Exhortation, redeem the time
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
काय दिवस गेले अवघे चि वहाडें । तें आलें सांकडें कथेमाजी ॥1॥
क्षण एके ठायीं मन िस्थर नाहीं । अराणूक कइं होईल पुढें ॥ध्रु.॥
कथेचे विरसें दोषा मूळ होय । तरण उपाय कैचा माती ॥2॥
काय तें सांचवुनि उरलें हें मागें । घटिका एक संगें काय गेलें ॥3॥
ते चि वाणी येथें करा उजळणी । काढावी मथूनि शब्दरत्नें॥4॥
तुका ह्मणे हें चि बोलावया चाड । उभयतां नाड हित असे ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Have all our days passed in mere merrymaking? Now that same crowd fills the space meant for sacred discourse. The mind does not remain still for even a moment; when will true contentment come? The distaste for sacred discourse becomes the root of downfall, and the means of deliverance turn to dust. Whatever was hoarded in the past, not even a single moment of it goes with you. Let that same speech now be burnished here; churn forth the jewels of the Word. Says Tuka, the purpose of speaking is this alone: the welfare of both speaker and listener.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Have all our days gone by in nothing but merrymaking? Now that same crowd crowds into the place meant for sacred discourse. The mind does not stay still for one moment. When will real contentment come? When we lose our taste for the discourse, that is the root of our downfall, and the way across turns to dust. Whatever you hoarded in the past stays behind; not one moment of it goes with you. Let that same speech be made bright here. Churn it and bring up the jewels of the Word. Tuka says: the whole purpose of speaking is this; the good of both the speaker and the listener.
What it means
Tukaram is rebuking a wasted use of time and pointing to its repair. He sees days spent in idle amusement, and now the same restless crowd intrudes even into the satsang, where the mind will not hold still long enough to be fed. Losing your taste for sacred speech is not a small thing; he names it the root of ruin, the place where the way across the world crumbles to dust. Nothing you have hoarded follows you out, so the only worthwhile use of breath is the one that benefits both who speaks and who hears: churning ordinary words until the jewels of the Name come up.
Appeals and Exhortations
Direct calls to action: wake up, seek God, do not waste this human birth.
More in this theme →