Adoration, the friend
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
गरुडाचें वारिकें कासे पीतांबर । सांवळें मनोहर कैं देखेन ॥१॥
बरवया बरवंटा घनमेघ सांवळा । वैजयंतीमाळा गळां शोभे ॥ध्रु.॥
मुगुट माथां कोटि सूर्यांचा झळाळ । कौस्तुभ निर्मळ शोभे कंठीं ॥२॥
ओतींव श्रीमुख सुखाचें सकळ । वामांगीं वेल्हाळ रखुमादेवी ॥३॥
उद्धव अक्रूर उभे दोहींकडे । वर्णिती पवाडे सनकादिक ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे नव्हे आणिकांसारिखा । तो चि माझा सखा पांडुरंग ॥५॥
विराण्या - अभंग २५
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Garuda as his mount, yellow silk at his waist, when shall I see that dark and lovely one? Most beautiful of all that is beautiful, dark as a monsoon cloud, the Vaijayanti garland shines upon his neck. A crown upon his head with the radiance of ten million suns, the flawless Kaustubha jewel shines at his throat. His blessed face, molded entirely from bliss; at his left side, tender Rakhumadevi. Uddhava and Akrura stand on either side; the Sanakas sing his heroic ballads. Tuka says, he is like no other; he alone is my friend, Panduranga.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Garuda for his mount, yellow silk at his waist: when will I see that dark and lovely one? Most beautiful of the beautiful, dark as a heavy cloud, the Vaijayanti garland bright on his neck. A crown on his head with the light of ten million suns, the clear Kaustubha jewel at his throat. That blessed face, shaped wholly out of bliss, and tender Rakhumadevi at his left side. Uddhava and Akrura stand on either side; the sages sing his great deeds. Tuka says: he is like no one else. He alone is my friend, Panduranga.
What it means
Again a vision of Vitthal in full glory, but framed by a single question: when will I see him? Tukaram builds the whole court around the Lord, his mount, his jewels, his queen, his companions, the sages singing him, and then sets himself apart from all of it as the one still waiting for the sight. The last line is the point of the whole catalogue. Out of all that majesty, this dark Lord is not a distant king to him but a friend. The grandeur is real, and the relationship is still intimate.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
More in this theme →