The Name dissolves caste
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नामधारकासी नाहीं वर्णावर्ण । लोखंड प्रमाण नाना जात ॥1॥
शस्त्र अथवा गोळे भलता प्रकार । परिसीं संस्कार सकळ ही हेम ॥ध्रु.॥
प्रजन्य वर्षतां जीवना वाहावट । तें समसकट गंगे मिळे ॥2॥
सर्व तें हें जाय गंगा चि होऊन । तैसा वर्णावर्ण नाहीं नामीं ॥3॥
महांपुरीं जैसें जातसे उदक । मध्यें तें तारक नाव जैसी ॥4॥
तये नावेसंगें ब्राह्मण तरती । केवीं ते बुडती अनामिक॥5॥
नाना काष्ठजात पडतां हुताशनीं । ते जात होउनी एकरूप ॥6॥
तेथें निवडेना घुरे कीं चंदन । तैसा वर्णावर्ण नामीं नाहीं ॥7॥
पूर्वानुवोळख तें चि पैं मरण । जरि पावे जीवन नामामृत ॥8॥
नामामृतें जालें मुळीचें स्मरण । सहज साधन तुका ह्मणे ॥9॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
For the one who bears the Name, there is no high or low station. Iron comes in many forms, but when touched by the philosopher's stone, all of it becomes gold. When the rains fall and water flows into streams, it all mixes and merges into the Ganga. Everything becomes the Ganga itself. Likewise, in the Name there is no distinction of caste. As a boat in a great flood carries all who board it, so Brahmins cross over. How then can the unnamed ones drown? When various kinds of wood are cast into the fire, they all become one form. There one cannot distinguish firewood from sandalwood. So too, in the Name there is no caste. The old identity is itself a kind of death. When the nectar of the Name is received, the original remembrance is restored. Says Tuka, the Name is the natural and effortless means.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
For the one who bears the Name, there is no high or low birth. Iron comes in many kinds, but touched by the philosopher's stone, all of it becomes gold. When the rains fall and the waters run down, they all mix together and meet the Ganga; all of it goes and becomes the Ganga itself. So too, in the Name there is no distinction of caste. In a great flood the boat carries all who climb aboard; Brahmins cross over on it, so how could the nameless ones drown? When many kinds of wood are thrown into the fire, they all become one form; there you cannot tell common wood from sandalwood. So too, in the Name there is no caste. The old identity is itself a kind of death, when the soul receives the nectar of the Name. By the nectar of the Name the first remembrance returns. Tuka says: the Name is the natural, effortless means.
What it means
Tukaram makes a radical claim and proves it with four images: the Name erases the high and low of birth. Iron of every kind turns to gold at the touch of the stone; all the scattered waters become the one Ganga; a flood-boat carries everyone across without asking their rank; fire makes common wood and sandalwood into one indistinguishable form. In each case the lower thing is not ranked, it is transformed into the higher and the difference simply vanishes. He then names the stake plainly: the old caste-identity is a death the soul gladly dies, and what rises in its place is the original remembrance of God, restored by the Name. The Name, he says, is the natural and effortless means open to all, which is why no one who takes it can be left to drown.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
More in this theme →