Exhortation, hurry before death
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
करा करा लागपाट । धरा पंढरीची वाट । जंव नाहीं चपेट । घात पडिला काळाचा ॥1॥
दुजा ऐसा नाहीं कोणी । जो या काढी भयांतूनि । करा ह्मणऊनि । हा विचार ठायींचा ॥ध्रु.॥
होती गात्रें बेंबळीं । दिवस अस्तमाना काळीं । हातपायटाळीं । जें मोकळी आहेती ॥2॥
कां रे घेतलासी सोसें । तुज वाटताहे कैसें। तुका ह्मणे ऐसें । पुढें कैं लाहासी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Hurry, hurry, take the road to Pandhari while death has not yet struck its blow. There is no other who can pull you out of this fear; make this settled resolution now. When the limbs grow feeble at the time of the setting sun, use your hands and feet while they are still free. Why do you endure such pain? How does this seem right to you? Says Tuka, when will you get another chance like this?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Hurry, hurry, get moving. Take the road to Pandhari, before the blow falls, before Time strikes you down. There is no other who can pull you out of this fear; so make this your settled resolve right here. The limbs go slack; the day is sinking toward dusk. Use your hands and feet while they are still free. Why have you taken on all this suffering? How does this seem right to you? Tuka says: when will you ever get a chance like this again?
What it means
This is a blunt summons to act now. Tukaram tells the listener to take the road to Pandhari, the path of devotion to Vitthal, before death lands its blow, and he insists no one else can rescue you from that fear. The image of slack limbs at sunset is old age and the closing of the day: the body is the only instrument you have, so use it while it still moves freely. The final question turns on the listener: this human life is the one opening you may never get again, so why squander it in needless pain?
Appeals and Exhortations
Direct calls to action: wake up, seek God, do not waste this human birth.
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