Saints, the true warriors of God
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जुंझार ते एक विष्णुदास जगीं । पापपुण्य अंगीं नातळे त्यां ॥1॥
गोविंद आसनीं गोविंद शयनीं । गोविंद त्यां मनीं बैसलासे ॥ध्रु.॥
ऊर्ध पुंड भाळीं कंठीं शोभे माळी । कांपिजे किळकाळ तया भेणें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे शंखचक्रांचे शृंगार । नामामृतसार मुखामाजी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The true warriors in this world are the servants of Vishnu. Neither sin nor merit clings to them. Govinda is in their sitting, Govinda is in their sleeping, Govinda is seated within their minds. With upright tilak on their foreheads and the sacred necklace adorning their throats, even shrieking Death trembles before them in fear. Says Tuka, adorned with conch and discus, the nectar of the Name rests upon their lips.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The true warriors in this world are the servants of Vishnu. Neither sin nor merit clings to them. Govinda is in their sitting, Govinda is in their lying down; Govinda is seated within their minds. The upright tilak shines on their foreheads, the sacred garland adorns their throats; shrieking Death trembles before them in fear. Tuka says: adorned with conch and discus, the nectar of the Name rests upon their lips.
What it means
Tukaram redraws what courage and victory mean. The real warriors are not soldiers but the servants of Vishnu, and their conquest is so total that neither sin nor merit can stick to them, since their whole life has been handed over. Govinda fills every posture and every moment, sitting, lying down, and the inner mind, so the constant remembering is itself their armor. The tilak and garland are not mere ornaments; marked this way, with the Name like nectar on the lips, they have made even Death tremble, because a person who has given everything to God has nothing left for Death to seize.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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