Adoration, the beauty of the standing form
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
उभा देखिला भीमातीरीं । कर मिरवले कटावरी । पाउलें तरी सम चि साजिरीं । नाम तरी अनंत अतिगोड ॥1॥
शंखचक्रांकित भूषणें । जडितमेखळा चिद्रत्नें । पितांबर उटी शोभे गोरेपणें । लोपलीं तेणें रवितेजें ॥2॥
श्रवणीं कुंडलें देती ढाळ । दशांगुळीं मुिद्रका माळ । दंतओळी हिरे झळाळ । मुख निर्मळ सुखरासी ॥3॥
कडीं कडदोरा वांकी वेळा । बाहीं बाहुवटे पदक गळां । मृगनाभी रेखिला टिळा । लवती डोळां विद्युल्लता ॥4॥
सुंदरपणाची साम्यता । काय वणूप ते पावे आतां । तुकयाबंधु ह्मणे रे अच्युता । धन्य ते मातापिता प्रसवली ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I have seen Him standing on the bank of the Bhima, His hands displayed proudly upon His hips. His feet are beautifully even, and His Name is infinitely sweet. Conch and discus mark His ornaments. A jeweled girdle shines with the gems of consciousness. A yellow silk garment and sandalwood paste enhance His fair complexion, outshining the radiance of the sun. Earrings cast their glow upon His ears. Rings adorn His ten fingers alongside a rosary. His row of teeth sparkles like diamonds. His face is pure and overflows with bliss. A waist-cord and bracelets adorn His waist and wrists. Armlets grace His arms, a pendant hangs at His throat, and a musk tilak marks His forehead. His eyes flash like lightning. What comparison can describe such beauty? Says Tukayabandhu, O Achyuta, blessed indeed are the mother and father who gave birth to You.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I have seen him standing on the bank of the Bhima, his hands set proudly on his hips. His feet are beautifully even, and his Name is endlessly sweet. Conch and discus mark his ornaments. A jeweled girdle shines with gems of consciousness. A yellow silk robe and sandal paste set off his fair body, outshining the light of the sun. Earrings cast their glow on his ears. Rings adorn his ten fingers, with a rosary among them. His row of teeth sparkles like diamonds. His face is pure, a heap of bliss. A waist-cord and bangles adorn his waist and wrists. Armlets grace his arms, a pendant hangs at his throat, a musk mark is drawn on his brow. His eyes flash like lightning. What can match such beauty? How shall I tell it now? Tukayabandhu says: O Achyuta, blessed are the mother and father who gave you birth.
What it means
Here Tukaram does nothing but look, head to foot, at Vitthal standing on the Bhima's bank with hands on hips. He moves slowly over the form, the even feet, the conch and discus, the yellow silk and sandal paste, the earrings, rings, rosary, the lightning of the eyes, as if love itself were taking inventory. The jeweled girdle made of gems of consciousness quietly hints that this gorgeous body is woven of more than matter. Overwhelmed, he gives up the catalogue and blesses the very parents who brought such beauty into the world, the worshipper's most personal way of saying that the sight is beyond describing.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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