Self-portrait, holy destitution
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आह्मी भाग्याचे भाग्याचे । आह्मां तांबे भोपळ्याचे॥1॥
लोकां घरीं गाई ह्मैसी । आह्मां घरीं उंदीरघुसी ॥ध्रु.॥
लोकां घरीं हत्ती घोडे । आह्मां आधोडीचे जोडे ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे आह्मी सुडके। आह्मां देखोन काळ धाके ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
We are the fortunate ones, truly fortunate. Our vessels are made of gourds. Other homes have cows and buffaloes; our home has only rats and mice. Other homes have elephants and horses; we have half-broken sandals. Says Tuka, we are stripped bare, and seeing us, even Death is afraid.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
We are the fortunate ones, truly fortunate. Our vessels are made of gourds. In others' homes there are cows and buffaloes; in our home, only mice and rats. In others' homes, elephants and horses; we have a pair of half-broken sandals. Tuka says: we are stripped bare, and seeing us, even Death takes fright.
What it means
This is the same boast pressed harder and turned to comedy. Tukaram counts himself rich precisely because he owns nothing worth counting: gourd pots instead of vessels, mice instead of cattle, broken sandals instead of horses. The mock inventory exposes how wealth ties people down with what they must guard. The sharp turn comes at the end: stripped of everything, he has nothing left for Death to seize, so Death itself flinches before him. Having nothing to lose has made him untouchable.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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