The Name, the fruitful birth
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
विठ्ठल कीर्तनाचे अंतीं । जय जय हरी जे ह्मणती॥1॥
बैसोनि हरिकथेसी । होय सावध चित्तासी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे त्याचा जन्म । सुफळ जाला भवक्रम ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Those who at the end of Vitthal's kirtan say 'Jai Jai Hari,' and those who sit attentively at hari-katha with a focused mind, Says Tuka, their birth has become fruitful and their cycle of worldly existence is complete.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Those who, at the end of Vitthal's kirtan, say 'Jai Jai Hari'; those who sit at hari-katha and keep their mind awake and attentive: Tuka says: their birth has borne fruit, and their round of worldly life is fulfilled.
What it means
Tukaram lowers the bar of salvation to the reach of an ordinary listener. He names two small acts: joining the cry of 'Jai Jai Hari' as the kirtan ends, and sitting through the telling of God's story with an awake, attentive mind. To these he attaches the largest possible reward, a birth made fruitful and the whole cycle of worldly existence brought to its completion. The point is that presence and attention at the singing are themselves the saving deed; nothing grander is required.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
More in this theme →