Devotion, the settled heart
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
तुजविण चाड आणिकांची कांहीं । धरीन हें नाहीं तुज ठावें ॥1॥
तरणउपाय योगक्षेम माझा । ठेवियेला तुझ्या पायीं देवा ॥ध्रु.॥
कोण मज आळी काय हे तांतडी । सोनियाची घडी जाय दिस ॥2॥
तुझिया नामाचें ल्यालोंसें भूषण । कृपा संतजन करितील ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे जाला आनंदाचा वास । हृदया या नास नव्हे कधीं ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
That I would cherish anything other than You is something that will never happen, and You know it. My means of crossing over, my welfare, and my security have all been placed at Your feet, O God. What complaint do I have, what is my hurry? Each day passes like a golden moment. I have worn the ornament of Your name. The saintly ones will bestow their grace. Says Tuka, the home of bliss has been established in this heart. It shall never be destroyed.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
That I would want anything besides You will never happen, and You know it. My way across, my welfare, my keeping, I have laid them all at Your feet, O God. What grievance have I, what is the hurry? Each day passes like a golden moment. I have put on the ornament of Your name. The saints will give their grace. Tuka says: the home of bliss has settled in this heart. It will never be destroyed.
What it means
This is a poem of a heart that has stopped striving and started resting. Tukaram has handed over everything he might otherwise scramble to secure, his salvation, his well-being, his protection, and placed it all at God's feet. With nothing left to grasp at, there is no complaint and no rush; each day becomes golden simply because he wears the name of God like a jewel. He trusts the saints to add their grace. The closing claim is the calm that follows surrender: bliss has not visited but moved in, made its home in his heart, and that dwelling cannot be destroyed.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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