The Name, defending its power
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नाम ह्मणतां मोक्ष नाहीं । ऐसा उपदेश करिती कांहीं । बधिर व्हावें त्याचे ठायीं । दुष्ट वचन वाक्य तें ॥1॥
नवविधीचा निषेध । जेणें मुखें करिती वाद । जन्मा आले निंद्य । शूकरयाती संसारा ॥2॥
काय सांगों वेळोवेळां । आठव नाहीं चांडाळा । नामासाठीं बाळा । क्षीरसागरीं कोंडिलें ॥3॥
आपुलिया नामासाठीं । लागे शंखासुरापाठीं। फोडोनियां पोटीं । वेद चारी काढिले ॥4॥
जगीं प्रसिद्ध हे बोली। नामें गणिका तारिली । आणिकें ही उद्धरिलीं । पातकी महादोषी ॥5॥
जे हे पवाडे गर्जती । नाम प्रल्हादाचा चित्तीं । जळतां बुडतां घातीं । राखे हातीं विषाचे ॥6॥
काय सांगों ऐशीं किती । तुका ह्मणे नामख्याती । नरकाप्रती जाती । निषेधिती तीं एकें ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Some teach that chanting the Name does not lead to liberation. One should become deaf to such wicked words. Those who argue against the nine modes of devotion are born in disgrace, condemned to a sow's round of worldly life. How many times must I say it? The fallen one has no memory: for the sake of the Name, the child was imprisoned in an ocean of milk. For the sake of His own Name, the Lord pursued Shankhashura, tore open his belly, and retrieved the four Vedas. It is well known: the Name alone saved Ganika the courtesan, along with many other great wrongdoers. The Name of Prahlad lived in his chitta; whether burning, drowning, or poisoned, the Lord saved him with His own hands. Says Tuka, how many such legends shall I tell? The glory of the Name is boundless. Those who deny it shall go to hell.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Some teach that saying the Name does not bring liberation. Be deaf to that; it is a wicked saying. Those who argue against the nine ways of devotion are born in disgrace, into a pig's round of worldly life. How many times must I say it? The fallen one forgets: for the Name's sake the child was held in the ocean of milk. For His own Name's sake the Lord went after Shankhasura, tore open his belly, and pulled out the four Vedas. The world knows it well: the Name alone saved Ganika the courtesan, and lifted many other great sinners. Prahlad held the Name in his heart; burning, drowning, poisoned, the Lord saved him by His own hand. Tuka says: how many such tales shall I tell? The glory of the Name is endless. Those who deny it go to hell.
What it means
Tukaram is answering teachers who say chanting the Name cannot liberate, and he tells the listener to refuse such talk outright. He stacks well-known stories to make one point: the Name has a track record of saving the unworthy, the courtesan, and the endangered devotee, with God Himself intervening for the Name's sake. The harshness aimed at the deniers is pointed at the teaching, the contempt for devotion, not at any single person to be despised. The stakes he names are deliberately stark, hell for those who argue the Name away, because he is defending the one path he believes is open to everyone, especially the fallen.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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