The God Experience of Tukaram  

-  Bishop Thomas Dabre

 
        Bishop Thomas Dabre, chose the life and teachings of Tukaram as his doctoral

research and acquired PhD degree for his thesis titled “The God Experience of Tukaram - A Study in Religious Symbolism” from the Jnana Deepa Vidypeeth, Pune in 1979.
Bishop Thomas Dabre mentions that his family background, his deep roots in Marathi language and culture and the influence of  the Vatican II Council during his student days influenced him to choose Tukaram as a subject for his doctoral research. Born  on  23rd  October,1945  in  Bhuigaon,  he  was appointed Bishop of

 

Vasai on 22nd May, 1998. He was appointed Bishop of Pune on 4th April, 2009.
 

The Life Story of Tukaram

 

Calamities in the Family :

  1. I was greatly afflicted by the world.

My parents passed away.

 

The famine used up my wealth and took away my good name.

One wife of mine died crying for food.

 

I was tormented by this grief and grew ashamed of myself.(1332)

                                          

                                              ***       

  

Moment of Decision :

    2.      My life is altogether wretched.

What ground of faith can I see now ?

Chorus : I cannot bear to hear of the world.

               There is none who is truly mine.

 

Means of bodily pleasure are poison to me.

Honour is a snare to me.

Chorus : I cannot bear to hear of the world.

               There is none who is truly mine.

 

Dignity and praise a toil and burden.

My soul is restless.

Chorus : I cannot bear to hear of the world.

               There is none who is truly mine.

 

Tuka says, I cannot bear anything.

Chorus : I cannot bear to hear of the world.

               There is none who is truly mine.

  1. My soul was ashamed.

I was deeply struck by sorrow.

 

I did not follow the advice of my friends.

I lost all interest in the world.

 

I discerned between truth and falsehood.

I did not listen to the voices of the majority.

 

I firmly believed in the Name (of  God).

In my heart I held on to the feet of Vithoba.(1333)

                     ***

Search for God:

 

  1. All their discussions are merely out of their learning.

none of them have discernment born of experience.

 

The learned scholars deliver discourses.

However, they have no spiritual happiness.

 

Tuka says, their conduct is a like giving a testimony for a bribe.

They are not aware of real spiritual truth.(1691)

                     ***

    6.     How wonderful is the love of my Vithoba.

God himself becomes my Guru.   ( Guru – teacher/guide)

Chorus: He fulfils our fond desires and aspirations.

              In the end He will take us to Himself.

 

He stands before and behind us in order to deliver us

from any affliction that may befall us.

Chorus: He fulfils our fond desires and aspirations.

              In the end He will take us to Himself.

 

He takes care of our well-being; He knows what hurts us.

Taking us by the hand He shows us the way.

Chorus: He fulfils our fond desires and aspirations.

              In the end He will take us to Himself.

 

Tuka says, he who does not believe this,

let him consult the Scriptures.

Chorus: He fulfils our fond desires and aspirations.

              In the end He will take us to Himself.(873)

 

7.          Excellent  is the litany of Your name.

It consumes away great guilt.

Chorus : It has become our life.

               We employ ( literally, consume) it to our heart’s content.

 

It is easy and sweeter than amrut.

Chorus : It has become our life.

               We employ ( literally, consume) it to our heart’s content.(1300)

 

8.          I have cast down my burden.

I am free from anxious care.

The holy men have entrusted me to Vithoba.

 

Tuka says, the holy men are deeply concerned for me.(370)

 

 

Commissioned for Poetry :

 

9.          Namdev came with Panduranga and aroused me in a dream.

Chorus : He told me, “I appoint you a task; write poetry”

                     ***

 

Setbacks in the spiritual journey :

 

7.          My spirit is carried away by concupiscence.

It does not allow me to behold Your face.

I am full of sorrow.

My heart may break for sorrow.

Chorus: Why have you made me like a young wife in her husband’s house ?

              I have no power, no authority of my own.

 

In the morning I feel I ought to visit You.

But I cannot hide from you the fact that

my  concupiscence continues to live in me.

Chorus: Why have you made me like a young wife in her husband’s house ?

              I have no power, no authority of my own.

 

It seems that all my toils are wasted.

Tuka says, all that I have spent is lost.(1256)

 

8.          This one thing fills me with wonder.

Chorus : My cries for pity have been wasted as though

               I had put these up to a corpse.

