The minstrel's call, sing Hari-Hara
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ठेवुनि गुरुचरणीं मस्तक । वदेल प्रसादिक वाणी । हरिहरांचे पवाडे ॥१॥
माझी ऐसी ब्रीदावळी । दासें दासत्वें आगळी ।
पान्हेरीनें मार्ग मळी । जीवन घ्या रे कापडि हो ॥२॥
जें या सीतळाहुनि सीतळ । पातळाहुनि जें पातळ ।
प्रेमामृत रसाळ । तें हें सेवा अहो भाग्याचे ॥३॥
जिंकाल तरी जिंका रे अभिमान । दवडाल तरी दवडा लज्जा आणि मान ।
धराल ते धरा शंभूचे चरण । दावाल पण ऐसा दावा तो ॥४॥
काळा घेऊं नेदीं वाव । आला तो राखें घावडाव ।
शुद्ध सत्वीं राखोनि भाव । म्हणा महादेव हरिहर वाणी गर्जो द्या ॥५॥
पराविया नारी माउली समान । परधनीं बाटों नेदीं मन ।
जीवित्व तें तृणासमान । स्वामिकाजीं जाण शूर म्हणों तया ॥६॥
शक्ति वेचाविया परउपकारा । खोटें खोट्याचा पसारा ।
सत्य तें भवनदीचा तारा । आळस तो न करा येथे अहो सांगतों ॥७॥
व्रत करा एकादशी सोमवार । कथा पूजन हरिजागर ।
पुण्य तें असे गातां नाचतां बहु फार । पुन्हा बोलिला संसार नाहीं नाहीं सत्यत्वें ॥८॥
संग संतांचा करितां बरवा । उत्तमोत्तम कीर्तीचा ठेवा ।
पंथ तो सुपंथें चालावा । उगवा वासना लिगाड ॥९॥
तुका चालवितो कावडी । प्रवृत्ति निवृत्ति चोखडी ।
पुढती पुढती अधिक गोडी । भरुनि कळस भजन आवडी केशवदास नटतसे ॥१०॥
आहा आहा रे भाई । हें अन्नदानाचें सत्र ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Bowing my head at the guru's feet, I will speak the words that flow by his grace, singing the heroic deeds of Hari and Hara. My proclamation is this: servitude to the servant is the highest distinction. The forerunner clears the path; drink this water of life, O fortunate ones. That which is cooler than the cool, subtler than the subtle, that nectarous juice of love, partake of it. If you would conquer, conquer pride. If you would banish anything, banish shame and vanity. If you would hold to something, hold to Shambhu's feet. Do not give Death any room; seize the advantage the moment it comes. Keep your faith rooted in pure goodness, and let the cry of 'Mahadeva, Hari-Hara' thunder from your lips. Regard another man's wife as your own mother; do not let the mind stray toward another's wealth. Hold life as cheap as grass in the cause of your master. Spend your strength in service to others; the display of the false is nothing but a sham. Truth alone ferries you across the river of existence; do not be lazy in this. Observe the vow of Ekadashi and Monday, practice worship and the vigil of Hari. Great merit lies in singing and dancing his name; worldly life, in truth, does not return. The company of saints is a treasury of the finest fame. Walk the right path and uproot the tangle of desire. Says Tuka, I carry this balanced load of worldly duty and inner freedom; the sweetness grows with every step, and the vessel of devotion brims over as the servant of Keshava dances on.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I lay my head at the guru's feet, and the words come by his grace. I sing the great deeds of Hari and Hara. This is my proclamation: to be the servant of the servant is the highest thing. The one who goes ahead clears the road. Drink this water of life, O fortunate ones. It is cooler than the cool, finer than the fine: the sweet nectar of love. Take it; you are blessed. If you would conquer, conquer your pride. If you would throw something away, throw away shame and vanity. If you would hold on to something, hold the feet of Shambhu. Give Death no room. The moment he comes, take the upper hand. Keep your heart in pure goodness. Cry out Mahadeva, Hari-Hara; let the words thunder. Look on another man's wife as your mother. Do not let your mind go toward another's wealth. Hold your life as cheap as grass in your master's service. Then you may be called brave. Spend your strength in helping others. The display of the false is only a sham. Truth alone carries you across the river of this world. Do not be lazy in this; I tell you so. Keep the vow of Ekadashi and Monday. Do worship, the telling of the story, the vigil of Hari. There is great merit in singing and dancing his name. Worldly life does not come back; in truth, it does not. Keep good company with the saints; that is a treasury of the finest fame. Walk the path by the good road. Uproot the tangle of desire. Tuka says: I carry this balanced load, action on one side, freedom on the other. The sweetness grows with every step. The vessel of worship brims over, and the servant of Keshava dances on.
What it means
Tukaram speaks here as a singing pilgrim summoning everyone to a shared feast of the Name. He sets the whole road of practice in order: conquer pride, throw away shame and vanity, hold only to God's feet, and serve others as if your own life were worth nothing. Each line names a discipline, regarding another's wife as your mother, never coveting another's wealth, never being lazy in truth, because these are the rungs by which a person actually crosses the river of worldly life. The vows and the singing are not decorations; they are the load he carries, with worldly duty on one side and inner freedom on the other, balanced like a water-bearer's pole. He ends on the image he has built throughout: the pot of devotion brims over, and the sweetness only grows the further you walk.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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