Ecstasy, God brought near and made mine
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आमच्या हें आलें भागा । जीव्हार या जगाचें ॥1॥
धरूनियां ठेलों जीवें । बळकट भावें एकविध ॥ध्रु.॥
आणूनियां केला रूपा । उभा सोपा जवळी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे अंकित केला । खालीं आला वचनें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
This has come to us as our rightful share: the very life-marrow of this whole world. I have held it fast with my very life, with firm and single-minded devotion. I brought it into form and made it near, standing simple and close beside me. Says Tuka, I made Him mine. He came down at my words.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
This has come to us as our share: the very life-marrow of this whole world. I have held it fast with my life, with strong and single-hearted love. I brought it into form and made it stand simple and close beside me. Tuka says: I made Him mine. He came down at my words.
What it means
Tukaram exults that the very core of all existence has fallen to him as his portion. He did not win it by cleverness but by holding on with his whole life in firm, undivided love. By that love he drew the formless into a form, near and plain, standing right beside him. The last claim is the boldest: God came down at the devotee's word and let Himself be owned. The poem dares to say that pure single-minded bhava can bring the Infinite close enough to call your own.
Ecstasy and Joy
Triumphant happiness: poems written from the far side of the struggle.
More in this theme →