, though You have no quality, no shape, no name. What person is so low in birth that Your firm resolve will not reach him? Tuka says: I speak these things playfully. Do not let anger rise in Your heart, O Lord.
What it means
Tukaram holds two truths together: God is endless and beyond all attributes, yet God takes form for love of His devotees. No one forces this; Prahlada did not conjure God into the pillar, God burst out of His own joy. The God who has no quality, shape, or name still puts on quality, shape, and name to be near those who need Him. From this Tukaram draws the radical reach of grace: no birth is too low for God's resolve to find. Then, having spoken so boldly about the nature of the Lord, he ends with a child's disarming caution, calling his own words play and asking God not to take offense.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
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