Surrender, the Guru raises the head
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
सद्गूचे चरणीं ठेविला मस्तक । देउनियां हस्तक उठविलें ॥1॥
उठविलें मज देऊनियां प्रेम । भावाथॉ सप्रेमे नमस्कारीं॥2॥
नमस्कारीं त्याला सद्गुरायाला । तुका ह्मणे बोला नाम वाचें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I placed my head at the feet of the Sadguru. He raised me up, offering me his hand. He lifted me by giving me divine love. I bow with genuine devotion. Bow to him, to the Sadguru. Says Tuka, speak the Name with your voice.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I laid my head at the feet of the Sadguru. He gave me his hand and raised me up. He raised me up by giving me love. With true feeling and full of love, I bow. Bow to him, to the Sadguru. Tuka says: speak the Name with your tongue.
What it means
Tukaram tells the moment of surrender to the true teacher: he lays his head at the Guru's feet, and the Guru reaches down a hand and lifts him. What lifts him is not correction but love freely given, and that love draws a fresh bow of genuine devotion in return. The whole movement is downward in humility and then upward by grace. He turns to the listener and gives the simple instruction that follows from it: bow to the Sadguru, and let your tongue keep speaking the Name.
Surrender and Acceptance
The conditions of spiritual receptivity and the letting go of the separate self.
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