Renunciation, bearing the blows
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
साहोनियां टोले उरवावें सार । मग अंगीकार खया मोलें ॥1॥
भोगाचे सांभाळीं द्यावें किळवर । संचित चि थार मोडूनियां ॥ध्रु.॥
महत्त्वाचे ठायीं भोगावी अप्रतिष्ठा । विटवावें नष्टां पंचभूतां ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे मग कैंचा संवसार । जयाचा आदर तें चि व्हावें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Endure the blows and preserve the essence; only then does acceptance come at its true price. Let the carcass of indulgence be cast aside, breaking the chain of accumulated habit. In the place of pride, bear dishonor willingly and make the five elements weary of their mischief. Says Tuka, then what remains of worldly life? Let whatever is honored become the very thing you seek.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Take the blows and keep the essence safe. Only then does acceptance come at its true worth. Throw aside the carcass of indulgence. Break the chain of stored-up habit. Where you would be honored, bear dishonor instead. Make the five elements weary of their mischief. Tuka says: then what is left of worldly life? Let the very thing you honor be the thing you become.
What it means
Tukaram describes renunciation as something endured, not announced. You take the world's blows and guard the one essential thing through them, and only that earns acceptance at its real price. He asks the seeker to drop indulgence like a dead carcass and snap the chain of inherited habit, and where the self craves honor, to take dishonor on purpose until the body and its five elements tire of their old games. When that work is done, ordinary worldly life simply has nothing left to grip, and a person turns into the very thing he reveres.
Renunciation
The case for letting go of worldly attachments and turning wholly to God.
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