Confession, the mind out of control
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कैंचा मज धीर । कोठें बुिद्ध माझी िस्थर ॥1॥
जें या मनासी आवरूं । आंत पोटीं वाव धरूं ॥ध्रु.॥
कैंची शुद्ध मति। भांडवल ऐसें हातीं ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे कोण दशा आली सांगा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Where is my patience? Where is the steadiness of my intellect? I try to restrain this mind, to hold some space within. Where is the pure wisdom, the capital I might rely on? Says Tuka, what condition has befallen me? Tell me.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Where will I find patience? Where is my intellect steady? I try to hold this mind in, to keep a little space inside. Where is the clean understanding, the capital I could rely on? Tuka says: tell me, what state have I fallen into?
What it means
Tukaram turns the searching inward and admits he has nothing of his own to stand on. He cannot find patience or a steady mind; every attempt to restrain his thoughts and keep some inner room fails. He looks for clear wisdom as a merchant looks for capital and finds his hands empty. The last line is a bare cry for help: tell me what has become of me. This is the honest underside of all the bold threats, the confession that the seeker is helpless and disordered without God's grace.
Confession and Sin
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