The grain known at once, no toil
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नाहीं घाटावें लागत । एका सितें कळें भात ॥1॥
क्षीर निवडितें पाणी । चोंची हंसाचिये आणी ॥ध्रु.॥
आंगडें फाडुनि घोंगडें करी । अवकळा तये परी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे कण । भुसीं निवडे कैंचा सीण ॥3॥
स्वामीचें अभंगींचें नांव काढून सालोमालो आपलें नांव घालीत त्यावर अभंग ॥ 8 ॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
There is nothing to prepare; a single grain shows the quality of the rice. The swan sifts milk from water with its beak alone. Tearing a fine cloth to make a coarse blanket brings only ruin. Says Tuka, the grain separates from the chaff without any toil.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
There is nothing to prepare. One grain shows the quality of the whole rice. The swan separates milk from water with its beak alone. Tear a fine garment to make a coarse blanket, and you only ruin it. Tuka says: the grain falls clear of the chaff. Where is the labor in that?
What it means
Tukaram says true worth shows itself plainly, with no effort and no faking. One grain tells you what the whole pot of rice is; the swan, by old image, draws milk out of water using only its beak. To shred something fine into something coarse is pure waste. The closing line ties it off: the good grain comes free of the husk on its own. Genuine quality declares itself and cannot be manufactured by struggle, and this sets up his attack on those who steal others' words to seem worthy.
Worldly Metaphors
Poems using images from games, occupations, and daily life as spiritual teaching.
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