Humility, the world bows to God
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
यातिहीन मज काय तो अभिमान । मानी तुज जन नारायणा ॥1॥
काय सुख मज तयाची हे खंती । आपुलाला घेती गुणभाव ॥ध्रु.॥
द्रव्यामुळें माथां वाहियेली चिंधी । होन जयामधीं होता गांठी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे जन वंदितो वेगळा । मजसी दुर्बळा काय चाड ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I am of humble birth. What pride can I have? It is You the people honor, O Narayana. What happiness can their esteem give me? Each one acts only from his own nature and self-interest. It was for the sake of the gold coin tied within that one carried a rag upon his head. Says Tuka, the world bows to something else entirely. What does a wretch like me care for their approval.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I am of humble birth. What pride could I have? It is you the people honor, O Narayana. What happiness would their esteem give me? Each one acts only from his own nature and his own interest. It was for the sake of the gold coin tied inside it that a man carried a rag upon his head. Tuka says: the world bows to something else entirely. What does a wretch like me care for their approval.
What it means
Tukaram refuses to take any credit when people honor him. He says plainly that he is low-born and has nothing to be proud of: whatever respect comes his way is really directed at Narayana, the God within. He sees through the motive behind such respect with a sharp image: people only honor the wrapping for the sake of the gold tied inside it, the way a man would carefully carry a worthless rag because a coin is knotted in it. So their bowing is to the treasure, never to him. He wants none of their approval, because it is not his in the first place.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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