Moral counsel, a cool and forgiving heart
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
चित्ता ऐसी नको देऊं आठवण । जेणें देवाचे चरण अंतरे तें ॥1॥
आलिया वचनें रामनामध्वनि । ऐकावीं कानीं ऐसीं गोडें ॥ध्रु.॥
मत्सराचा ठाव शरीरीं नसावा । लाभेंविण जीवा दुःख देतो ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे राहे अंतर शीतळ । शांतीचें तें बळ क्षमा अंगीं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Do not give the mind such memories as would distance it from God's feet. When words of Rama's name resound, let the ears drink in their sweetness. Let no envy dwell in the body; without gain it only brings suffering to the jiva. Says Tuka, let the chitta remain cool within. The strength of peace lies in bearing forgiveness in every limb.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Do not feed the mind such memories as would carry it away from God's feet. When words come and the sound of Rama's name rises, let the ears drink in that sweetness. Let no envy find a place in the body; it gives the jiva pain for no gain at all. Tuka says: keep the heart cool within. The strength of peace is forgiveness held in every limb.
What it means
Tukaram lays out the inner discipline that keeps a person near God. He warns against letting the mind dwell on whatever pulls it from God's feet, and tells it instead to feast on the sweetness of Rama's name whenever it sounds. He singles out envy as the poison to refuse: it only brings the soul suffering and yields nothing in return. The close turns from warning to the positive ideal, a heart kept cool inside, where the real strength of peace shows itself as forgiveness carried in the whole body.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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