Union, the lesser becomes the greater
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अिग्नमाजी गेलें । अिग्न होऊन तें च ठेलें ॥1॥
काय उरलें तया पण । मागील तें नाम गुण ॥ध्रु.॥
लोह लागेपरिसा अंगीं । तो ही भूषण जाला जगीं ॥2॥
सरिता वोहळा ओघा। गंगे मिळोनि जाल्या गंगा ॥3॥
चंदनाच्या वासें । तरु चंदन जालेस्पर्शे॥4॥
तुका जडला संतां पायीं । दुजेपणा ठाव नाहीं॥5॥ ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Whatever enters fire becomes fire itself. What remains of its former name and nature? When iron touches the philosopher's stone, it too becomes an ornament to the world. When rivers and streams merge into the Ganga, they all become the Ganga. By the fragrance of sandalwood, the neighboring tree becomes sandalwood through mere contact. Says Tuka, having clung to the feet of the saints, there is no room left for any sense of separateness.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Whatever goes into the fire becomes fire. What is left of its old name? What is left of what it was before? When iron touches the touchstone, it too becomes an ornament in the world. When rivers and streams flow into the Ganga, they all become the Ganga. By the scent of the sandalwood, the tree beside it becomes sandalwood at a touch. Tuka says: I have held fast to the feet of the saints. There is no room left in me for being a separate self.
What it means
Tukaram strings together four pictures of one thing: contact that does not leave you what you were. Fire takes the wood, the touchstone takes the iron, the Ganga takes the streams, the sandal scent takes the neighboring tree, and in each case the lesser thing loses its old name and takes on the nature of the greater. Then he turns it on himself. Clinging to the feet of the saints is the same kind of contact: it does not improve the separate self, it dissolves it. The point of company with the holy, he is saying, is not to become a better Tuka but to have no leftover sense of being apart at all.
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