 

How could one not be angry,

on seeing You so false ?(961)

Chorus : My cries for pity have been wasted as though

               I had put these up to a corpse.

 

 

9.          In my view God is dead.

Let Him live   for those for whom He lives.

Chorus : I will tell no tales of Him, nor mention His name.

               We have both vanished together.

 

Tuka says, now I am unperturbed.

Up till now I have just been wasting my life.(2349)

 

 

10.      I have realized that You do not remember me.

Now what is the use of preserving my life?

 

What can you do in the face of my fate?

O Infinite one, I hate this life.

 

I hoped when I heard of Your fame

as sanctifier of sinners.

 

I know that You have become cruel.

Now who will accept me?

 

Tuka says, You have disappointed me.

I will end my life.(3117)

 

11.      Offering my body at Your feet

I have fulfilled my obligation towards You.

Chorus : Now, O God, do to my being

               What pleases You.(2965)

 

                     ***

Sense of fruitition :

 

12.      There sorrow is bartered for joy.

The hunger and misery of the orphan vanish.

 

The most generous Lord is in Pandhari.

With uplifted arms he calls (us).

 

He is more fond of the ignorant than of the learned

He embraces them with delight.

 

He takes away stress and bestows love in return.

He does not think of His own gain or loss.

 

Tuka says we are orphans and feeble.

Panduranga looks after us. (2118)

 

13.      In the sea of bliss are the waves of bliss.

Bliss is the body of bliss.

Chorus : How to describe it ?

               I am beside myself with joy.

               On account of attachment to this bliss.

               I cannot move on ( to any other pursuits.).(3251)

 

14.      I , Tuka, am smaller than an atom, yet as vast as the sky.

Chorus : I have relinquished the body ( with its egotism)

               For the world is a form of illusion.

 

I have given up the triad of  knowledge.

I have lit up a lamp in my body.

Chorus : I have relinquished the body ( with its egotism)

               For the world is a form of illusion.

 

Tuka says, now I live for the sake of charity.

Chorus : I have relinquished the body ( with its egotism)

               For the world is a form of illusion.(993)

 

15.      For this did I persistently strive, namely, that the final day may me sweet.

Chorus : Now that the motions of desire have come to an end,

               most certainly have I attained repose.

 

            I am proud of the efforts I have made.

            Thereby, the sacred name ( of God) has been glorified.

Chorus : Now that the motions of desire have come to an end,

               most certainly have I attained repose.

 

            Tuka says, I have taken liberation as my bride.

            Now, I will spend the remaining days of my life in joy and revelry.

Chorus : Now that the motions of desire have come to an end,

               most certainly have I attained repose.(1328)

 

                             ***                                                                              

God’s Gift :

 

16.      The sports that I play are due to the grace of His feet.

These are not perishable pursuits.

Chorus : My Mother and Father stands on the brick.

               With fondness does He grant me His grace krupaadaan.

 

The words of my mouth are from grace.

They are not put together by intellectual activity.

Chorus : My Mother and Father stands on the brick.

               With fondness does He grant me His grace krupaadaan.

 

Tuka says the juice has come from the One who serves it.

Pandurang has overshadowed it.

Chorus : My Mother and Father stands on the brick.

               With fondness does He grant me His grace (krupaadaan).(3167)

                                        ***

Mission to the World:

17.      We the dwellers in Vaikuntha have come for this purpose,

namely to live with true devotion what the rishis have said.

Chorus : We shall sweep clean the path of saints,

               for weeds have choked up the world.

               We will take the leavings of the saints’ meals.

 

The meaning of the Puranas is lost.

More verbal knowledge has brought about disaster.

The heart is greedy of pleasure.

All spiritual means are lost.

Chorus : We shall sweep clean the path of saints,

               for weeds have choked up the world.

               We will take the leavings of the saints’ meals.

 

We will beat a drum in the name of devotion.

We will appal evil.

Tuka says, raise a joyful shout of acclamation.

Chorus : We shall sweep clean the path of saints,

               for weeds have choked up the world.

               We will take the leavings of the saints’ meals.(520)

 

18.      In charity we declare these remedies.

Or else what are we interested in ?

 

We cannot bear to see with our eyes these people in disaster.

Therefore, we feel intense compassion.

                   ******

 

 The Religious World of Tukaram