The Name, the sword cannot cut
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नामाचें सामर्थ्य कां रे दवडीसी । कां रे विसरसी पवाडे हे ॥1॥
खणखणां हाणती खर्ग प्रल्हादासी । न रुपे आंगासी किंचित ही ॥ध्रु.॥
राम कृष्ण हरी ऐसी मारी हाक । तेणें पडे धाक बिळयासी ॥2॥
असों द्यावीं सामथ्यॉ ऐसिया कीर्तीचीं । आवडी तुक्याची भेटी देई ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Why do you squander the power of the Name? Why do you forget these glorious deeds? They struck Prahlada again and again with swords, yet not the slightest wound appeared on his body. When he cried out Rama, Krishna, Hari, even his tormentor was seized with terror. Says Tuka, set aside all other powers and glories; just grant this Tuka the longing of Your meeting.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Why do you throw away the power of the Name? Why do you forget these glorious deeds? They struck Prahlada again and again with swords, yet not the slightest wound appeared on his body. He cried out Rama, Krishna, Hari, and at that his tormentor was seized with terror. Tuka says: let all such powers and famous glories be. Just grant this Tuka the longing to meet You.
What it means
Tukaram opens by scolding the listener, and himself, for squandering something already proven: the Name guarded Prahlada so that swords left no mark and his attacker, not he, was the one who shook with fear. That is the deed we forget when we treat the Name as small. Then comes the turn the plain poem only states: Tuka waves away even these miracles and asks for one thing instead, the meeting. The stake is that the Name's real prize is not protection or wonders but God himself, and that is what he begs for.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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