Longing, holy defiance toward God
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देवासी पैं भांडों एकचित्त करूनि । आह्मांसि सज्जनीं सांगितलें ॥1॥
आह्मां काय आतां देवें आडो परी । भेटी नेदी तरी सुखें नेदो ॥ध्रु.॥
तो चि नांदो सदा हरि पैं वैकुंठीं । आह्मां देशवटी देवो सुखें ॥2॥
देवें अभिमान चित्तांत धरिला । तरी तो एकला राहो आतां ॥3॥
चित्तीं धरोनि नाम असों सुखें येथें । हषॉ गाऊं गीत गोविंदाचें ॥4॥
तुका ह्मणे सर्व देवाची नष्टाई । आह्मी सुखें डुलतसों ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The saints have told us to argue with God, to be single-minded in our appeal to Him. What can God do to obstruct us now? If He will not grant us a meeting, let Him keep His happiness to Himself. Let Him remain forever in Vaikuntha. Let Him gladly banish us if He wishes. If God has chosen to be stubborn, then let Him stay alone. We will hold the Name in our chitta and dwell here in contentment, singing the songs of Govinda with joy. Says Tuka, all this is God's own mischief. We continue to sway blissfully in His Name.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Let us quarrel with God, single-minded in it; this is what the good people told us. What can God do to block us now? If he will not give us a meeting, then let him keep his happiness. Let Hari live forever in Vaikuntha; let him gladly send us into exile. If God has set his pride against us, then let him stay alone now. Holding the Name in the heart, we will stay here content, and with joy we will sing the song of Govinda. Tuka says: all this is God's own mischief, and we keep swaying happily in his Name.
What it means
This is the bold, lover's quarrel of bhakti, which Tukaram says the saints themselves taught. Stung that God withholds his presence, he answers pride with mock pride: keep your Vaikuntha, keep your happiness, send us into exile, stay alone. But the defiance turns out to be a deeper trust, not a rejection. Even refused a meeting, he finds he already holds the Name in his heart and can sing of Govinda with joy, so the whole standoff is God's playful mischief, and the devotee keeps swaying in delight regardless. The radical claim is that the Name in the heart is itself the presence, so even God's withdrawal cannot rob the lover.
Longing and Separation
Cries from the dark night of the soul: remonstrances, complaints, and desperate yearning.
More in this theme →