Moral ideal, all creation serves
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
काहे भूमि इतना भार राखे । दुभत धेनु नहिं दुध चाखे ॥1॥
बरसतें मेघ फलतेंहें बिरखा । कोन काम अपनी उन्होति रखा ॥2॥
काहे चंदा सुरज खावे फेरा । खिन एक बैठन पावत घेरा ॥3॥
काहे परिस कंचन करे धातु । नहिं मोल तुटत पावत घातु ॥4॥
कहे तुका उपकार हि काज । सब कररहिया रघुराज ॥5॥
जग चले उस घाट कोन जाय । नहिं समजत फिरफिर गोदे खाय ॥ध्रु.॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Why does the earth bear so great a burden? The milch cow does not taste her own milk. The clouds rain and the trees bear fruit. Why do they keep up this giving without ceasing? Why do the moon and the sun make their circuits? If they stopped for even a moment, they would be overwhelmed. Why does the philosopher's stone turn metal to gold? Its value is never diminished, even when it is struck. Says Tuka, service is the only work. The Lord of the Raghus makes all of them do it. The world follows this path; who would go any other way? Those who do not understand keep stumbling again and again.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Why does the earth carry so great a weight? The milk-cow does not taste her own milk. The clouds rain and the trees bear fruit. What use do they keep of their own yield? Why do the moon and the sun go round and round? If they sat still for one moment, the whole order would be overwhelmed. Why does the philosopher's stone turn metal into gold? Its worth is never lost, even when it is struck. Tuka says: service is the only true work. The Lord of the Raghus makes them all do it. The world moves along this path; who would go any other way? Those who do not understand keep stumbling, again and again.
What it means
Tukaram reads the whole of nature as a single lesson in selfless service. The earth bears every burden, the cow gives milk she never drinks, the clouds and trees give without keeping, the sun and moon never stop their rounds, and the philosopher's stone enriches others without losing its own worth. He gathers all these and names the moral: service is the one real work, and it is Rama, the Lord of the Raghus, who sets every creature to it. This is offered as the natural path the world itself follows. The ones who go astray are those who refuse to understand it, and they keep stumbling because they have stepped off the road that everything else walks.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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