Exhortation, the right path home
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
सारावीं लिगाडें धरावा सुपंथ । जावें उसंतीत हळूहळू ॥1॥
पुढें जातियाचे उमटले माग । भांबावलें जग आडरानें ॥ध्रु.॥
वेचल्याचा पाहे वरावरि झाडा । बळाचा निधडा पुढिलिया ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे जैसी दाखवावी वाणी । ते द्यावी भरोनी शेवट तों ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Settle your accounts, choose the right path, and proceed slowly and steadily. The tracks of those who went ahead are visible; the world has lost its way in the wilderness. Check the balance of what has been spent along the way; be bold on behalf of those who went before. Says Tuka, whatever promise your tongue has spoken, honor it through to the very end.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Settle your tangled accounts, take the right road, and go slowly and steadily. The tracks of those who went ahead are clear; the world has lost its way in the wilderness. Check the balance of what you have spent along the road; be firm and strong for the sake of those ahead. Tuka says: whatever your tongue has promised, fill it up and honor it through to the very end.
What it means
Tukaram speaks like a guide on a long journey. First clear away your entanglements, find the right path, and travel it patiently rather than in a rush. The saints who went before have left visible tracks to follow, while the rest of the world strays lost in trackless country. Keep checking your accounts, what you have spent and what remains, and stay strong on behalf of those still on the road. Above all, keep your word: whatever you have vowed, carry it through to the end without falling short.
Appeals and Exhortations
Direct calls to action: wake up, seek God, do not waste this human birth.
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