Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha
मराठी मूळ
गोविंद भ्रतार गोविंद मुळहारी । नामें भेद परि एक चि तो ॥1॥
एकाचीं च नामें ठेवियेलीं दोनी । किल्पतील मनीं यावें जावें ॥2॥
जावें यावें तिहीं घरऴिचया घरीं । तेथिची सिदोरी तेथें न्यावी ॥3॥
विचारितां दिसे येणें जाणें खोटें । दाविती गोमटें लोका ऐसें ॥4॥
लोक करूनियां साच वर्तताती । तैशा त्या खेळती लटिक्याची ॥5॥
लटिकीं करिती मंगळदायकें । लटिकीं च एकें एकां व्याही ॥6॥
व्याही भाइऩ हरि सोयरा जावायी । अवघियांच्या ठायीं केला एक ॥7॥
एकासि च पावे जें कांहीं करिती । उपचार संपित्त नाना भोग ॥8॥
भोग देती सर्व एका नारायणा । लटिक्या भावना व्याही भाइऩ ॥9॥
लटिका च त्यांणीं केला संवसार । जाणती साचार वेगळा त्या ॥10॥
त्यांणीं मृित्तकेचें करूनि अवघें । खेळतील दोघें पुरुषनारी ॥11॥
पुरुषनारी त्यांणीं ठेवियेलीं नावें । कवतुकभावें विचरती ॥12॥
विचरती जैसे साच भावें लोक । तैसें नाहीं सुख खेळतीया ॥13॥
यांणीं जाणितलें आपआपणया । लटिकें हें वांयां खेळतों तें ॥14॥
खेळतों ते आह्मीं नव्हों नारीनर । ह्मणोनि विकार नाहीं तयां ॥15॥
तया ठावें आहे आह्मी अवघीं एक । ह्मणोनि निःशंक खेळतील ॥16॥
तयां ठावें नाहीं हरिचिया गुणें । आह्मी कोणकोणें काय खेळों ॥17॥
काय खातों आह्मी कासया सांगातें । कैसें हें लागतें नेणों मुखी॥18॥
मुखीं चवी नाहीं वरी अंगीं लाज । वरणा याती काज न धरिती॥19॥
धरितील कांहीं संकोच त्या मना । हांसतां या जना नाइकती॥20॥
नाइकती बोल आणिकांचे कानीं । हरि चित्तीं मनीं बैसलासे ॥21॥
बैसलासे हरि जयांचिये चित्तीं । तयां नावडती मायबापें ॥22॥
मायबापें त्यांचीं नेती पाचारुनि । बळें परि मनीं हरि वसे ॥23॥
वसतील बाळा आपलाले घरीं । ध्यान त्या अंतरीं गोविंदाचें ॥24॥
गोविंदाचें ध्यान निजलिया जाग्या । आणीक वाउग्या न बोलती॥25॥
न बोलती निजलिया हरिविण । जागृति सपन एक जालें ॥26॥
एकविध सुख घेती नित्य बाळा । भ्रमर परिमळालागीं तैशा ॥27॥
तैसा त्यांचा भाव घेतला त्यांपरी । तुका ह्मणे हरि बाळलीला॥28॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Govinda as husband, Govinda as the one to whom the bride is given: different names, but one and the same. They gave Him two names but imagined Him coming and going between homes. They would go and come between their households, carrying provisions from one place to the other. Upon reflection, all this coming and going is false. They showed the world a lovely appearance. The world takes life seriously; those women played at life as make-believe. They performed mock-auspicious ceremonies, pretending to arrange marriages among themselves. The in-laws, brothers, husbands, sons-in-law: all these roles were filled by the One alone. Whatever they offered, whatever rituals they performed, all the offerings, ceremonies, and pleasures went to the one Narayana. The entire household was a beautiful pretense. In-laws and brothers were make-believe. Says Tuka, they knew what was truly different. Their so-called married life was a knowing game. They fashioned everything from clay: pots, vessels, cooking utensils. They played as man and woman, naming things in playful sport. They played as worldly folk do, but their joy was nothing like the world's. They knew within themselves that their play was an illusion. 'We are playing; we are not really man and woman.' Therefore there was no confusion or desire among them. They knew, 'We are all one.' Therefore they played without any inhibition. They did not know, by Hari's grace, who was who or what they were playing. They did not know what they ate or why they kept company. They did not know how this taste came to their mouths. They had no taste for anything else, yet no sense of modesty about it. They cared nothing for distinctions of caste or status. They held to whatever came, without any self-consciousness. They did not listen to outsiders' words. Hari was seated in their hearts and minds. Says Tuka, in those whose hearts Hari has entered, mothers and fathers are not even loved.
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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