God the crystal, guileless, runs to the faithful
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
शिळा स्फटिकाची न पालटे भेदें । दाउनियां छंदे जैसी तैसी ॥1॥
जैसा केला तैसा होय क्षणक्षणा । फेडावी वासना भक्तिभावें ॥2॥
फेडावया आला अवघियांची धणी । गोपाळ गौळणी मायबापा ॥3॥
मायबापा सोडविलें बंदीहुनि । चाणूर मदुननी कंसादिक ॥4॥
दिक नाहीं देणें अरिमित्रा एक । पूतना कंटक मुक्त केली ॥5॥
मुक्त केला मामा कंस महादोषी । बाळहत्या रासी पातकांच्या ॥6॥
पाप कोठें राहे हरी आठवितां । भक्ती द्वेषें चिंता जैसा तैसा ॥7॥
साक्षी तयापाशीं पूर्वीलकर्माच्या। बांधला सेवेच्या रुणी देव ॥8॥
देव भोळा धांवे भक्ता पाठोवाठी। उच्चारितां कंठीं मागेंमागें ॥9॥
मानाचा कंटाळा तुका ह्मणे त्यासी। धांवे तो घरासी भाविकांच्या ॥10॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The crystal does not change its nature through reflections. It displays colors yet remains as it is. He becomes whatever one makes of Him, moment by moment, fulfilling desire through devotion. He came to satisfy the longing of all: cowherds, milkmaids, parents. He freed the parents from captivity and slew Chanura, Mardana, Kamsa, and the rest. He treats friend and foe the same. He liberated the demoness Putana and all other tormentors. He freed His uncle Kamsa, the great wrongdoer burdened with the massacre of infants. Where does sin remain when Hari is remembered? Through devotion or even through enmity, He is present just the same. The record of past deeds lies with Him. God is bound by the debt of service. God, being guileless, runs after His devotees. When they call His Name, He follows close behind. Says Tuka, He is repelled by pride. He runs to the homes of the faithful.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The crystal slab does not change with what falls on it; it shows colors yet stays as it is. He becomes whatever one makes of him, moment by moment, fulfilling desire through devotion. He came to satisfy the longing of all: cowherds, milkmaids, parents. He freed the parents from prison and slew Chanura, Mardana, Kamsa, and the rest. He gives no different treatment to friend and foe alike. He liberated the thorn-like demoness Putana; he freed his own uncle Kamsa, the great sinner, heaped with the killing of infants. Where can sin remain when Hari is remembered? Through devotion or even through enmity, he is present just the same. The record of past deeds lies with him; God is bound by the debt of service. God, being guileless, runs after his devotee; when they chant his Name, he follows close behind. Tuka says: he is wearied by pride, and he runs to the homes of the faithful.
What it means
Tukaram extends the crystal image: God is like a crystal that takes on every color yet is never altered, becoming whatever the devotee's love shapes him into without losing himself. The startling teaching is his evenhandedness, he gives the same to friend and foe, even liberating the demoness Putana and the infant-killing Kamsa, because in his presence the question of sin dissolves the moment Hari is remembered. He is present whether one comes through devotion or even through hatred, and he keeps the account of every deed. The close names the heart of Tukaram's God: he is guileless and runs after his devotee the instant the Name is chanted, but he is repelled by pride, so he comes to the homes of the simple and faithful, not the self-important.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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