Humility, the unworthy poet's surrender
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मना वाटे तैसीं बोलिलों वचनें । केली धिटपणें सलगी देवा ॥1॥
वाणी नाहीं शुद्ध याति एक ठाव । भक्ति नेणें भाव नाहीं मनीं ॥2॥
नाहीं जालें ज्ञान पाहिलें अक्षर । मानी जैसें थोर थोरी नाहीं ॥3॥
नाहीं मनीं लाज धरिली आशंका । नाहीं भ्यालों लोकां चतुरांसि ॥4॥
चतुरांच्या राया मी तुझें अंकित । जालों शरणागत देवदेवा ॥5॥
देवा आतां करीं सरतीं हीं वचनें । तुझ्या कृपादानें बोलिलों तीं ॥6॥
तुझें देणें तुझ्या समर्पूनि पायीं । जालों उतरायी पांडुरंगा ॥7॥
रंकाहुनि रंक दास मी दासांचें । सामर्थ्य हें कैचें बोलावया ॥8॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I have spoken as my heart moved me, taking liberties with God out of boldness. My speech is not refined; my birth has no distinction. I know nothing of devotion; there is no real feeling in my mind. I have not gained knowledge or studied the scriptures. I presume to speak of greatness, though greatness is not in me. I have held no shame or hesitation. I have not feared the judgment of the learned. O King of the wise, I am Your marked one. I have come surrendered, O God of gods. O God, make these words bear fruit. I spoke them through Your grace. I offer Your own gift back at Your feet. I have thus discharged my debt, O Panduranga. I am humbler than the humblest, a servant of servants. What power do I have to speak?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I have spoken as my heart moved me. In my boldness I took liberties with God. My speech is not pure; my birth has no standing. I do not know devotion; there is no real feeling in my mind. I have gained no knowledge; I have not even looked at the letters. I act as if I were great, but greatness is not in me. I held no shame in my heart, no hesitation. I was not afraid of clever people. O King of the wise, I am Your marked servant. I have come to You for refuge, O God of gods. God, now make these words bear fruit. I spoke them by the gift of Your grace. What was Your giving, I offer back at Your feet. So my debt is cleared, O Panduranga. I am lower than the lowest, a servant of servants. What power do I have to speak?
What it means
Tukaram strips away every claim he might make for himself before God. He admits he wrote as he pleased, took liberties with God, has no pure speech, no high birth, no learning, no real devotion in his own mind, and no fear of the clever critics who might mock him. Having confessed all of that, he hands everything over: he is Panduranga's marked one, come for refuge, asking only that God make these words bear fruit. The turn that matters is his account of where the words came from: they were God's own gift of grace, so he is simply offering God's giving back at God's feet. By that move he says his debt is settled, and he names himself a servant of servants, with no power of his own to speak at all.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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