Recoil from the world, the forest of ruin
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जन तरी देखें गुंतलें प्रपंचें । स्मरण तें त्याचें त्यासी नाहीं ॥1॥
ह्मणऊनि मागें परतलें मन । घालणीचें रान देखोनियां ॥ध्रु.॥
इंिद्रयांचा गाजे गोंधळ ये ठायीं । फोडीतसे डोई अहंकार ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे देवा वासनेच्या आटें । केलीं तळपटें बहुतांचीं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The world is entangled in its affairs and has no remembrance of Him. Seeing this forest of destruction, my mind turns back in retreat. The senses raise a tumult here, and ego splits the head with its blows. Says Tuka, O God, by the driving force of vasana, many have been brought to ruin.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I look at people and see them tangled in worldly affairs, with no remembrance of Him at all. So my mind turns back and retreats, seeing this forest of destruction. Here the senses raise a loud uproar, and ego splits the head with its blows. Tuka says: O God, driven by craving, many have been brought to ruin.
What it means
Tukaram is describing why he pulls back from ordinary life. He sees people swallowed up in their affairs, with no room left to remember God, and the sight makes his own mind retreat as from a forest where one gets lost and destroyed. In that forest the senses make a deafening din and the ego batters the head, so there is no quiet in which to hold the Name. The closing line names the engine behind it all: vasana, blind craving, has dragged countless people down, and Tukaram is warning himself first of all.
Worldly Life
The perplexities of action, karma, and navigating life in the world.
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