Nondual insight, the rope and the gold
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
रज्जु धरूनियां हातीं । भेडसाविलीं नेणतीं । कळों येतां चित्तीं । दोरी दोघां सारिखी ॥1॥
तुह्मांआह्मांमध्यें हरी । जाली होती तैसी परी । मृगजळाच्या पुरीं । ठाव पाहों तरावया ॥ध्रु.॥
सरी चिताक भोंवरी । अळंकाराचिया परी । नामें जालीं दुरी । एक सोनें आटितां ॥2॥
पिसांचीं पारवीं । करोनि बाजागिरी दावी । तुका ह्मणे तेवीं । मज नको चाळवूं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Holding a rope in hand, the ignorant were frightened; once recognized, the rope appears the same to both. Between You and us, O Hari, the same thing happened: we searched for a place to stand in the flood of a mirage. A chain, a necklace, a bracelet, a ring: ornaments are many in name, but when melted down, only one gold remains. A juggler makes pigeons dance with strings and calls it a show. Says Tuka, do not beguile me in that fashion.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Holding a rope in hand, the ignorant were frightened; once it is seen for what it is, the rope looks the same to both. Between You and us, O Hari, the same thing happened: we were looking for a place to stand in a flood of mirage water. A chain, a brooch, a bracelet, a ring: ornaments have many names, but melt them down and only one gold is left. A juggler makes pigeons dance on strings and calls it a show. Tuka says: do not fool me like that.
What it means
Tukaram uses three classic images of mistaken seeing. The rope feared as a snake stops frightening once it is recognized, and then it looks the same to everyone. The mirage offered no real ground to stand on, yet they kept searching the flood for footing. The ornaments make the deepest point: many names and shapes, but melted down, one single gold, just as the seeming separation between God and devotee dissolves into one. Then he turns sharp. The juggler dangling pigeons on strings is a staged trick, and he tells Hari plainly: do not put on that show for me. He wants the recognition, not the illusion.
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