Saints, the company that ferries me across
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
हरिभक्त माझे जिवलग सोइरे । हृदयीं पाउले धरिन त्यांचे ॥1॥
अंतकाळीं येती माझ्या सोडवणे । मस्तक बैसणें देइन त्यांसी ॥ध्रु.॥
आणिक सोइरे सज्जन वो कोणी । वैष्णवांवांचोनि नाहीं मज ॥2॥
देइन आिंळगण धरीन चरण । संवसारसीण नासे तेणें ॥3॥
कंठीं तुळशीमाळा नामाचे धारक । ते माझे तारक भवनदीचे ॥4॥
तयांचे चरणीं घालीन मी मिठी । चाड हे वैकुंठीं नाहीं मज ॥5॥
अळसें दंभें भावें हरिचें नाम गाती । ते माझे सांगाती परलोकींचे ॥6॥
हरिचें नाम मज म्हणविती कोणी । तया सुखा धणी धणी वरी ॥8॥
तुका ह्मणे तया उपकारें बांधलों। ह्मणऊनि आलों शरण संतां ॥9॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The devotees of Hari are the dear kinsmen of my soul. I shall hold their feet within my heart. At the final hour, they will come to deliver me; I shall offer them the seat upon my head. I have no other relatives or well-wishers besides the Vaishnavas. I shall embrace them and clasp their feet; by that, the fatigue of worldly life will vanish. Those who wear the tulsi garland at their throats and bear the name of Hari, they are my ferrymen across this river of mortal existence. At their feet I shall cling fast; I have no desire even for Vaikuntha. Those who sing Hari's name, whether out of laziness, pretense, or genuine feeling, they are my companions for the world beyond. If anyone makes me utter Hari's name, to that joy there is no limit at all. Says Tuka, I am bound by their kindness, and therefore I have come to take refuge with the saints.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The devotees of Hari are the dear kin of my soul. I will hold their feet inside my heart. At the last hour they will come to set me free. I will give them the seat upon my head. I have no other relatives or well-wishers but the Vaishnavas. I will embrace them and clasp their feet, and by that the weariness of worldly life will vanish. Those who wear the tulsi garland at the throat and carry the name of Hari, they are my ferrymen across this river of birth and death. At their feet I will cling fast. I have no desire even for Vaikuntha. Whether they sing Hari's name from laziness, from pretense, or from real feeling, they are my companions for the world beyond. If anyone makes me speak Hari's name, that joy has no limit at all. Tuka says: I am bound by their kindness, and so I have come to take refuge with the saints.
What it means
Tukaram declares that his only true family is the company of Hari's devotees, closer than any blood relative. He honors them past all measure, holding their feet in his heart and on his head, because they are the ones who will come at his death and ferry him over the river of birth and death. The startling line is that he wants their feet more than he wants heaven itself: even Vaikuntha holds no pull next to their company. He goes further still, saying that whoever sings the Name counts as his companion no matter the motive, and that anyone who simply gets him to speak the Name gives him boundless joy. Bound by such kindness, he takes refuge in the saints rather than in any reward.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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