Longing, begging for the leftovers
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
द्या जी आम्हां कांहीं सांगा जी रखुमाई । शेष उरलें ठायीं सनकादिकांचें ॥१॥
टोकत बाहेरी बैसलों आशा । पुराया ग्रासा एकमेकां ॥ध्रु.॥
येथवरी आलों तुझिया नांवें । आस करुनी आम्ही दातारा ॥२॥
प्रेम देउनियां बहुडा आतां दिला । तुका म्हणे आतां विठ्ठल बोला ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Give us something, Rukhmabai; tell us, is there any remnant left over from what the sages ate? We sit outside, watching and waiting, longing for even one morsel to share among us. We have come this far in your name, placing all our hope in you, O generous one. Says Tuka, grant us the parting gift of love, and let us go saying 'Vitthal, Vitthal.'.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Give us something, Rukhmabai; tell us, is anything left over from what the sages ate? We sit outside, watching and hoping, longing for even one mouthful to share among us. We have come this far in your name, putting all our hope in you, generous one. Tuka says: give us the parting gift of love, and send us away saying Vitthal, Vitthal.
What it means
Tukaram begs at the edge of God's household, asking Rukhmabai for even the scraps the great sages left behind. The lowliness is deliberate: he does not claim a seat at the table, only a single morsel to share, because nearness to God in any measure is enough. He stakes his whole claim on having come in God's name and on hope alone. The last line raises the asking past food: the true parting gift he wants is love, and the blessing is to leave with the Name on his lips.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
More in this theme →