Faith as a sturdy boat across existence
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जीवेंसाटीं यत्नभाव । त्याची नाव बळकट ॥१॥
पैल तीरा जातां कांहीं । संदेह नाहीं भवनदी ॥ध्रु.॥
विश्वासाची धन्य जाती । तेथें वस्ती देवाची ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे भोळियांचा । देव साचा अंकित ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The one who strives with whole-hearted devotion has a sturdy boat. There is no doubt about crossing the river of existence and reaching the far shore. Blessed is the lineage of faith, for God himself dwells there. Says Tuka, the Lord is truly bound to the simple and sincere.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The one who tries with his whole heart has a strong boat. There is no doubt about crossing the river of the world and reaching the far shore. Blessed is the family of faith; God lives there. Tuka says: to the simple and sincere, God truly belongs.
What it means
Tukaram answers the fear of being lost in worldly existence with a single image: whole-hearted devotion is a sturdy boat, and with it the far shore is not in doubt. He honors faith as a lineage, a household, blessed because God himself dwells where faith is. The last line is the heart of it and the most radical: God is the bonded servant of the simple and sincere, owned by their trust. So the crossing depends not on cleverness or ritual mastery but on plain, undivided faith, which God answers by belonging wholly to it.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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