Beyond speech, the mirror shows your own face
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नाहीं येथें वाणी । सकळां वणाअ घ्यावी धणी ॥1॥
जालें दर्पणाचें अंग । ज्याचा त्यासी दावी रंग ॥ध्रु.॥
तुका खळे दाणीं । करी बैसोनी वांटणी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Here, speech itself falls silent; no voice can satisfy all who hear. It has become like a mirror: it shows each person their own color. Says Tuka, I sit at the threshing floor and give out the grain to each according to their measure.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Here speech falls silent. No words can satisfy everyone who listens. This has become like a mirror: it shows each person their own color. Tuka says: I sit at the threshing floor and hand out the grain, to each according to their measure.
What it means
Tukaram is pointing at what cannot be told. Words run out, and no single explanation will fill every listener, because what each person receives is what they bring. The teaching works like a mirror: it gives you back your own face, your own color. So he likens himself to a man at the threshing floor, sitting and portioning out grain to each by their capacity, not forcing more than they can hold.
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