Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha
मराठी मूळ
दामाजीपंताची रसद गुदरली । लज्जा सांभािळली देवरायें ॥1॥
तयाचें चरित्र परिसा हो सादरें । करितों नमस्कार संतजना ॥ध्रु.॥
मंगळवेढा असे विस्त कुटुंबेंसी । व्यापारी सर्वांसी मान्य सदा ॥2॥
कर्म काय करी ठाणाचा हवाला । तों कांहीं पडला कठिण काळ ॥3॥
धान्याचीं भांडारें होतीं तीं फोडिलीं । पंढरी रिक्षली दुष्काळांत ॥4॥
दुबळें अनाथ तें हि वांचविलें । राष्टधांत ते जाली कीिर्त्त मोठी ॥5॥
मुजुम करीत होता कानडा ब्राह्मण । फिर्याद लिहून पाठविली ॥6॥
अविंदाचें राज्य बेदरीं असतां । कागद पाहतां तलब केली ॥7 ॥
दामाजीपंतासी धरोनि चालविलें । इकडे या विठ्ठलें माव केली ॥8॥
विकते धारणे सवाइऩचें मोल । धान्याचें सकळ द्रव्य केलें ॥9॥
दामाजीपंताच्या नांवें अर्जदास्त । लिहून खलेती मुद्रा केली ॥10॥
विठो पाडेवार भHां साहए जाला । वेदरासी गेला रायापासीं ॥11॥
जोहार मायबाप पुसती कोठील । तंव तो ह्मणे स्थळ मंगळवेढें ॥12॥
दामाजीपंतांनीं रसद पाठविली । खलेती ओतिली अर्जदास्त ॥13॥
देखोनियां राजा संतोष पावला । ह्मणे व्यर्थ त्याला तलब केली॥14॥
काय तुझें नांव पुसती यंत्रधारी । तो ह्मणे बेगारी विठा कां जी॥15॥
पावल्याचा जाब द्यावा मायबाप । करोनि घेतों माप ह्मणती ते॥16॥
पावल्याचा जाब दिधला लिहून । तसरीफ देऊन पाठविला ॥17॥
छत्री घोडा शिबिका आभरणांसहित । दिला सवें दूत पाठवूनि॥18॥
वाटे चुकामुक जाली याची त्यांची । ते आले तैसे चि मंगळवेढा॥19॥
दामाजीपंतासी बेदरासी नेलें । राजा ह्मणे जालें कवतुक ॥20॥
काल गेला विठा बेगारी देऊन । तसरीफ देऊन जाब दिला ॥21॥
काय तुमचें काज बोला जी सत्वर । बोलाजी निर्धार वचनाचा॥22॥
कैंचा विठा कोण पाठविला कधीं । काढोनियां आधीं जाब दिला॥23॥
पहातां चि जाब हृदय फुटलें । नयन निडारले राजा देखे ॥24॥
सावळें सकुमार रूप मनोहर । माथां तेणें भार वाहियेला ॥25॥
दामाजीपंतासी रायें सन्मानिलें । तो ह्मणे आपुलें कर्म नव्हे ॥26॥
आतां तुमची सेवा पुरे जी स्वामिया । शिणविलें सखया विठोबासी॥27॥
निरोप घेऊनि आला स्वस्थळासी । उदास सर्वासीं होता जाला ॥28॥
दामाजीपंतांनीं सेविली पंढरी । ऐसा त्याचा हरि निकटवृित्त ॥29॥
तुका ह्मणे विठो अनाथ कैवारी । नुपेक्षी हा हरि दासालागीं ॥30॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Damajipant's revenue account was settled, and the Lord Himself preserved his honor. Listen with attention to his story. I bow to the holy ones. Damajipant lived at Mangalvedha with a large family, a merchant respected by all. His duty was to manage the revenue of the district, but hard times befell him. He broke open the grain stores and fed the people of Pandhari during the famine. He saved the poor and the destitute, and great fame spread throughout the land. The Kannada brahmin who was auditing the accounts wrote a complaint and sent it to the court. The kingdom of the Bahmani sultan was at Bidar. Upon reading the letter, a summons was issued. Damajipant was seized and taken away. Meanwhile, Vitthal assumed a disguise. He sold grain at the market rate plus a surcharge and converted it all into cash. He wrote a receipt in Damajipant's name with a sealed document. Vittho became the guarantor and went to Bidar before the king. 'Greetings, my lord,' they ask, 'where are you from?' He replies, 'From Mangalvedha.' 'Damajipant has sent the revenue, with receipts and documents.' Seeing this, the king was pleased and said, 'We summoned him for nothing.' 'What is your name?' asks the officer. He replies, 'Vitha the laborer, sir.' They ask him to certify the receipt with measurement. He gave a written acknowledgment, and the king honored him with a robe, a parasol, a horse, a palanquin, and ornaments, sending an escort with him. On the road, they missed each other. The escorts arrived at Mangalvedha as they were. Damajipant was taken to Bidar, and the king said, 'A marvel has occurred. Yesterday a man named Vitha the laborer came and settled the accounts.' 'State your business quickly; speak your conviction plainly.' 'What Vitha? Who sent him? The accounts were already settled before I arrived.' When he examined the receipt, his heart burst with emotion; his eyes filled with tears. The king saw a dark, tender, beautiful form. That One had carried the burden on His own head. The king honored Damajipant, who said, 'This is not my doing.' 'Enough of your service now, my lord. You have exhausted my dear Vitthoba.' Taking leave, he returned home and became detached from all worldly things. Damajipant devoted himself to Pandhari. Such is the closeness of his Hari. Says Tuka, Vittho is the champion of the helpless; Hari never forsakes His devotee.
This translation is auto-generated and may contain errors. We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram’s original Marathi.
Sacred Stories
Abhangas drawing on mythological narratives to illuminate spiritual truths.
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