Faith, no more rebirth
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
पुढें आतां कैंचा जन्म । ऐसा श्रम वारेसा ॥1॥
सर्वथाही फिरों नये । ऐसी सोय लागलिया ॥ध्रु.॥
पांडुरंगा ऐसी नाव । तारूं भाव असतां ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे चुकती बापा । पुन्हा खेपा सकळा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
With such a path ahead, where is the question of rebirth? This is the fatigue that such a path removes. Once this bearing is found, one must never, ever turn back. Panduranga is the vessel; while devotion abides, the passage holds. Says Tuka, all future rounds of birth and death are done, O my father.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
With such a path now ahead, where is there any more birth? This is the labor that such a path takes away. Once this bearing is found, one must never turn back at all. Panduranga is the boat; while devotion is there, the crossing holds. Tuka says: all the journeys are over now, O father; there will be no more rounds.
What it means
Tukaram announces that the cycle of rebirth has ended for him. Having found the path, he asks where rebirth could even come from now, since the path itself lifts off the long fatigue of repeated lives. The one condition is steadiness: once the right bearing is found it must never be abandoned. The crossing image carries the assurance, with Panduranga as the boat that holds as long as devotion, bhava, remains aboard. The final line states the result plainly: the journeys are finished, there will be no more rounds of birth and death.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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