Longing, the unanswered door
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
उचित तें काय जाणावें दुर्बळें । थोरिवेचें काळें तोंड देवा ॥१॥
देतों हाका कोणी नाइकती द्वारीं । ओस कोणी घरीं नाहीं ऐसें ॥ध्रु.॥
आलिया अतीता शब्द समाधान । करितां वचन कायवेंचे॥२॥
तुका म्हणे तुम्हां साजे हें श्रीहरी । आम्ही निलाजिरीं नाहीं ऐसीं ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
What does a poor man know of proper conduct? Greatness has turned its face dark, O God. I call out but no one at the door will listen; as if the house stands empty with no one inside. When a guest arrives, offering a few kind words of welcome costs nothing. Says Tuka, this befits you, O Hari; we are not so shameless as you think.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
What does a poor man know of proper conduct? Greatness has turned its face dark, O God. I call out, and no one at the door will listen, as though the house stands empty, no one inside. When a guest arrives, a few words of welcome cost nothing. Tuka says: this suits you, Hari; but we are not as shameless as you make us out to be.
What it means
Tukaram stands at God's door like a beggar and gets no answer, so he turns the failure of hospitality back on the host. He admits a poor man may not know the fine rules of conduct, but a kind word to a guest costs the host nothing, and even that is withheld. The house seems empty, as if no one is home, which for a devotee is a sharp complaint against a present and powerful God. With gentle sting he says such treatment may befit Hari's grandeur, but it should not make the devotee out to be shameless for simply asking. The reproach is the prayer: he keeps knocking by accusing the silence.
Longing and Separation
Cries from the dark night of the soul: remonstrances, complaints, and desperate yearning.
More in this theme →