The Gondhal of the soul for Vithabai
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
सुदिन सुवेळ । तुझा गोंधळ वो । पंच प्राण दिवटे । दोनी नेत्रांचे हिलाल वो ॥१॥
पंढरपुरनिवासे । तुझे रंगी नाचत असें वो । नवस पुरवीं माझा । मनिंची जाणोनियां इच्छा वो ॥ध्रु.॥
मांडिला देव्हारा । तुझा त्रिभुवनामाझारी वो । चौक साधियेला । नाभिकळस ठेविला वरी वो ॥२॥
बैसली देवता । पुढें वैष्णवाचें गाणें वो । उद्गारे गर्जती । कंठीं तुळसीचीं दर्शनें वो ॥३॥
स्वानंदाचे ताटीं । धूप दीप पंचारती वो । ओवाळिली माता । विठाबाई पंचभूतीं वो ॥४॥
तुझें तुज पावलें । माझा नवस पुरवीं आतां वो । तुका म्हणे राखें । आपुलिया शरणागता वो ॥५॥
सुंदर मुख साजिरें । कुंडलें मनोहर गोमटीं वो । नागर नाग खोपा । केशर कस्तुरी मळवटीं वो ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
This is an auspicious day and hour for your Gondhal. The five vital breaths serve as torchbearers and the two eyes are the crescent lamps. O dweller of Pandharpur, I dance in your joy. Fulfill my vow, knowing the wish hidden in my heart. Your shrine is established in the midst of the three worlds; the sacred square is prepared and the water-vessel is placed at the crown of the navel-center. The deity is seated, and before her the devotees sing; they roar with fervor, wearing the rosary of tulsi at their throats. On the tray of innate bliss, the incense, lamp, and fivefold worship are offered. The mother Vithabai is waved over with the light of the five elements. Says Tuka, what belongs to you has returned to you; now fulfill my vow and protect this one who has surrendered.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
It is an auspicious day and hour for your Gondhal. The five breaths are the torchbearers, and my two eyes are the crescent lamps. O dweller of Pandharpur, I dance in your joy. Fulfill my vow, knowing the wish hidden in my heart. Your shrine is set up within the three worlds; the sacred square is drawn, and the water-pot is placed above, at the navel-center. The deity is seated, and before her the devotees sing; they cry out with fervor, the tulsi rosary at their throats. On the tray of inner bliss, incense and lamp and the fivefold flame are offered. The mother Vithabai is waved over with the light of the five elements. What is yours has come back to you; now fulfill my vow. Tuka says: protect this one who has surrendered to you.
What it means
Tukaram turns a Gondhal, the night ritual of lamps and song for the Mother goddess, into an inward act of worship of Vithabai. Every outward object becomes part of the worshipper's own body and being: the five vital breaths are the torches, the two eyes are the crescent lamps, the shrine stands within the three worlds, and the sacred pot sits at the navel-center. The deity is enthroned in the heart while devotees sing with the tulsi at their throats, and she is honored on the tray of innate bliss with the light of the five elements. The prayer underneath the festival is plain: he offers back to her only what was always hers and asks her to fulfill his vow and keep safe the one who has surrendered.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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