Mythology, pride must be broken
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ब्रह्मज्ञान तरी एके दिवसीं कळे । तात्काळ हा गळे अभिमान ॥1॥
अभिमान लागे शुकाचिये पाठी । व्यासें उपराटी दृष्टी केली ॥ध्रु.॥
जनकभेटीसी पाठविला तेणें । अभिमान नाणें खोटें केलें ॥2॥
खोटें करूनियां लाविला अभ्यासीं । मेरुशिखरासी शुक गेला ॥3॥
जाऊनियां तेणें साधिली समाधी । तुका ह्मणे तधीं होतों आह्मी ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The knowledge of Brahman may dawn in a single day, and at once pride dissolves. Yet pride clung even to Shuka's back, so Vyasa turned his gaze upon him differently. Vyasa sent Shuka to meet King Janaka, and thereby rendered that counterfeit pride worthless. Having exposed it, Vyasa set Shuka to practice, and Shuka ascended to the peak of Mount Meru. Going there, Shuka attained samadhi. Says Tuka, we too were present at that time.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The knowledge of Brahman can dawn in a single day, and at once pride dissolves. Yet pride still clung to Shuka. So Vyasa turned his gaze upon him another way. Vyasa sent Shuka to meet King Janaka, and so made that counterfeit pride worthless. Having exposed it, Vyasa set Shuka to practice. Shuka climbed to the peak of Mount Meru. Going there, Shuka attained samadhi. Tuka says: we too were present then.
What it means
Tukaram uses the old story of Vyasa and his son Shuka to make one point about realization and pride. Even when the knowledge of Brahman dawns, a subtle pride in having it can remain, and it remained in Shuka. The father does not argue; he sends the son to King Janaka, who shows him that his attainment is counterfeit while pride is still in it. Only after that exposure is the real practice begun, ending in Shuka's samadhi on Mount Meru. The closing line, that Tuka too was present then, claims this is not distant history but his own lived ground; the lesson is that pride must be emptied before the knowing is true.
Sacred Stories
Abhangas drawing on mythological narratives to illuminate spiritual truths.
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