Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha
मराठी मूळ
जयेवेळीं चोरूनियां नेलीं वत्सें । तयालागीं तैसें होणें लागे ॥1॥
लागे दोहीं ठायी करावें पाळण । जगाचा जीवन मायबाप ॥2॥
माय जाल्यावरी अवघ्या वत्सांची । घरीं वत्सें जीचीं तैसा जाला ॥3॥
जाला तैसा जैसे घरिंचे गोपाळ । आणिक सकळ मोहरी पांवे ॥4॥
मोहरी पांवे सिंगें वाहिल्या काहाळा । देखिला सोहाळा ब्रह्मादिकीं ॥5॥
ब्रह्मांदिकां सुख स्वपनीं ही नाहीं । तैसें दोहीं ठायीं वोसंडलें ॥6॥
वोसंडल्या क्षीर अमुप त्या गायी । जैसी ज्याची आइऩ तैसा जाला ॥7॥
लाघव कळलें ब्रह्मयासी याचें । परब्रह्म साचें अवतरलें ॥8॥
तरले हे जन सकळ ही आतां । ऐसें तो विधाता बोलियेला ॥9॥
लागला हे स्तुती करूं अनंताची । चतुर्मुख वाची भHी स्तोत्रें ॥10॥
भिHकाजें देवें केला अवतार। पृथ्वीचा भार फेडावया ॥11॥
पृथिवी दाटीली होती या असुरीं । नासाहावे वरीभार तये ॥12॥
तया काकुलती आपल्या दासांची । तयालागीं वेची सर्वस्व ही ॥13॥
स्वहित दासांचें करावयालागीं । अव्यH हें जगीं व्यHी आलें ॥14॥
हरी नाममात्रें पातकांच्या रासी । तो आला घरासि गौिळयांच्या ॥16॥
गौिळये अवघीं जालीं कृष्णमय । नामें लोकत्रय तरतील ॥17॥
तरतील नामें कृष्णाचिया दोषी । बहुत ज्यांपाशीं होइल पाप ॥18॥
पाप ऐसें नाहीं कृष्णनामें राहे । धन्य तो चि पाहे कृष्णमुख ॥19॥
मुख माझें काय जो मी वणूप पार । मग नमस्कार घाली ब्रह्मा ॥20॥
ब्रह्मा नमस्कार घाली गोधनासी । कळला तयासि हा चि देव ॥21॥
देव चि अवगा जालासे सकळ । गाइऩ हा गोपाळ वत्सें तेथें ॥22॥
तेथें पाहाणें जें आणीक दुसरें । मूर्ख त्या अंतरें दुजा नाहीं ॥23॥
दुजा भाव तुका ह्मणे जया चित्ती । रवरव भोगिती कुंभपाक ॥24॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
When Brahma stole the calves, God had to become the same to maintain both sides. He became the mother of every calf. In every home where a calf belonged, He became that very calf. He became every cowherd in every household, complete with flutes and horns and trumpets. Brahma and the gods witnessed this spectacle. Such joy had never come to them even in dreams, yet now it overflowed in both directions. The cows gave torrents of milk. He became each one's own mother. This subtlety became known to Brahma: the supreme Brahman had truly incarnated. 'All these people are now saved,' the Creator declared. He began to praise the Infinite One, the four-faced one chanting hymns of devotion. It was for the sake of devotees that God took incarnation, to relieve the burden of the earth. The earth had been oppressed by demons, unable to bear their weight. God spends all He has for the sake of His servants who cry to Him. The Unmanifest became manifest in this world for the welfare of His devotees. By the mere power of Hari's Name, heaps of sins are destroyed. That God has come to the homes of cowherds. The cowherds have all become one with Krishna. The three worlds shall be saved by His Name. Even the sinful shall be saved by Krishna's Name, no matter how great their sins. No sin can survive before the Name of Krishna. Blessed is the one who beholds Krishna's face. 'What is my mouth that I should describe His extent?' said Brahma, and then bowed before the cattle. He recognized that this was God Himself. God was everything: the cows, the cowherds, the calves. To look for anything second there was the mark of a fool; there was no 'other.' Says Tuka, those who hold duality in their hearts will suffer the torments of hell.
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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