The saints, where sorrow cannot live
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
लवविलें तया सवेें लवे जाती । अभिमाना हातीं सांपडेना ॥1॥
भोिळवेचें लेणें विष्णुदासां साजे । तेथें भाव दुजे हारपती ॥ध्रु.॥
अर्चन वंदन नवविधा भक्ति । दया क्षमा शांति ठायीं ॥2॥
तये गांवीं नाहीं दुःखाची वसती । अवघा चि भूतीं नारायण ॥3॥
अव घें चि जालें सोंवळें ब्रह्मांड । विटाळाचें तोंड न देखती ॥4॥
तुका ह्मणे गाजे वैकुंठीं सोहळा । याही भूमंडळामाजी कीतिन ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Those who bow, everything bows with them; pride cannot catch hold of them. The ornament of innocence suits the servants of Vishnu; there, duality and all other sentiments vanish. Worship, prostration, the ninefold forms of devotion, compassion, forgiveness, and peace all dwell in that place. In that land, there is no dwelling for sorrow; Narayana is seen in all beings. The entire universe has become pure; the face of pollution is never seen. Says Tuka, the celebration resounds in Vaikuntha, and its fame fills this earthly world as well.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The one who bows, everything bows along with him; pride cannot get hold of him. The ornament of innocence suits the servants of Vishnu; there all other feelings vanish. Worship, bowing, the nine kinds of devotion, mercy, forgiveness, peace: all live in that place. In that town sorrow has no home; in every creature, only Narayana. The whole universe has turned pure; they never see the face of defilement. Tuka says: the festival resounds in Vaikuntha, and its fame fills this earth too.
What it means
Tukaram describes the inner country of the true devotee. The one who truly bows finds that everything bows with him, and pride can no longer take hold; the simple ornament that suits Vishnu's servant is innocence, and in it all rival feelings dissolve. He lists what fills this place instead: worship, prostration, the ninefold devotion, and the moral fruits of mercy, forgiveness, and peace. Because the devotee sees only Narayana in every creature, sorrow can find no house there and defilement never shows its face; the whole universe has gone pure. Such a life, Tuka says, sets a festival ringing in Vaikuntha, and its fame spreads across this earth as well.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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