The aspirant's discipline
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
साधकाची दशा उदास असावी । उपाधि नसावी अंतर्बाही ॥1॥
लोलुपता काय निद्रेतें जिणावें । भोजन करावें परमित ॥ध्रु.॥
एकांतीीं लोकांतीं िस्त्रयांशीं वचन । प्राण गेल्या जाण बोलों नये ॥2॥
संग सज्जनाचा उच्चार नामाचा । घोष कीर्तनाचा अहनिनशीं ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे ऐसा साधनीं जो राहे । तो चि ज्ञान लाहे गुरुकृपा ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The state of a spiritual aspirant should be one of detachment, free from entanglement both within and without. One must conquer greed for sleep and eat only in moderation. In solitude, in public, or with women, one should not speak freely even if it costs one's life. Keep the company of the good, let the Name be ever on your tongue, and let the sound of kirtan resound day and night. Says Tuka, one who remains steadfast in such practice is the one who attains true knowledge by the guru's grace.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The seeker's state should be one of detachment, with no entanglement inside or outside. Conquer the craving for sleep; eat only in measure. Alone, in company, or with women, do not speak loosely even if it costs your life. Keep the company of the good, let the Name be spoken, let the sound of kirtan ring out day and night. Tuka says: the one who holds steady in such practice, he alone gains true knowledge by the guru's grace.
What it means
Tukaram is laying out the plain discipline of a serious seeker, not lofty doctrine but daily conduct. Detachment within and without, mastery over sleep and appetite, and strict guard over the tongue, especially loose talk with women, which he says one should refuse even at the cost of life. The positive side is just as concrete: stay near good people, keep the Name on the lips, let kirtan sound around the clock. The closing line names the stakes: knowledge is not won by cleverness but by holding steady in this practice, and even then it comes as the guru's grace, not as a thing one seizes.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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