The Name, the essence to hold
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
चारी वेद जयासाटीं । त्याचें नाम धरा कंठीं ॥1॥
अठरा पुराणांचे पोटीं । नामाविण नाहीं गोठी ॥2॥
गीता जेणें उपदेशिली। ते ही विटेवरी माउली ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे सार धरीं । वाचे हरिनाम उच्चारीं ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The four Vedas exist for His sake. Hold His Name on your lips. At the core of all eighteen Puranas, there is no talk apart from the Name. She who taught the Gita is the same Mother who stands on the brick. Says Tuka, hold fast to this essence and utter Hari's Name with your voice.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He for whose sake the four Vedas exist: hold his Name in your throat. In the belly of all eighteen Puranas there is no talk apart from the Name. The one who taught the Gita is the same Mother who stands on the brick. Tuka says: hold fast to the essence. With your tongue, say Hari's Name.
What it means
Tukaram gathers the whole weight of scripture and points it at one practice. The four Vedas exist for the Lord; the eighteen Puranas, at their core, speak of nothing but his Name; and the very one who spoke the Gita is the same Vitthal who stands waiting on the brick at Pandhari. He flattens the distance between the highest teaching and the simplest act. You do not need to master the texts; you need to do what the texts are for. So hold the essence and let the tongue speak Hari's Name.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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