Surrender, distrust of one's own greatness
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कोठें देवा आलें अंगा थोरपण । बरें होतें दीन होतों तरीं ॥1॥
साधन ते सेवा संतांची उत्तम । आवडीनें नाम गाईन तें ॥ध्रु.॥
न पुसतें कोणी कोठें ही असतां । समाधान चित्ताचिया सुखें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे जन अव्हेरितें मज । तरी केशीराज सांभािळता ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Where has this greatness come upon me, O God? It would have been better had I remained lowly. The best practice is the service of saints. With love I shall sing the Name. Even if no one asks after me, wherever I may be, I have the contentment of chitta's own ease. Says Tuka, even if the world rejects me, Keshiraja is my protector.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Where did this greatness come over me, O God? It would have been better if I had stayed lowly. The best practice is to serve the saints. With love I will sing the Name. Even if no one asks after me, wherever I am, I have the contentment of a quiet mind. Tuka says: even if the world casts me off, Keshiraja keeps watch over me.
What it means
Tukaram is uneasy at being held in high regard, and treats it as a danger rather than a reward. He says he was better off when he was lowly, because importance pulls a person away from God. So he sets his course by the humblest things: serving the saints and singing the Name with love, asking nothing from anyone's notice. His security does not depend on the world's approval at all; even if everyone rejects him, Keshiraja, Krishna, is the one who looks after him, and that is enough for a settled mind.
Surrender and Acceptance
The conditions of spiritual receptivity and the letting go of the separate self.
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