Moral ideal, good and harm laid open
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
पुण्य परउपकार पाप ते परपीडा । आणीक नाहीं जोडा दुजा यासी ॥1॥
सत्य तो चि धर्म असत्य तें कर्म । आणीक हे वर्म नाहीं दुजें ॥ध्रु.॥
गति ते चि मुखीं नामाचें स्मरण । अधोगति जाण विन्मुखते ॥2॥
संतांचा संग तो चि स्वर्गवास । नर्क तो उदास अनर्गळा ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे उघडें आहे हित घात । जयाचें उचित करा तैसें ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Merit is helping others; sin is causing others pain. There is no second equal to these two. Truth alone is dharma; falsehood is binding karma. There is no other secret than this. Liberation comes through the name upon one's lips. Downfall comes from turning away from it. The company of saints is heaven itself. Hell is indifference and lack of restraint. Says Tuka, both benefit and harm lie open before you. Act as is fitting for you.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Merit is helping others; sin is causing others pain. There is no second pair to match these. Truth alone is dharma; falsehood is the karma that binds. There is no other secret than this. Liberation is the name on your lips; downfall, know it, is turning your face away from it. The company of saints is heaven itself. Hell is cold indifference and a life without restraint. Tuka says: benefit and harm both lie open before you. Do what is fitting for you.
What it means
Tukaram strips morality down to its plainest core so no one can claim it is hidden or hard to find. Good is simply helping; evil is simply hurting; truth is the only real religious duty and lies are the only chains. Liberation is nothing more mysterious than the Name on the lips, and ruin is just turning your face from it. He locates heaven and hell not in other worlds but in present company and conduct: the saints' fellowship is heaven, while a cold, unrestrained life is already hell. Having made the choice this clear, he hands it back to you: it is all open, now act as befits you.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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