Devotion, the Name over the world
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नाहीं संसाराची चाड । गाऊं हरिचें नाम गोड ॥1॥
हो का प्राणाचा ही घात । परि हा न सोडीं अनंत ॥ध्रु.॥
जन्मोजन्मीं हा चि धंदा । संतसंग राहो सदा ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे भाव । तो हा जाणा पंढरिराव ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I have no desire for worldly life; let me sing the sweet Name of Hari. Even if it costs my very life, I will not let go of this Infinite One. Birth after birth, let this be my occupation: may the company of saints remain with me always. Says Tuka, this devotion, know it well, is the Lord of Pandhari Himself.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I have no appetite for worldly life; let me sing the sweet Name of Hari. Even if it costs my very life, I will not let go of this Infinite One. Birth after birth let this be my one trade; let the company of saints stay with me always. Tuka says: know that this devotion itself is the Lord of Pandhari.
What it means
Tukaram weighs worldly life against the Name and chooses the Name without hesitation. He has no hunger left for the world and wants only to sing the sweet Name of Hari, and he swears he will not release this Infinite One even if holding on costs him his life. His prayer reaches past this birth: let singing the Name be his occupation through every lifetime, and let the company of saints never leave him. The closing line lands the claim, that this very devotion is not a means to reach God but is itself the Lord of Pandhari, Vitthal present in the loving.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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