Praise of the saints, compassion their capital
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
काय वाणूं आतां न पुरे हे वाणी । मस्तक चरणीं ठेवीतसें ॥1॥
थोरींव सांडिली आपुली परिसें । नेणे सिवों कैसें लोखंडासी ॥ध्रु.॥
जगाच्या कल्याणा संतांच्या विभूति । देह कष्टविती उपकारें ॥2॥
भूतांची दया हे भांडवल संतां । आपुली ममता नाहीं देहीं ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे सुख पराविया सुखें । अमृत हें मुखें जरवतसे ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
What more can I describe? My words fall short. I simply place my head at their feet. Like the philosopher's stone, the saints have abandoned all their greatness; they do not mind how they touch iron and transform it. For the welfare of the world, the saints have taken form, tormenting their own bodies in selfless service. Compassion for all beings is the saints' only capital; they carry no attachment to their own bodies. Says Tuka, their happiness lies in the happiness of others, and this nectar is administered from their mouths.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
What more can I say now? My words run out. I lay my head at their feet. Like the touchstone, the saints have thrown away their own greatness; they do not even notice how they touch iron and turn it to gold. For the good of the world the saints take form, wearing out their bodies in service. Compassion for all beings is the saints' only capital; they hold no attachment to their own bodies. Tuka says: their joy is in the joy of others, and this nectar pours from their mouths.
What it means
Tukaram is describing what a true saint actually is, and finds words too small for it, so he simply bows. He likens the saint to the philosopher's stone, which turns iron to gold without keeping any greatness for itself; the saint transforms others and takes no credit. Such beings take birth for the welfare of the world and spend their own bodies in service. Their entire wealth is compassion for every creature, with no clinging to themselves. The poem lands on this: the saint's own happiness lives inside the happiness of others, and that is the nectar their words give out.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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