The Name over caste and looks
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कस्तूरीचें रूप अति हीनवर । माजी असे सार मोल तया ॥1॥
आणीक ही तैसीं चंदनाचीं झाडें । परिमळें वाढे मोल तयां ॥ध्रु.॥
काय रूपें असे परीस चांगला । धातु केली मोला वाढ तेणें ॥2॥
फिरंगी आटितां नये बारा रुके । गुणें मोलें विकें सहस्रवरी ॥ ।3॥
तुका ह्मणे नाहीं जातीसवें काम । ज्याचे मुखीं नाम तो चि धन्य ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The appearance of musk is most humble and plain, yet its essence within holds great value. So too with sandalwood trees; it is their fragrance that makes them precious. Is a touchstone beautiful to look at? Yet it raises base metal to the worth of gold. A diamond looks small, worth barely a few coins by appearance, yet by its quality it sells for thousands. Says Tuka, caste is not the measure of a person. One in whose mouth the Name dwells is the truly blessed one.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Musk looks very poor and plain, yet the essence inside it holds great worth. So with sandalwood trees: it is their fragrance that makes them precious. Is a touchstone good to look at? Yet it lifts base metal to the worth of gold. A diamond looks small, barely worth a few coins to the eye, yet by its quality it sells for thousands. Tuka says: caste is no measure of a person. The one in whose mouth the Name lives, he alone is blessed.
What it means
Tukaram lines up things that look worthless but carry hidden value: dull musk with its rich scent, plain sandalwood with its fragrance, an unlovely touchstone that turns base metal to gold, a small diamond worth thousands. Each one teaches the same thing, that worth lives inside, not in the surface. He then turns this on the social order and says it outright: caste is no measure of a person at all. What makes someone truly blessed is the Name in the mouth, and nothing about birth or appearance can rank above that.
Worldly Metaphors
Poems using images from games, occupations, and daily life as spiritual teaching.
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