The Name, the easy way
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
सरळीं हीं नामें उच्चारावीं सदा । हरि बा गोविंदा रामकृष्णा ॥1॥
पुण्य पर्वकाळ तीथॉ ही सकळ । कथा सिंधुजळ न्हाऊं येती ॥ध्रु.॥
अवघे चि लाभ बैसलिया घरा । येती भाव धरा एके ठायीं ॥2॥
सेळ्या मेंढएा गाई सेवा घेती ह्मैसी । कामधेनु तैसी नव्हे एक ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे सुखें पाविजे अनंता । हें वर्म जाणतां सुलभ चि ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Utter these simple names always: Hari, Govinda, Rama, Krishna. All merit, all holy seasons, all pilgrimages come to bathe in the ocean-waters of katha. Sitting at home, every gain will come to you. Hold your bhava firmly in one place. Sheep, cows, and buffalo may give their service, but not one of them is like the wish-fulfilling Kamadhenu. Says Tuka, Ananta is easily reached by those who know this vital point.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Utter these simple names always: Hari, Govinda, Rama, Krishna. All merit, all holy seasons, all pilgrimages come to bathe in the ocean of katha. Sit at home, and every gain comes to you. Hold your bhava firmly in one place. Sheep and cows and buffalo give their service too, but not one of them is the wish-fulfilling Kamadhenu. Tuka says: Ananta is reached with ease by those who know this one vital point.
What it means
Tukaram names the whole spiritual economy and then collapses it into a single act. Merit, sacred calendars, and far pilgrimages are not chased; they come and bathe in the ocean of Hari's story, so the seeker can stay home and still receive everything, provided the heart is held steady in one place. The contrast of common animals with the Kamadhenu makes the point about quality: many practices yield some service, but only the Name yields whatever you wish. The vital point he wants understood is that God is not won by exertion across the world but by these plain names spoken always.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
More in this theme →