Renunciation, no half measures
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आशा हे समूळ खाणोनि काडावी । तेव्हां चि गोसावी व्हावें तेणें ॥1॥
नाहीं तरी सुखें असावें संसारीं । फजिती दुसरी करूं नये ॥ध्रु.॥
आशा मारूनिया जयवंत व्हावें । तेव्हां चि निघावें सर्वांतूनि ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे जरीं योगाची तांतडी । आशेची बीबुडी करीं आधीं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Desire must be uprooted completely. Only then should one become a renunciant. Otherwise, stay happily in worldly life and do not add the disgrace of false renunciation. Kill desire and emerge victorious; only then step out from everything. Says Tuka, if you are in a hurry for yoga, first drown the seed of desire entirely.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Tear out desire by the root. Only then become a renunciant. If you cannot, then stay happily in the world; do not add a second disgrace. Kill desire and come out the winner; only then step away from everything. Tuka says: if you are in a hurry for yoga, first wipe out the seed of desire.
What it means
Tukaram is refusing the costume of holiness without the inner change. Renunciation is real only when desire has been pulled up by the root; the outer robe means nothing while craving is still alive. He says plainly that if you cannot do that, it is better to stay in worldly life than to wear renunciation as a fraud, which only piles a second shame on the first. The order matters: kill desire first, win that battle, and only then walk away from everything. Anyone rushing toward yoga who skips this step is starting from the wrong end.
Renunciation
The case for letting go of worldly attachments and turning wholly to God.
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