Devotion, no service for show
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कैसीं दिसों बरीं । आम्ही आळवितां हरि ॥1॥
नाहीं सोंग अळंकार । दास जाला संवसार ॥ध्रु.॥
दुःख आह्मां नाहीं चिंता । हरिचे दास ह्मणवितां ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे देवा । ऐसीं जळो करितां सेवा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
How beautiful we look when calling upon Hari. There is no pretense or ornament; the whole world has become a servant. When one is called a servant of Hari, there is no sorrow, no worry. Says Tuka, O Lord, let the fire consume any notion of performing service for show.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
How beautiful we look when we call out to Hari. We wear no costume, no ornament. The whole world has become a servant. We have no sorrow, no worry, when we are called the servants of Hari. Tuka says: O God, let such service burn to ash if it is done for show.
What it means
Tukaram contrasts true devotion with performed devotion. The beauty of the devotee is in plainly calling on Hari, without costume or ornament, with the whole world turned into one body of servants; in that name there is no grief and no anxiety. Then he turns the knife on himself and on every devotee: any service done as display deserves to be burned away. The frame the plain words leave unspoken is that the worth of service lies entirely in its sincerity, and showy religion is worse than worthless, fit only for the fire.
Devotion to Vitthal
Poems of praise, invocation, and intimate address to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur.
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