Metaphor, the slip caught in time
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नेसणें आलें होतें गळ्या । लोक रळ्या करिती॥1॥
आपणियां सावरिलें । जग भलें आपण ॥ध्रु.॥
संबंध तो तुटला येणें । जागेपणें चेष्टाचा ॥2॥
भलती सेवा होती अंगें । बारस वेगें पडिलें ॥3॥
सावरिलें नीट वोजा । दृिष्टलाजा पुढिलांच्या ॥4॥
बरे उघडिले डोळे । हळहळेपासूनि ॥5॥
तुका ह्मणे विटंबना । नारायणा चुकली ॥6॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The cloth had slipped and was about to fall; the people were watching in amusement. But the one who adjusted it in time sees the world as good and himself as whole. Through this alert wakefulness the link to careless behavior was broken. Whatever service the body was performing, the awareness fell into place swiftly. Everything was straightened out properly under the gaze of those watching. Fortunate that the eyes opened from that state of distress. Says Tuka, the disgrace before Narayana has been averted.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The cloth had come loose and was about to fall, and the people were watching, enjoying it. But the one who set it right in time sees the world as good and himself as whole. By this waking alertness, the tie to careless behavior was cut. Whatever the body was doing, awareness dropped into place quickly. It was straightened out properly, under the watching eyes in front. Lucky that the eyes opened, out from that distress. Tuka says: the disgrace before Narayana has been averted.
What it means
Tukaram uses a homely image of a garment slipping off in public, with onlookers ready to be amused by the shame. The one who catches and adjusts it in time is saved, and afterward sees the world kindly and himself as intact. Read as the inner life, the slipping cloth is heedless conduct, and the saving move is a flash of wakefulness that cuts the habit before it exposes you. Whatever the body was busy with, awareness snapped back into place just in time and set things right before watching eyes. He counts it good fortune that the eyes opened out of that near-disgrace, and says the shame that would have fallen before Narayana was averted.
Worldly Metaphors
Poems using images from games, occupations, and daily life as spiritual teaching.
More in this theme →