Ecstasy, the treasure found at home
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आतां चुकलें बंधन गेलें विसरोनि दान । आपुले ते वाण सावकाश विकावे ॥1॥
लाभ जोडला अनंत घरीं सांपडलें वित्त । हातोहातीं थीत उरों तळ नल्हाचि ॥ध्रु.॥
होतें गोविलें विसारें माप जालें एकसरें । होतें होरें वारें तों चि लाहो साधिला॥2॥
कराया जतन तुका ह्मणे निजधन । केला नारायण साहए नेदी विसंबों ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Now bondage is broken and the thought of giving and receiving is forgotten. Let me sell my own wares at leisure. An infinite profit has been gained; the treasure has been found within one's own house. It is immediately in hand, an unfathomable depth that never runs dry. There was confusion and delay before, but the measure has now been settled all at once. While there was still wind in the sails, the gain was secured. Says Tuka, to safeguard this inner treasure, I have made Narayana my helper; He does not let me forget even for a moment.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Now bondage is broken. The thought of giving and taking is forgotten. Let me sell my own goods at my leisure. The profit gained is endless. The treasure was found inside my own house. It is in my hand at once, a depth without a bottom that never runs dry. Before there was confusion and delay; now the measure is settled all at once. While there was still wind, I caught it and secured the gain. Tuka says: to guard this inner wealth I have made Narayana my helper. He does not let me forget it even for a moment.
What it means
Tukaram describes the moment the spiritual account closes in his favor. The old bargaining of the world, what he owes and what he is owed, simply drops away once bondage breaks. The treasure turns out to have been inside his own house all along, not earned abroad but discovered within, and it is bottomless and instant. He uses a merchant's image: there was a long delay before, but the deal was sealed at once while the wind still blew, so the chance was not missed. The point of the closing line is that this wealth needs guarding, and the guard he has appointed is Narayana himself, who keeps him from ever forgetting what he has found.
Ecstasy and Joy
Triumphant happiness: poems written from the far side of the struggle.
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