The Name in Kali, God beckons
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अवघ्या वाटा झाल्या क्षीण कळीं न घडे साधन । उचित विधि विधान न कळे न घडे सर्वथा ॥1॥
भक्तिपंथ बहु सोपा पुण्य नागवया पापा । येणें जाणें खेपा येणें चि एक खंडती॥ध्रु.॥
उभारोनि बाहे विठो पालवीत आहे । दासां मी चि साहे मुखें बोले आपुल्या ॥2॥
भाविक विश्वासी पार उतरिलें त्यांसी । तुका ह्मणे नासी कुतक्यानचे कपाळीं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
In this age of Kali, all other paths have become exhausted; proper rites and rituals can neither be known nor performed. The path of devotion is exceedingly simple, the sure way to overcome sin by merit. By this alone, the cycles of birth and death are ended. Vitthal stands with arms raised, beckoning His people, saying with His own mouth, 'I Myself will bear My devotees' burdens.' The faithful and trusting have been ferried across. Says Tuka, destruction falls upon the heads of the cynics.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
All the other roads have run thin. In this age of Kali no practice succeeds. The proper rites and rules cannot be known and cannot be done at all. The path of devotion is very easy, the sure way to overcome sin by merit. By this alone the comings and goings, the births and deaths, are cut off. Vitho stands with His arms raised, beckoning. He says with His own mouth, 'I Myself bear up My servants.' The faithful, the trusting, He has carried across. Tuka says: ruin falls on the head of the cynic.
What it means
Tukaram argues that the older religious roads have worn out in the present dark age, when the elaborate rites can no longer even be learned correctly, let alone performed. Against that, the path of devotion is deliberately easy and within reach, and it alone can break the cycle of birth and death. He pictures Vitthal not as distant but as actively waving His people in, arms open, promising in His own voice to carry His servants Himself. Those who simply trust have already been ferried across the flood of existence. The blunt closing warning is the other side of that mercy: the one who meets this open invitation with cynicism brings ruin on his own head, having refused the one hand reaching out.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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