The Name, the seed-mantra that costs nothing
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
प्राणियां एक बीजमंत्र उच्चारीं । प्रतिदिनीं रामकृष्ण ह्मण कां मुरारि ॥1॥
हें चि साधन रे तुज सर्व सिद्धींचे । नाम उच्चारीं पां गोपाळाचें वाचे ॥ध्रु.॥
उपास पारणें न लगे वनसेवन। न लगे धूम्रपान पंचाअग्नतापन ॥2॥
फुकाचें सुखाचें कांहीं न वेचें भांडार । कोटी यज्ञां परिस तुका ह्मणे हें सार ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
O beings, chant this one seed-mantra: every day say Rama, Krishna, Murari. This alone is the means to all perfections. Let your mouth utter the name of Gopala. No fasting or feasting is needed, no retreat to forests, no burning of sacred fires, no five-fire penance. This treasure is free and joyful, and costs nothing at all. Says Tuka, it surpasses tens of millions of sacrifices; this is the essence.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
O living beings, say this one seed-mantra. Every day say Rama, Krishna, Murari. This alone is the means to every perfection. Let your mouth speak the name of Gopala. You need no fasting, no breaking of fasts; no going off to the forest; no breathing of smoke; no penance among five fires. This treasure is free and full of joy; it costs you nothing. Tuka says: it surpasses ten million sacrifices. This is the heart of it.
What it means
Tukaram puts the whole apparatus of religion on one side and a single name on the other. He lists the hard disciplines, fasting and feasting, forest retreat, smoke and the five-fire penance, and waves them all away as unnecessary. Against them he sets the bare repetition of Rama, Krishna, Murari, Gopala, which he says reaches every perfection. The selling point is the price: this means is free, joyful, and open to anyone with a mouth, while the costly sacrifices it outstrips are not. He calls it the essence, the one thing that need not be earned.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
More in this theme →