Renunciation, ears closed to all but God
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नका मजपाशीं । वदो प्रपंचाचे विशीं ॥1॥
आतां नाइकावी कानीं । मज देवाविण वाणी ॥ध्रु.॥
येऊनियां रूपा । कोण पाहे पुण्यपापा ॥2॥
मागे आजिवरी । जालें माप नेलें चोरी॥3॥
सांडियेलीं पानें । पुढें पिका अवलोकन ॥4॥
पडों नेदी तुका । आड गुंपूं कांहीं चुका ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Do not speak to me of worldly matters. My ears will hear no voice now except that of God. When one comes to know the true form, who looks at merit and sin? All that went before has been stolen away, its measure lost. The leaves have fallen; now look ahead to the ripening fruit. Says Tuka, do not let any mistake come between us and block the way.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Do not speak to me. Do not talk to me of the world. From now on my ears will hear no voice but God's. Once you have seen the true form, who still looks at merit and sin? All that came before has been carried off; its measure is stolen and gone. The old leaves have dropped. Now look ahead to the ripening fruit. Tuka says: do not let any mistake fall across the way and block it.
What it means
Tukaram is shutting one door so another can stay open. He refuses worldly talk outright and tells his hearers that his ears now admit only God's voice. He explains why: once you have truly seen God's form, the whole bookkeeping of merit and sin loses its grip, because the old accounts have been carried off and cannot be added up again. The fallen leaves and the coming fruit are his image for this turn: the past life is shed so that something is ripening ahead. His closing prayer is that no small slip be allowed to come between him and that ripening and block the road.
Renunciation
The case for letting go of worldly attachments and turning wholly to God.
More in this theme →