Saints, glory known only by becoming it
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
संतांचा महिमा तो बहु दुर्गम । शािब्दकांचे काम नाहीं येथें ॥1॥
बहु धड जरी जाली ह्मैस गाय । तरी होईल काय कामधेनु ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे अंगें व्हावें तें आपण । तरी च महिमान येईल कळों ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The greatness of the saints is truly unfathomable. Those who traffic in mere words have no place here. Even if a buffalo became full and well-formed, would it become a kamadhenu? Says Tuka, you must become that very thing yourself. Only then will its true glory come to be known.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The greatness of the saints is truly unfathomable. Those who traffic in mere words have no place here. Even if a buffalo became full and well-formed, would it become a kamadhenu? Tuka says: you must become that very thing yourself. Only then will its true glory come to be known.
What it means
Tukaram says the greatness of saints cannot be reached by talk. Clever speech has no standing here, because words describe from the outside and the thing itself is inward. His image makes the point sharp: a buffalo may grow fat and well-formed, but it will never become the wish-granting cow Kamadhenu, for likeness on the surface is not the same nature. The only path to knowing what a saint is, is to become one. Glory of this kind is not observed; it is lived, and revealed only from within.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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