Self-portrait, the holy madman
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
तुका वेडा अविचार । करी बडबड फार ॥1॥
नित्य वाचे हा चि छंद । राम कृष्ण हरि गोविंद ॥ध्रु.॥
धरी पांडुरंगीं भाव। आणीक नेणें दुजा देव ॥2॥
गुरुज्ञान सर्वा ठायीं । दुजें न विचारी कांहीं ॥3॥
बोल नाईके कोणाचे । कथे नागवा चि नाचे॥4॥
संगउपचारें कांटाळे । सुखें भलते ठायीं लोळे ॥5॥
कांहीं उपदेशिलें नेणे । वाचे विठ्ठल विठ्ठल ह्मणे ॥6॥
केला बहुतीं फजित । तरी हें चि करी नित्य ॥7॥
अहो पंडितजन । तुका टाकावा थुंकोन ॥8॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Tuka is a madman of indiscretion, babbling on and on. This is the one constant refrain upon his tongue: Rama, Krishna, Hari, Govinda. He fixes his devotion solely on Panduranga, knowing no other god. Through the guru's knowledge he sees the One in all places and considers nothing else. He listens to no one's counsel and dances naked at the kirtan. He recoils from worldly comforts and rolls happily in any place at all. No teaching reaches him; his mouth utters only Vitthal, Vitthal. Though many have tried to shame him, he does the same thing day after day. O learned scholars, says Tuka, spit on me and cast me out.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Tuka is a mad fool. He babbles on and on. One refrain is always on his tongue: Rama, Krishna, Hari, Govinda. He holds his love on Panduranga. He knows no other god. By the guru's knowledge he sees the One everywhere. He weighs nothing else. He listens to no one's advice. He dances naked at the kirtan. He shrinks from comforts. He rolls happily on any ground. No teaching reaches him. His mouth only says Vitthal, Vitthal. Many have shamed him. Still he does the same thing every day. Tuka says: O learned scholars, spit on me and throw me away.
What it means
Tukaram describes himself through the eyes of the respectable world and refuses to defend the picture. By their measure he is a mad babbler who fixes on one God, follows no counsel, dances without shame, despises comfort, and repeats one Name no matter how often he is corrected. The point is that every trait the scholars count as madness is exactly his devotion working: single-minded love, the guru's vision of the One in all, indifference to status. When he invites the learned to spit on him and cast him out, the satire turns on them: their contempt is the proof he is free of the thing they cannot let go of, the need to be respected.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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