Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha
मराठी मूळ
चारी वेद ज्याची कीर्ती वाखाणिती । बांधवी तो हातीं गौळणीच्या ॥1॥
गौळणिया गळा बांधिती धारणीं । पायां चक्रपाणी लागे तया ॥2॥
तयाघरीं रिघे चोरावया लोणी । रितें पाळतूनि शिरे माजी ॥3॥
माजी शिरोनियां नवनीत खाये । कवाड तें आहे जैसें तैसें ॥4॥
जैसा तैसा आहे अंतर्बाहएात्कारीं । ह्मणउनि चोरी नसंपडे ॥5॥
नसंपडे तयां करितां खटपट । वाउगे बोभाट वर्माविण ॥6॥
वर्म जाणती त्या एकल्या एकटा । बैसतील वाटा निरोधूनि ॥7॥
निवांत राहिल्या निःसंग होऊनि । निश्चळ ज्या ध्यानीं कृष्णध्यान ॥8॥
न ये क्षणभरी योगियांचे ध्यानीं । धरिती गौळणी भाविका त्या ॥9॥
भाविका तयांसी येतो काकुलती। शाहाण्या मरती नसंपडे ॥10॥
नलगे वेचावी टोळी धनानांवें । तुका ह्मणें भावें चाड एका ॥11॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The four Vedas sing His praises, yet He is bound by the hands of milkmaids. The milkmaids tie Him by the waist, and the Lord of the discus bows at their feet. He enters their homes to steal butter, slipping in through any gap He finds. He enters and eats the fresh butter, leaving the doors exactly as they were. Inside and outside, He is the same. Therefore His thievery is never detected. Those who try and try cannot catch Him by cunning. Only those who know the secret can catch Him: single-minded women waiting alone in ambush. When they are still, empty of self, and absorbed in Krishna's meditation, He who cannot be held even for a moment by the yogis' concentration is held by those simple milkmaids. He comes pleading to them. The clever may die trying, yet He eludes them. Says Tuka, there is no need to spend armies of wealth. Only one thing is needed: pure devotion.
This translation is auto-generated and may contain errors. We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram’s original Marathi.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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