Autobiography, do not honor me
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ऐका वचन हें संत । मी तों आगळा पतित । काय काजें प्रीत । करीतसां आदरें ॥1॥
माझें चित्त मज ग्वाही । सत्य तरलों मी नाहीं । एकांचिये वांहीं । एक देखीं मानिती ॥ध्रु.॥
बहु पीडिलों संसारें । मोडीं पुसें पिटीं ढोरें । न पडतां पुरें । या विचारें राहिलों ॥2॥
सहज सरलें होतें कांहीं । द्रव्य थोडें बहु तें ही । त्याग केला नाहीं । दिलें द्विजां याचकां ॥3॥
िप्रयापुत्रबंधु । यांचा तोडिला संबंधु । सहज जालों मंदु । भाग्यहीन करंटा ॥4॥
तोंड न दाखवे जना । शिरें सांदी भरें राणां । एकांत तो जाणां । तयासाटीं लागला ॥5॥
पोटें पिटिलों काहारें । दया नाहीं या विचारें । बोलावितां बरें । सहज ह्मणें यासाटीं ॥6॥
सहज वडिलां होती सेवा । ह्मणोनि पूजितों या देवा । तुका ह्मणे भावा । साटीं झणी घ्या कोणी ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Listen to this, O saints. I am the most fallen among all. Why do you honor me with such affection? My own chitta bears me witness: I have truly not been liberated. Some believe in me because others do. I was greatly tormented by worldly life, beaten and burdened like a pack animal. I stayed on only because I had no other recourse. Whatever little wealth I had, much or small, I did not truly renounce; it was given to Brahmins and beggars. I severed bonds with wife, sons, and brothers, having naturally become destitute, a pitiable, luckless soul. I could not show my face to anyone and took to hiding in forests and ravines; solitude was all I sought. My belly was beaten by hard labor; there is no mercy in that fate. When people call me good, I accept it simply because it comes naturally. I served my elders as was our family custom, and so I worship this God. Says Tuka, do not take me on the basis of mere sentiment.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Listen to this, O saints. I am the most fallen of all. Why do you honor me with such love? My own mind is my witness: I have truly not crossed over. Some believe in me only because others do. Worldly life tormented me badly; I was beaten and loaded like a pack animal. I stayed on only because I had no other way out. Whatever little wealth I had, much or small, I did not really renounce; it was given away to Brahmins and beggars. I cut my bonds with wife, sons, and brothers, having simply become destitute, a luckless, wretched soul. I could not show my face to people and took to hiding in forests and ravines; solitude was all I wanted. My belly was beaten by hard labor; there is no mercy in such a fate. When people call me good, I take it only because it comes easily. I served my elders as was our family custom, and so I worship this God. Tuka says: do not take me up on the strength of mere feeling.
What it means
Tukaram pushes back hard against being honored, calling himself the most fallen and refusing the saints' affection. He strips the romance out of his own story: he says his detachment was not noble renunciation but forced destitution, that he gave away his little wealth and broke family ties because he had been beaten down by loss, not because he had conquered desire. Even his solitude in forests and ravines he traces to shame and having nowhere else to go. The point of the harshness is honesty, turned on himself: he warns the saints not to trust him on sentiment, and grounds his worship in plain family custom rather than any claim to be liberated.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
More in this theme →