Saints, the place where God lives
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
संतसंगें याचा वास सर्वकाळ । संचला सकळ मूतिनमंत ॥1॥
घालूनियां काळ अवघा बाहेरी । त्यासी च अंतरीं वास दिला ॥ध्रु.॥
आपुलेसें जिंहीं नाहीं उरों दिलें । चोजवितां भलें ऐसीं स्थळें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे नाही झांकत परिमळ । चंदनाचें स्थळ चंदन चि ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Through the company of saints, He dwells there at all times, fully embodied and present. Time itself has been banished outward, and He alone is given residence within. Those who have not kept anything as their own, such are the wondrous places to behold. Says Tuka, fragrance cannot be concealed; the place of sandalwood is always sandalwood.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
In the company of saints, He lives there always. He is wholly present, with form. Time is shut out, sent away. To Him alone they give a home inside. They have not kept anything as their own. Look, and you see: these are the good places. Tuka says: fragrance cannot be hidden. The place of sandalwood is sandalwood itself.
What it means
Tukaram is saying where God can actually be found: in the company of the saints, where He dwells at all times, fully present. He pictures these saints as people who have pushed time itself outside and given their whole inner room to God alone. What makes that possible is that they have kept nothing back as their own. The closing image makes the point unanswerable: just as a place full of sandalwood cannot hide its fragrance, a heart emptied for God cannot hide His presence.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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