Nature of God, the net of illusion
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मज पाहातां हें लटिकें सकळ । कोठें मायाजाळ दावीं देवा ॥1॥
कोणाचा कोणासीं न धरे संबंध । आहे शुद्धबुद्ध ठायींचे ठायीं ॥ध्रु.॥
काढा काढा जी मोह बुंथा जाळ । नका लावूं बळें वेड आह्मां ॥2॥
जीव शिव कां ठेवियेलीं नांवें । सत्य तुह्मां ठावें असोनियां ॥3॥
सेवेच्या अभिळासें न धरा चि विचार । आह्मां दारोदार हिंडविलें ॥4॥
आहे तैसें आतां कळलियावरी । परतें सांडा दुरी दुजेपण ॥5॥
तुका ह्मणे काय छायेचा अभिलाष। हंस पावे नाश तारागणीं ॥6॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
To me, all this appears false. Where do You show me this net of illusion, O God? No one truly holds connection with anyone else. All is shuddha-buddh, right where it always was. Remove this veil, this net of delusion. Do not force this madness upon us. Why have You set up the names "jiva" and "Shiva" when You know the truth? Out of longing for Your service, I do not pause to reason. You have led me wandering from door to door. Now that the truth has become clear, cast aside all duality and separateness far away. Says Tuka, why cling to shadows? The swan perishes chasing the reflection of stars.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
When I look, all of this is false. Where is this net of illusion You show me, O God? No one truly holds any bond with anyone else. Everything is pure and awake, just where it always was. Take away, take away this veil, this net of delusion. Do not force this madness upon us. Why have You set up the names jiva and Shiva, when You yourself know the truth? Out of longing for Your service, I do not stop to reason; You have led me wandering from door to door. Now that the truth is clear, throw away all this duality and separateness, far off. Tuka says: why long for a shadow? The swan dies chasing the reflection of the stars.
What it means
Tukaram speaks from the side of one who has seen through the world and turns, half in complaint, to ask God why the illusion was ever set up. To him every separate bond looks false and everything is already pure and awake exactly as it stands. The names jiva and Shiva, soul and Lord, he treats as labels God himself laid over a single reality. He admits his own longing made him chase after God from door to door without stopping to think. The closing image is the warning: chasing the appearance of separateness is like the swan that dives at the stars reflected in water and perishes for a shadow.
The Nature of God
Explorations of God's character, power, grace, and relationship to the world.
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