Adoration, God as Guru and guardian
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
माझ्या विठोबाचा कैसा प्रेमभाव । आपण चि देव होय गुरू ॥1॥
पढियें देहभावें पुरवितो वासना । अतीं तें आपणापाशीं न्यावें ॥ध्रु.॥
मागें पुढें उभा राहे सांभाळीत । आलिया आघात निवारावे ॥2॥
योगक्षेम जाणे जडभारी । वाट दावी करीं धरूनियां ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे नाहीं विश्वास ज्या मनीं । पाहावें पुराणीं विचारूनी ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
How wonderful is the love of my Vithoba. He Himself becomes both God and Guru. With fond, embodied care He fulfills every deep longing, and in the end takes one to Himself. He stands guard before and behind, watching over everything, warding off all approaching dangers. He knows the yoga-kshema even of the dull and heavy ones, and leads them by the hand, showing the way. Says Tuka, if the mind does not believe this, let it examine the Puranas and consider.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
How wonderful is the love of my Vithoba. He himself becomes both God and Guru. With fond, bodily care he fulfills every longing, and in the end he takes one to himself. He stands guard in front and behind, watching over everything, warding off every blow that comes. He knows the needs even of the dull and heavy ones, and leads them by the hand, showing the way. Tuka says: if the mind does not believe this, let it look into the Puranas and consider.
What it means
Tukaram is naming the completeness of Vithoba's care and how rare it is. The same God is also the teacher; the one you adore is the one who instructs you, so there is no gap to be bridged by another. He describes a love that meets you on the bodily level where you actually live, satisfies your longings, and only at the end draws you fully home. He insists this guardian goes before and behind, takes responsibility for your welfare even when you are too dull to manage your own, and leads you by the hand. To the doubting mind he offers not argument but the witness of scripture: look, and see that this is so.
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