The Name, the free treasure
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
फुकाचें तें लुटा सार । व्हा रे अमर सदैव ॥1॥
नाहीं गर्भवास पुढती । डोंगर जळती दोषांचे ॥ध्रु.॥
उदंड भावें उदंड घ्यावें । नाम गावें आवडी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे घरिच्या घरीं । देशा उरीं न सीणीजे ॥3॥ ॥15॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Loot this free treasure, the essence of all. Become immortal forever. There will be no more birth in the womb; mountains of sin will burn to ash. Take abundantly, with abundant devotion; sing the Name with love. Says Tuka, right here in your own home, without tiring yourself wandering to distant lands.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Loot this free treasure, the heart of everything. Become deathless, for all time. There is no more birth in the womb ahead of you; the mountains of your sins burn to ash. Take of it abundantly, with abundant love; sing the name with longing. Tuka says: right here, at home in your own house, with no wearing yourself out wandering to far countries.
What it means
Tukaram throws open a treasury and tells the listener to plunder it, because it costs nothing and is the essence of all. He names what is gained: deathlessness, the end of rebirth, sins burned away like mountains turned to ash. The instruction is simple and large at once: take much, love much, sing with longing. And the last line removes the final excuse: no pilgrimage to distant lands is required. The whole treasure is reachable at home, on your own lips.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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