Ecstasy, the meal of Brahman
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जैसा निर्मळ गंगाओघ । तैसा भाग वोगरीं ॥1॥
प्रेम वाढे ग्रासोग्रासीं । ब्रह्मरसीं भोजन ॥ध्रु.॥
तृप्तीवरि आवडी उरे। ऐसे बरे प्रकार ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे पाख मन । नारायण तें भोगी॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
As pure as the clear current of the Ganga, so is the fare I serve. Love grows with every morsel, for this meal is seasoned with the essence of Brahman. Even after fullness, the relish remains; such are these wondrous ways. Says Tuka, let the mind become a fit vessel, for it is Narayana who savors it all.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Pure as the clear stream of the Ganga, such is the fare I serve. Love grows with every mouthful, for this meal is steeped in the essence of Brahman. Even after I am full, the relish stays. Such are these good ways. Tuka says: let the mind become a fit vessel, for it is Narayana who eats it all.
What it means
Tukaram turns inner joy into the picture of a feast. What is served is as clean as the Ganga's current, and unlike ordinary food it deepens the appetite instead of dulling it: love grows with every morsel, and even when one is full the taste does not fade, because the dish is the essence of Brahman itself. The closing turn dissolves the eater: he asks that the mind simply become the vessel, since the one who truly tastes and enjoys this meal is Narayana, not the small self.
Ecstasy and Joy
Triumphant happiness: poems written from the far side of the struggle.
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