Surrender to the saints, the dust of their feet
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आज्ञा पाळुनियां असें एकसरें । तुमचीं उत्तरें संतांचीं हीं ॥1॥
भागवूनि देह ठेवियेला पायीं । चरणावरि डोई येथुनें चि॥ध्रु.॥
येणें जाणें हें तों उपाधीचे मूळ । पूजा ते सकळ अकर्तव्य ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे असें चरणींचा रज । पदीं च सहज जेथें तेथें ॥3॥ ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I abide steadfastly by your commands, O saints. I have surrendered this body at Your feet, keeping my head upon Your feet from this place onward. Coming and going is the root of worldly entanglement; all worship beyond this is unnecessary action. Says Tuka, I am the dust of Your feet, naturally present wherever I may be.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I keep your commands, holy ones, every one of them; your words are the saints' words to me. I have worn out this body at your feet, my head on your feet from here onward. Coming and going is the root of all entanglement; every worship beyond this is needless doing. Tuka says: I am the dust of your feet, present at your feet wherever I am.
What it means
Tukaram makes the saints' word his whole law and lays his body at their feet as the one act that matters. He calls coming and going, the restless movement of a self that keeps wandering, the very root of worldly bondage, and so dismisses elaborate worship as needless effort once surrender is complete. What he asks instead is the smallest place possible: to be the dust of their feet. By saying he is present at their feet wherever he is, he claims that this surrender is not tied to a spot but is carried in him everywhere. The spareness is the point; one resting place replaces all the doing.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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