Krishna's care, the unworried guardian
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
तो बोले कोमळ निष्ठ साहोनि । कोपतां गौळणी हास्य करी ॥1॥
करावया दास्य भक्तांचें निर्लज्ज । कवतुकें रज माथां वंदी ॥2॥
दिलें उग्रसेना मथुरेचें राज्य । सांगितलें काज करी त्याचें ॥3॥
त्यासि होतां कांहीं अरिष्टनिर्माण । निवारी आपण शरणागता ॥4॥
शरणागतां राखे सर्व भावें हरि । अवतार धरी तयांसाटीं ॥5॥
तयांसाटीं वाहे सुदर्शन गदा । उभा आहे सदा सांभािळत ॥6॥
तळमळ नाहीं तुका ह्मणे चित्ता । भक्तांचा अनंता भार माथां ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He endures their harsh and stern words with gentleness. When the milkmaids scold Him, He only smiles. To serve His devotees, He is shamelessly eager, joyfully bowing to the dust at their feet. He gave Ugrasena the kingdom of Mathura, fulfilling every task that was asked. Whenever danger threatened, He stepped in to protect the surrendered ones. Hari protects those who take refuge with all His being. He takes incarnation for their sake. For their sake He carries the Sudarshana discus and the mace. He stands ever watchful, guarding them. Says Tuka, there is no worry in the chitta when the burden of the devotees rests upon Ananta's head.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He speaks gently and bears their harsh words. When the milkmaids scold him, he only laughs. To serve his devotees he is shameless. For sport he bows his head to the dust of their feet. He gave Ugrasena the kingdom of Mathura. He did whatever task was asked of him. When any danger arose for them, he himself turned it away from those who had surrendered. Hari guards those who take refuge, with all his being. He takes birth for their sake. For their sake he carries the Sudarshana disc and the mace. He stands always, watching over them. Tuka says: there is no anxiety in his mind. The weight of his devotees rests on Ananta's head.
What it means
Tukaram paints God as a guardian who lowers himself without shame for those who are his. Krishna takes the gopis' scolding with a laugh, bows to the dust of their feet, and does whatever his devotees ask, from giving Ugrasena a kingdom to turning away every danger that comes near them. He even takes birth and bears weapons only for their sake. The last lines are the consolation: because the burden of protecting his devotees rests on the Infinite's own head, the devotee can be free of worry; the watching is his work, not ours.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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