Kirtan as one's whole life
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
दिनरजनीं हा चि धंदा । गोविंदाचे पवाडे ॥1॥
संकिल्पला देह देवा । सकळ हेवा तये ठायीं ॥ध्रु.॥
नाहीं अवसान घडी । सकळ जोडी इंिद्रयां ॥2॥
कीतिन मुखें गर्जे तुका । करी लोकां सावध ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Day and night this alone is my occupation: singing the glories of Govinda. This body has been pledged to God. All my burning zeal is fixed on that alone. There is no end to this work, not a moment's rest. Every faculty is gathered into this pursuit. Says Tuka, through the mouth of kirtan he roars. He makes the people wakeful and alert.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Day and night this alone is my work: the glories of Govinda. This body has been pledged to God; all my longing is fixed there. There is no end to it, not a moment's rest. Every sense is gathered into this one work. Tuka roars the glory with his mouth, and makes the people wakeful.
What it means
Tukaram is describing how the singing of God's praise has taken over his entire life. From morning to night his single occupation is Govinda's glories, and he has handed his very body over to God so that all his desire has one object. There is no stopping point and no rest, because every faculty he has is pooled into this one act. The kirtan is not private comfort either: with his mouth he roars the praise aloud so that the people around him are shaken awake; his devotion becomes a service that rouses others.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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