The Name, then the sting of pride
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
एका गावें आह्मीं विठोबाचे नाम । आणिकांपें काम नाहीं आतां ॥1॥
मोडूनियां वाटा सूक्षम सगर । केला राज्यभार चाले ऐसा ॥ध्रु.॥
लावूनि मृदांग टाळश्रुतिघोष । सेवूं ब्रह्मरस आवडीनें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे महापातकी पतित । ऐसियांचे हित हेळामात्रें ॥3॥
ह्मणोनि पंढरिराया दुखी होतें मन । अंतरींचे कोण जाणे माझें ॥ध्रु.॥
पूज्य जालों अंगा आला अभिमान । पुढील कारण खोळंबलें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे खूण न कळे चि निरुती। सांपडलों हातीं अहंकाराचे ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
We have taken up the single pursuit of Vitthoba's name; we have no business with anyone else now. Breaking off all the side-paths, we have built a royal highway that runs smooth and straight. With drums and cymbals and the chorus of sacred chanting, we relish the nectar of Brahman with deep love. Says Tuka, even the greatest wrongdoers and the most fallen find their welfare in a single moment of this. Yet, O King of Pandhari, my heart still grieves; who knows the secret ache inside me? I became honored and pride crept into my limbs, and the onward journey stalled. Says Tuka, the true sign eludes me still; I have fallen into the grip of ego.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
We have taken up one pursuit only, the name of Vithoba; we have no business with anyone else now. We broke off all the side-paths and built a royal highway that runs straight and smooth. With drum and cymbal and the chorus of sacred song, we drink the nectar of Brahman with love. Tuka says: even the worst sinners, the most fallen, find their good in one moment of this. And yet, King of Pandhari, my heart still grieves; who knows the ache inside me? I became honored, pride crept into me, and the road ahead has stalled. Tuka says: the true sign still escapes me; I have fallen into the grip of ego.
What it means
The poem begins as a victory song of the Name and ends as a confession. Tukaram says they have given themselves to Vithoba's name alone, closing every side-path and building one straight royal road, walking it with drum, cymbal and chant, tasting Brahman as nectar, a path so powerful that even the worst sinner is saved in a single moment of it. Then the song turns inward and dark. Despite all this, his heart grieves over a secret wound: being honored by people has bred pride in him, and that pride has stalled the very journey he was praising. He names the trap exactly, the spiritual progress itself became an occasion for ego, and the true mark of the goal now eludes the man who sang it so confidently.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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