Moral ideal, steadiness over hasty zeal
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
तातडीची धांव अंगा आणि भाव । खोळंबा तो मग निश्चयाचा ॥1॥
ह्मणउनि बरी विचारावी चाली । उरीचि ते बोली कामा येते ॥ध्रु.॥
कोरडें वैराग्य माजिरा बडिवार । उतरे तो शूर अंगींचें तें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे बरी झयाची ते चाली । सांचवण्या खोली कैसीयांची ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Hasty passion brings intensity to the body but then stalls in the grip of indecision. Therefore, it is better to walk thoughtfully, for words spoken with care are the ones that prove useful. Dry renunciation and empty boasting fade away. Only the warrior who draws on his inner strength endures. Says Tuka, the steady gait is the good one, for it preserves one's reserves in all conditions.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
A sudden burst of feeling rushes through the body, then stalls in indecision. So it is better to walk with thought, for words held back and weighed are the ones that do the work. Dry renunciation and empty boasting wear off. Only the warrior who draws on real inner strength holds out. Tuka says: the steady pace is the good one. How else are reserves kept for the deep stretch?
What it means
Tukaram is warning against passion that flares up and then dies in confusion. The body can be carried away by a sudden surge of zeal, but it soon stalls, so a thoughtful, measured pace is wiser, and words spoken with care are the ones that actually accomplish something. He contrasts two kinds of seeker: the one whose renunciation is dry and whose vows are mere boasting, who fades, and the true warrior who endures by drawing on genuine inner strength. The steady gait is praised because it conserves one's reserves for the long, deep road. The lesson is to distrust your own flashes of fervor and to build a strength that lasts.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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