Praise of the Names, love as the only key
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ऐसी हे गर्जवूं वैखरी । केशव मुकुंद मुरारी । राम कृष्ण नामें बरीं । हरी हरी दोष सकळ ॥1॥
जनादनना जगजीवना। विराटस्वरूपा वामना । महदादि मधुसूदना । भवबंधना तोडितिया ॥ध्रु.॥
चक्रपाणी गदाधरा । असुरमदनना वीर्यवीरा । सकळमुगुटमणि शूरा । अहो दातारा जगदानिया ॥2॥
मदनमूर्ती मनमोहना । गोपाळगोपिकारमणा । नटनाटएकौशल्य कान्हा । अहो संपन्ना सर्वगुणें ॥3॥
गुणवंता आणि निर्गुणा । सर्वसाक्षी आणि सर्वजाणा। करोनि अकर्ता आपणा । नेदी अभिमाना आतळों ॥4॥
कासयानें घडे याची सेवा । काय एक समर्पावें या देवा । वश्य तो नव्हे वांचुनि भावा । पाय जीवावेगळे न करी तुका ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Let us make the voice thunder forth: Keshava, Mukunda, Murari! The names Rama and Krishna are beautiful; Hari, Hari destroys all faults. Janardana, life of the world, cosmic form, Vamana, great Madhusudana, the one who severs the bonds of worldly existence. Wielder of the discus, bearer of the mace, crusher of demons, hero among heroes, the jewel in the crown of all the brave, O generous giver to the world. Beautiful as Madana, enchanter of minds, delight of the gopis and cowherds, skillful dancer, O Kanha, endowed with all virtues. Lord of qualities and yet beyond qualities, witness of all and knower of all, the doer who remains a non-doer, who never lets pride touch Him. By what means can one serve Him? What can be offered to this God? He cannot be won except through love. Says Tuka, I will not let His feet be separate from my life.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Let us make the voice thunder it out: Keshava, Mukunda, Murari! The names Rama and Krishna are good; Hari, Hari wipes out every fault. Janardana, life of the world, cosmic form, Vamana, great Madhusudana, you who break the bonds of worldly existence. Holder of the discus, bearer of the mace, crusher of demons, hero of valor, jewel in the crown of all the brave, O giver, generous to the whole world. Beautiful as Madana, enchanter of the mind, delight of the cowherds and the gopis, skilled dancer, Kanha, full of every virtue. You have qualities and yet are beyond qualities, witness of all and knower of all, the one who acts and yet is no doer, who never lets pride touch him. By what means can his service be done? What single thing can be offered to this God? He cannot be won by anything but love. Tuka says: I will not let his feet be parted from my life.
What it means
This abhanga is a garland of the Names, sung out loud so the very voice thunders, because the recitation itself burns away faults. Tukaram heaps up God's titles and deeds, the cosmic form, the slayer of demons, the enchanting cowherd, the lord who has qualities yet stands beyond them and acts while remaining no doer. The point of all this praise is the turn near the end: such a God cannot be bought with offerings or earned by any technique, because nothing matches him. The one thing that wins him is love, pure feeling. So Tukaram closes with the only offering he has, vowing never to let God's feet be separated from his life.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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