Govardhan lifted, the rain of joy
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
काकुलती एकें पाहाती बाहेरी । तया ह्मणे हरि वोसरला ॥1॥
वोसरला मेघ आला होता काळ । बाहेरी सकळ आले लोक ॥2॥
कवतुक जालें ते काळीं आनंद । कळला गोविंद साच भावें ॥3॥
भावें तयापुढें नाचती सकळें । गातील मंगळें ओंव्या गीत ॥4॥
गीत गाती ओंव्या रामकृष्णावरी । गोपाळ मोहोरी वाती पांवे ॥5॥
वत्सें गाई पशू नाचती आनंदें । वेधलिया छंदें गोविंदाच्या ॥6॥
चित्त वेधियेलें गोविंदें जयाचें । कोण तें दैवाचें तयाहुनि ॥7॥
तयाहुनि कोणी नाहीं भाग्यवंत । अखंड सांगात गोविंदाचा ॥8॥
गोविंदाचा संग तुका ह्मणे ध्यान । गोविंद ते जन गोकुळींचे ॥9॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
A few of them peeked outside and saw the storm had passed. Hari said it had cleared. The dark clouds that had gathered were gone. Everyone came out. Wonder and joy arose at that moment. Govinda was known in His true form. They danced and sang before Him, chanting auspicious ovis and songs. They sang ovis and songs about Rama and Krishna. The cowherds blew their flutes and horns. Calves, cows, and all creatures danced in delight, captivated by the spell of Govinda. One whose chitta has been captured by Govinda, who is more fortunate than that one? Says Tuka, no one is more blessed than the one who has the constant company of Govinda.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
A few of them peeked outside and saw the storm had passed. Hari said it had cleared. The dark clouds that had gathered were gone. Everyone came out. Wonder and joy rose in that moment. Govinda was known in his true form. They danced and sang before him, chanting auspicious ovis and songs. They sang ovis and songs about Rama and Krishna. The cowherds blew their flutes and horns. The calves, the cows, all the creatures danced in delight, caught in the spell of Govinda. Whose mind has been caught by Govinda: who is more fortunate than that one? Tuka says: no one is more blessed than the one who has the constant company of Govinda.
What it means
This opens the aftermath of the Govardhan rescue: the storm is over, the people step out, and they recognize who Krishna truly is. The whole village erupts into song and dance, and even the animals are swept into it. Tukaram then turns the scene into a single claim about fortune. The most blessed person alive is not the powerful or the rich one, but the one whose attention has been captured by Govinda. He names the prize plainly: unbroken company with God is the highest luck a soul can have.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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