Seeing God in all, the wildfire swallowed
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नारायण भूतीं न कळे जयांसि । होय गर्भवासीं येणें जाणें ॥1॥
येणें जाणें होय भूतांच्या मत्सरें । न कळतां खरें देव ऐसा ॥2॥
देव ऐसा जया कळला सकळ । गेली तळमळ द्वेषबुिद्ध॥3॥
बुद्धीचा पालट नव्हे कोणे काळीं । हरि जळीं स्थळीं तया चित्तीं ॥4॥
चित्त तें निर्मळ जैसें नवनीत । जाणिजे अनंत तयामाजी ॥5॥
तयामाजी हरि जाणिजे त्या भावें । आपलें परावें सारिखें चि ॥6॥
चिंतनें तयाच्या तरती आणीक । जो हें सकिळक देव देखे ॥7॥
देव देखे तो ही कसा देव नव्हे । उरला संदेहे काय त्यासि ॥8॥
यांसि कवतुक दाखविलें रानीं । वोणवा गिळूनि गोपाळांसि ॥10॥
गोपाळांसि डोळे झांकविले हातें । धरिलें अनंतें विश्वरूप ॥11॥
पसरूनि मुख गििळयेलें ज्वाळ । पहाती गोपाळ बोटां सांदी ॥12॥
संधि सारूनियां पाहिलें अनंता । ह्मणती ते आतां कळलांसी ॥13॥
कळला हा तुझा देह नव्हे देवा । गििळला वोणवा आणीक तो ॥14॥
तो तयां कळला आरुषां गोपाळां । दुर्गम सकळां साधनांसि ॥15॥
सीण उरे तुका ह्मणे साधनाचा । भाविकांसि साचा भाव दावी ॥16॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Those who do not see Narayana in all beings must continue coming and going through the cycle of birth. Coming and going is caused by ill will toward other beings, when the truth is not recognized. But one to whom God is known in everything is freed of all restlessness and hostility. That change of vision, once it occurs, is irreversible. Such a one sees Hari in water, on land, and in the chitta. That chitta is as pure as fresh butter. Know that the Infinite resides within it. Know Him within through the right devotion. One's own and another's become the same. Through the contemplation of such a being, others too are saved, for such a one sees God in everything. One who sees God, how can that one not be God? What doubt remains for such a person? God showed them a wonder in the forest, swallowing the wildfire for the cowherds' sake. God told the cowherds to cover their eyes with their hands, and then assumed His cosmic form. He spread His mouth wide and swallowed the flames. The cowherds peeked through the gaps between their fingers. When it was over, they said, 'Now we know You.' Says Tuka, the effort of spiritual practices leaves one exhausted. God reveals the easy truth to the faithful.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Those who cannot see Narayana in all beings keep coming and going through the womb. The coming and going comes of ill will toward other beings, when the truth is not known. But the one to whom God is known in everything, his restlessness and hatred are gone. That turn of mind never reverses; Hari is in his heart, in water and on land. The heart is then as clean as fresh butter, and the Infinite is known within it. There Hari is known by that love; one's own and the stranger become the same. Through such a one's remembrance others too cross over, for he sees God in everything. The one who sees God, how is he himself not God? What doubt is left to him? He showed them a wonder in the forest, swallowing the wildfire for the cowherds' sake. He had the cowherds cover their eyes with their hands, and the Infinite took on the cosmic form. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the flames; the cowherds peeked through the cracks of their fingers. Looking through the gaps they watched the Infinite, and said, now we have known you. Tuka says: the labor of practices only leaves you tired; to the faithful he shows the truth simply.
What it means
Tukaram makes the test sharp before he tells the story: not seeing Narayana in all beings keeps you in birth and death, because that blindness breeds the ill will that drives the cycle, while seeing God everywhere ends restlessness and hatred and never reverses. Such a heart becomes clean as fresh butter, treats stranger and self alike, and even carries others across by its remembrance, so that one who truly sees God is not other than God. He then grounds this in the forest fire, where Krishna has the cowherds shut their eyes and swallows the wildfire, and they peek through their fingers to see and cry, now we know you. The closing line points at self-examination: straining at spiritual techniques only exhausts you, while God shows the plain truth to those who simply trust. The teaching is that vision of God in all things, won by faith rather than effort, is what frees.
Appeals and Exhortations
Direct calls to action: wake up, seek God, do not waste this human birth.
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