Devotion, bees at the footprints
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
िब्रदावळी ज्याचे रुळते चरणीं । पाउलें मेदिनी सुखावे त्या ॥1॥
सुखावे मेदिनी कृष्णाचिये चालीं । कुंकुमें शोभलीं होय रेखा ॥2॥
होउनि भ्रमर पाउलांचें सुख । घेती भक्त मुख लावूनियां ॥3॥
याचसाटीं धरियेला अवतार । सुख दिलें फार निजदासां ॥4॥
निज सुख तुका ह्मणे भक्तां ठावें । तींहीं च जाणावें भोगूं त्यासि ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
His sacred pledges trail at His feet. The earth rejoices beneath His footsteps. The earth delights in Krishna's stride, made beautiful with the marks of vermilion. Becoming bees, His devotees press their faces to His footprints and drink the nectar there. For this very purpose He took incarnation: to give supreme joy to His own servants. Says Tuka, that bliss of the Self is known only to the devotees. Only they may taste it.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
His pledges trail at His feet. The earth grows glad wherever His feet fall. The earth delights in Krishna's walk; His steps shine like lines drawn in vermilion. His devotees become bees. They press their faces to His footprints and drink the sweetness there. For just this He took birth: to give great joy to His own servants. Tuka says: this joy of the Self is known only to the devotees. Only they can taste it.
What it means
Tukaram is saying what the incarnation is actually for, and who gets to know it. Krishna's footsteps make the very earth glad, marked bright as if with vermilion, and the devotees turn into bees at those footprints, drinking the sweetness. He names the purpose plainly: God took a body so that His servants could have this joy. But the joy is not on offer to everyone. It is the bliss of the Self, and only the devotee who loves Him can taste it; describing it from outside is not the same as drinking it.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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