Exhortation, do the imperishable thing
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ऐसें कां हो न करा कांहीं । पुढें नाहीं नास ज्या ॥1॥
विश्वंभरा शरणागत । भूतजात वंदूनि ॥ध्रु.॥
श्रुतीचें कां नेघा फळ। सारमूळ जाणोनि ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे पुढें कांहीं । वाट नाहीं यावरी॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Why do you not do something that will never perish? Bow before all beings and take refuge in the Lord of the Universe. Why not take the fruit of the scriptures, knowing their very root and essence? Says Tuka, beyond this point there is no further path to walk.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Why will you not do the one thing that never perishes? Bow before all beings; take refuge in Vishwambhara, who holds the universe. Why not take the fruit of the scriptures, once you know their root and essence? Tuka says: beyond this there is no further road to walk.
What it means
Tukaram presses a single question: why spend yourself on things that decay when one imperishable act is available? That act is to take refuge in Vishwambhara, the sustainer of all, and to bow before every creature as His. He says the scriptures themselves, boiled down to their root, point to exactly this fruit, so there is no excuse of not knowing. The closing line shuts the door on alternatives: past this point there is no other path; this is where every road ends.
Appeals and Exhortations
Direct calls to action: wake up, seek God, do not waste this human birth.
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