Effort and its fruit, saints' table
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मथनें भोगे सार । ताकें घडे उपकार ॥1॥
बरवी सायासाची जोडी । अनुभविया ठावी गोडी ॥ध्रु.॥
पाक आणि रुचि। जेथें तेथें ते कइंची ॥2॥
वाढितो पंगती । तुका आवडी संगती ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
By churning, one obtains the essence, and even the buttermilk serves its purpose. The fruit of earnest effort is a fine gain, and only one who has tasted it knows its sweetness. The cooking and the flavor each have their proper place. Says Tuka, I serve at the feast of the saints' company with love and devotion.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Churn, and you get the essence; even the buttermilk left over does its good work. Earnest effort is a fine gain. Only the one who has tasted it knows the sweetness. The cooking and the flavor each have their own place. Tuka says: I serve at the feast of the saints' company, with love.
What it means
Tukaram uses the everyday work of churning milk to speak about spiritual effort. Churn faithfully and you draw out the butter, the essence, while even the leftover buttermilk still nourishes; nothing earnest is wasted. The reward of such labor is real, but it cannot be described, only tasted, and only the one who has done the work knows its sweetness. Just as cooking and flavor each have their proper place, effort and its fruit belong together. He ends by placing himself happily among the saints, serving at their table out of love.
The Saints
The character and service of true saints: softer than butter, harder than diamond.
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