Devotion, catching God with the saints
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
विठो सांपडावया हातीं । ठावी जाली एक गती । न धरीं भय चित्तीं । बळ किती तयाचें ॥1॥
लागे आपण चि हातीं । किंव भाकावी काकुलती । करी मग चित्तीं । असेल तें तयाचें ॥ध्रु.॥
एकलिया भावबळें । कैं सांपडे तो काळें । वैष्णवांच्या मेळें। उभा ठाके हाकेसी ॥2॥
बांधा माझिया जीवासी । तुका ह्मणे प्रेमपाशीं । न सोडीं तयासी । सर्वस्वासी उदार ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
To catch hold of Vitthal, I have learned one sure way. I hold no fear in my chitta; how much strength does He hold? He comes into your hands on His own; why not beg with pitiful entreaty? Then He does whatever is in His chitta. By the force of solitary devotion alone, how will He ever be caught? But in the company of the Vaishnavas, He stands ready at their call. Says Tuka, bind my jiva with the rope of love. I will not let go of Him, for He is generous with all that He has.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
To catch Vitthal in my hands, I have learned one sure way. Hold no fear in your mind: how much strength does He really have? He comes into your hands of His own accord; so why not beg Him with pitiful pleading? Then He does whatever is in His heart. By the force of lonely devotion alone, when will He ever be caught? But in the gathering of the Vaishnavas, He stands ready at a single call. Tuka says: bind my soul with the rope of love. I will not let Him go, for He gives away all that He has.
What it means
Tukaram shares a strategy for laying hold of God, and the surprise is how gentle it is. He says to drop fear, because against love God has no real strength to resist; He comes into your hands on His own. So the way is not force but pitiful pleading, surrendering and letting God then do as He pleases. The key turn is in the third verse: devotion practiced alone, in isolation, rarely catches Him, but in the company of the Vaishnavas He stands ready at a single call. So Tuka asks to be bound with the rope of love and vows never to release the God who, once caught, gives away everything He has.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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