Praise of Pundalik, the open treasury
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अवघे चुकविले सायास । तप रासी जीवा नास॥1॥
जीव देऊनियां बळी । अवघीं तारिलीं दुर्बळीं । केला भूमंडळीं । माजी थोर पवाडा ॥ध्रु.॥
कांहीं न मगे याची गती । लुटवितो जगा हातीं ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे भक्तराजा । कोण वर्णी पार तुझा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Pundalik spared everyone all efforts, the penances and mortifications that destroy the jiva. By offering his own life in sacrifice, he delivered all the weak and helpless; he performed the greatest deed on this earth. He asks for nothing in return; he lets the whole world plunder the treasure freely. Says Tuka, O prince of devotees, who can measure your greatness?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He spared everyone all the toil, the heaps of penance that wear the soul to nothing. Offering his own life as the price, he carried across all the weak and helpless. On this whole earth he performed the greatest deed. He asks nothing back; he lets the world plunder the wealth from his hands. Tuka says: O prince of devotees, who can speak the limit of you?
What it means
Tukaram honors Pundalik for opening a way to God that costs the seeker nothing. The old road was penance and mortification, austerities that grind the soul down; Pundalik spared everyone that toil by paying the price himself. Tukaram pictures him handing out the treasure freely, asking nothing in return, letting the whole world plunder it. The point is that grace is now available without earning, and the saint who made it so is beyond measuring.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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