No substitute for practice
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अन्नाच्या परिमळें जरि जाय भूक । तरि कां हे पाक घरोघरीं ॥१॥
आपुलालें तुम्ही करा रे स्वहित । वाचे स्मरा नित्य राम राम ॥ध्रु.॥
देखोनि जीवन जरि जाय तान । तरि कां सांटवण घरोघरीं ॥२॥
देखोनियां छाया सुख न पवीजे । जंव न बैसीजे तया तळीं ॥३ ॥
हित तरी होय गातां अईकतां । जरि राहे चित्ता दृढ भाव ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे होसी भावें चि तूं मुक्त । काय करिसी युक्त जाणिवेची॥५॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
If the mere fragrance of food could satisfy hunger, why would anyone cook in every household? Seek your own highest good; let your tongue constantly repeat Rama, Rama. If merely seeing water could quench thirst, why would anyone store it at home? Just looking at the shade of a tree does not bring comfort until you actually sit beneath it. Benefit comes from singing and hearing only when firm devotion takes root in the heart. Says Tuka, you become free through devotion alone; what use is the cleverness of mere knowledge?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
If the smell of food could end hunger, why would anyone cook in house after house? See to your own good. With your tongue say always: Rama, Rama. If the sight of water could end thirst, why would anyone store it in house after house? Looking at the shade brings no rest until you sit down under it. Singing and hearing help only when firm devotion holds in the heart. Tuka says: by devotion alone you are free. What use is your clever knowing?
What it means
Tukaram piles up plain examples to attack a single evasion: mistaking the idea of a thing for the thing. The smell of food does not feed you, the sight of water does not slake thirst, looking at shade does not cool you until you sit in it; in the same way, merely singing and hearing the Name does no good unless firm devotion takes root in the heart. So he tells the listener to see to his own welfare and actually repeat Rama with the tongue, not just admire the practice. The closing line names the stake: freedom comes through devotion alone, and the cleverness of knowledge, by itself, buys nothing.
The Necessity of Experience
Why direct experience of God, not mere learning, is the only path.
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