God's mercy, He keeps His word
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
किडा अन्नाचें मानुस । त्याचा ह्मणविल्या दास॥1॥
तें ही त्यासी उपेक्षीना । बोल आपुला सांडीना ॥ध्रु.॥
तो तूं नराचा नरेंद्र । तुजपासूनि इंद्र चंद्र ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे विश्वंभर । तुज वर्णी फणीवर ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Even an insect born of food becomes human. And yet, having called Himself the servant of such beings, God does not neglect them. He does not abandon His own word. You are the King of kings among men. From You come Indra and Chandra. Says Tuka, O Lord of the Universe, even the serpent Shesha sings Your praises.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
An insect bred in food becomes a man. Having called Himself the servant of such a one, He does not neglect him. He does not abandon His own word. You are the King of kings among men. From You come Indra and Chandra. Tuka says: O Bearer of the worlds, even the serpent Shesha sings Your praise.
What it means
Tukaram is praising God's faithfulness to the lowest of creatures. He starts from how mean a beginning can be, a worm born in food, and then makes the astonishing claim: God has bound Himself by calling Himself the servant of such beings, and He will not break that word. The wonder is the contrast: the same Lord from whom Indra and Chandra take their being, whom even the cosmic serpent Shesha praises, stoops to keep faith with the smallest. The point is that no creature is too low to be held by His promise.
The Nature of God
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