Faith, God's strength behind you
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
स्वामीच्या सामथ्यॉ । चाले बोलिला पुरुषार्थ ॥1॥
पाठी देवाचें हें बळ । मग लाभे हातीं काळ ॥ध्रु.॥
देव ज्यासी साहए । तेणें केलें सर्व होय ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे स्वामीसत्ता । मग नाहीं भय चित्ता ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
By the master's power, one's stated purpose prevails. With God's strength behind you, even Death comes into your hands. Whatever one attempts with God's support will succeed. Says Tuka, when the Lord is your sovereign, there is no fear in the chitta.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
By the master's power, the purpose you speak of moves forward. With God's strength at your back, even Death falls into your hands. The one God helps, that one has everything done for him. Tuka says: when the Lord is your sovereign, then there is no fear in the heart.
What it means
Tukaram is locating all real power outside the self and in God. Whatever you set out to do succeeds not by your own force but because the master's strength stands behind it, and with that backing even Death, the last terror, becomes something you can master. The claim he lands is about fear: once you take God as your sovereign, the ground of all fear is gone, because the outcome no longer rests on your weakness. The instruction is to lean on that strength rather than your own.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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