Krishna-lila, grace beyond caste, the debt of devotion
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नेणें वर्ण धर्म जीं आलीं सामोरीं । अवघीं च हरी आिंळगिलीं ॥1॥
हरि लोकपाळ आले नगरांत । सकळांसहित मायबाप ॥2॥
पारणें तयांचें जालें एका वेळे । देखिलें सावळें परब्रह्म ॥3॥
ब्रह्मानंदें लोक सकळ नाचती । गुढिया उभविती घरोघरीं ॥4॥
घरोघरीं सुख आनंद सोहळा । सडे रंग माळा चौकदारीं ॥5॥
दारीं वृंदावनें तुळसीचीं वनें । रामकृष्णगाणें नारायण॥6॥
नारायण तिहीं पूजिला बहुतीं । नाना पुष्पयाती करूनियां ॥7॥
यांचें ॠण नाहीं फिटलें मागील । पुढें भांडवल जोडिती हीं ॥8॥
हीं नव्हतीं कधीं या देवा वेगळीं । केला वनमाळी सेवाॠणी ॥9॥
सेवाॠणें तुका ह्मणे रूपधारी । भक्तांचा कैवारी नारायणा ॥10॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Without asking about caste or creed, Hari embraced all who came forward. Hari and the guardians of the world entered the village, together with all the parents. The fast of all those people was broken at once: they beheld the dark, beautiful Supreme Brahman. In the bliss of Brahman, everyone danced. Victory banners were raised in every home. In every home there was happiness, joy, and festivity. Colored powders, garlands, and decorations adorned every doorstep. Tulsi gardens and vrindavan shrines stood at every door, with songs of Rama, Krishna, and Narayana. They worshiped Narayana with many kinds of flowers. Yet the debt of their past merit was not repaid. More capital was being added for the future. They had never been separate from this God. They made the Lord of the Forest indebted through their service. Says Tuka, it is because of the debt of devotion that Narayana takes form. He is the champion of His devotees.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He did not ask about caste or creed. Whoever came forward, Hari embraced them all. Hari and the world-guardians entered the town, together with all the parents. The fast of those people was broken all at once: they saw the dark, beautiful Supreme Brahman. In the bliss of Brahman all the people danced. They raised victory-banners in house after house. In every home there was happiness, joy, and festival. Colored powders, garlands, and decorations lay at every doorstep. At every door stood tulsi groves and vrindavan shrines, with songs of Rama, Krishna, Narayana. They worshipped Narayana with many kinds of flowers. Yet their old debt was not paid off; they kept adding more capital for what was to come. These ones were never apart from this God. They made Vanamali a debtor through their service. Tuka says: it is for the debt of their service that Narayana takes a form. He is the champion of His devotees.
What it means
Tukaram opens with Krishna's refusal to ask caste or creed before He embraces anyone, and that refusal is the teaching, not a footnote: the dark beautiful boy is the Supreme Brahman, and He gives Himself to all who come without sorting them. The villagers' worship is figured as accounts, and Tukaram flips the ledger we expect: their devotion does not merely repay a debt to God, it puts God in their debt. He frames the boldest claim last, that Narayana takes a form at all because of the love His devotees pour out; the formless one consents to a body for their sake, and stands as their champion. Love, not merit owed upward, is what draws God down.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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