Ecstasy, the flood of bliss, swim across together
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
पूर आला आनंदाचा । लाटा उसळती प्रेमाच्या ॥1॥
बांधूं विठ्ठलसांगडी । पोहुनि जाऊं पैल थडी । अवघे जन गडी । घाला उडी भाई नो ॥ध्रु.॥
हें तों नाहीं सर्वकाळ । अमुप अमृतांचें जळ ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे थोरा पुण्यें । ओघ आला पंथें येणें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
A flood of bliss has arrived, and waves of love surge high. Let us tie the raft of Vitthal's Name and swim to the far shore. Come, all of you, my companions. Take the plunge, brothers and sisters. This moment does not last forever; this is the immeasurable water of nectar. Says Tuka, by great merit this current has arrived upon our path.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
A flood of bliss has come. Waves of love rise high. Let us tie the raft of Vitthal's Name and swim to the far shore. Come, all of you, my friends. Take the plunge, brothers and sisters. This does not last forever. This is the measureless water of nectar. Tuka says: by great merit this current has come to our path.
What it means
Tukaram greets a flood of joy as if a real river had risen, its waters surging with waves of love. He calls everyone to use the moment: lash together a raft made of Vitthal's Name and cross on it to the far shore. He will not go alone, summoning all his companions to jump in with him. The urgency is that the flood does not last; this immeasurable water of nectar is here now and may not be here later. He ends by naming it pure grace, a current that has reached their path only through great accumulated merit, so it must not be wasted.
Ecstasy and Joy
Triumphant happiness: poems written from the far side of the struggle.
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