Mercy, the mother loves the difficult child
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
लोखंडाचे न पाहे दोष । शिवोन परीस सोनें करी॥1॥
जैसी तैसी तरीं वाणी । मना आणी माउली ॥ध्रु.॥
लेकराचें स्नेहे गोड । करी कोड त्यागुणें ॥ ॥
मागें पुढें रिघे लोटी । साहे खेटी करी तें ॥3॥
तुका विनंती पांडुरंगा । ऐसें सांगा आहे हें ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The touchstone does not look at the faults of iron; by its touch, it turns iron into gold. Just so, a mother brings her child to mind, however the child may be. Out of love for her child, she fulfills every wish. She pushes and pulls, endures every hardship the child causes. Says Tuka, O Panduranga, tell me, is this not so?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The touchstone does not look at the faults of the iron. It touches it and turns it to gold. However the child speaks, the mother takes it to heart. Out of love she grants its every wish. She pushes it forward, pulls it back, and bears every trouble it makes. Tuka says: O Panduranga, tell me, is it not so?
What it means
Tukaram asks God to deal with him the way a touchstone deals with iron and a mother deals with her child. The touchstone never inspects the iron's flaws; one touch and the base metal is gold, faults and all. So too a mother takes whatever her child blurts out straight to her heart, fulfills its wishes, and endures every hardship it causes without turning away. Tukaram presses the comparison on Panduranga as a question, almost daring God to deny it: this is what real love does, so love me like that. The plea is for grace that does not weigh the devotee's worthiness first.
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