Krishna lila, the boasting clouds
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
गोकुळींची गती कोण जाणे परि । पाहों आला वरी इंद्रराव ॥1॥
इंद्रापाशीं मेघ बोलती बडिवार । सकळ संहार करुनि आलों ॥2॥
आतां जीव नाहीं सांगाया ते रानीं । पुरिलें पाषाणीं शिळाधारीं ॥3॥
रिता कोठें नाहीं राहों दिला ठाव । जल्पती तो भाव न कळतां ॥4॥
न कळतां देव बळें हुंबरती । साच ते पावती अपमान ॥5॥
माव न कळतां केली तोंडपिटी । इंद्र आला दृष्टी पाहावया ॥6॥
पाहतां तें आहे जैसें होतें तैसें । नाचती विशेषें तुका ह्मणे ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Indra came from above to see the state of Gokul for himself. The clouds boasted to Indra, 'We have destroyed everything. We have come back from a total annihilation.' 'There is not a jiva left to tell the tale in that forest. We buried them all under boulders.' 'Not a spot was left uncovered.' They bragged, not knowing the truth. Those who boast without knowing God suffer humiliation. The clouds had boasted and beaten their chests in vain. Indra came down to see for himself. Says Tuka, everything was exactly as it had been. The people danced with even greater joy.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Who can know the ways of Gokul? Indra came down from above to see for himself. The clouds boasted before Indra: we have destroyed everything. We have come back from a total annihilation. There is not a single living thing left in that forest to tell the tale. We buried them all under boulders. We left no spot uncovered. They bragged, not knowing the truth. Not knowing God, they bellowed loudly, and so they truly earned their disgrace. Not knowing the trick, they beat their own mouths in vain. Indra came down to look with his own eyes. He looked, and everything was just as it had been. Tuka says: they were dancing, more joyfully than ever.
What it means
Tukaram tells the comic turn that follows Govardhan. The storm-clouds, sent to drown Gokul, report back to Indra that they have wiped the place out, certain of their success. But their boast is empty, because they did not know that God himself was sheltering the village. When Indra comes to verify, he finds Gokul untouched and the people dancing harder than before. The lesson sits in line five: those who brag without knowing God earn their own humiliation, and the boaster who cannot see the larger hand at work beats his own mouth for nothing.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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