Freedom from opinion, the Name is enough
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
काय माझें नेती वाईट ह्मणोन । करूं समाधान कशासाटीं ॥1॥
काय मज लोक नेती परलोका । जातां कोणा एका निवारेल ॥ध्रु.॥
न ह्मणें कोणासी उत्तम वाईट । सुखें माझी कूट खावो मागें ॥2॥
सर्व माझा भार असे पांडुरंगा । काय माझें जगासवें काज ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे माझें सर्व ही साधन । नामसंकीर्त्तन विठोबाचें ॥4॥
देवांनीं स्वामींस चिंचवडास नेलें होतें ते अभंग, आरत्या ॥ 13 ॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
What will people take from me by calling me wicked? Why should I seek anyone's approval? People cannot take me to the afterlife; when the time comes, no one can prevent my going. I call no one good or bad; let them freely criticize me behind my back. My entire burden rests upon Panduranga; what business have I with the world? Says Tuka, my one and only practice is the chanting of Vithoba's Name.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
What can people take from me by calling me wicked? Why should I seek anyone's approval? People cannot carry me to the next world. When the time comes, no one can stop my going. I call no one good or bad. Let them gladly chew over me behind my back. My whole burden rests on Panduranga. What business have I with the world? Tuka says: my one practice is the singing of Vithoba's Name.
What it means
Tukaram is loosening the grip that other people's verdicts have on him. Their praise or blame changes nothing real: they cannot escort him to the next world, nor hold back his death when it comes, so courting their approval is pointless. He drops the habit of ranking people good or bad and lets them gossip about him freely, refusing to be wounded by it. The reason he can let go is that he has handed his whole weight to Panduranga; with that one refuge and the chanting of the Name as his sole practice, the world's opinion simply has no claim on him.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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