Renunciation, the grace of the saints
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नव्हें कांहीं कवणाचा । भाव जाणवला साचा ॥1॥
ह्मणोनि तुझ्या पायीं । जीव ठेविला निश्चयीं ॥ध्रु.॥
शरीर जायाचें कोंपट । याची काय खटपट ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे वांयांविण । देवा कळों आला सीण ॥3॥
काय सांगू आता संताचे उपकार। मज निरंतर जागविसी।।1।।
काय दयावे त्यासी व्हावे उतराई। ठेवीना हापायी जीव थोडा।।धृ़़।।
सहज बोलणे हीत उपदेश। करुनी सायास शिकवीती।।2।।
तुका म्हणे वत्स धेनू वेद चित्ती। तैसे मज येती सांभाळीती।।3।।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Nothing of anyone's proved to be true; the real nature of things has revealed itself. Therefore I have placed my life at Your feet with firm resolve. The body is a cage that belongs to death; why fuss over it? Says Tuka, the futile weariness of it all has become clear, O God. How can I describe the saints' grace upon me? They keep me awake at every moment. How can I repay them and become free of obligation? Even if I lay down my small life at their feet, it is not enough. Their simple speech is itself teaching and guidance; they take pains to instruct me. Says Tuka, like a cow tending her calf with the Vedas in her chitta, so do the saints look after me and protect me.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Nothing of anyone's turned out to be true; the real nature of things has shown itself to me. So I have placed my life at Your feet for good. The body is a hut that belongs to death; why fuss over it? Tuka says: the useless weariness of it all has become clear, O God. How can I tell of the saints' kindness to me? They keep me awake at every moment. How can I repay them and be free of debt? Even laying down my small life at their feet is not enough. Their plain speech is itself teaching and guidance; they take pains to instruct me. Tuka says: as a cow tends her calf with the Vedas in her heart, so the saints look after me and protect me.
What it means
Tukaram has seen through the world: nothing that belongs to anyone proved real, and the body is only a hut already promised to death, not worth fussing over. Seeing this, he lays his whole life at God's feet once and for all and lets go of futile striving. The poem then turns to the saints, whose constant grace keeps him awake and watchful. He feels a debt to them he can never repay; even offering his life would not settle it. Their ordinary speech is itself instruction, and they tend him as a cow tends her calf, watchful and protective, with the Vedas held in the heart.
Renunciation
The case for letting go of worldly attachments and turning wholly to God.
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