Surrender, bow to your lot
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
पाषाण प्रतिमा सोन्याच्या पादुका । हें हो हातीं एका समर्थाचे ॥1॥
अनामिका हातीं समर्थाचा सिक्का । न मानितां लोकां येइल कळों ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे येथें दुराग्रह खोटा । आपुल्या अदृष्टा शरण जावें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
A stone idol or golden sandals. These are placed in the hands of the one who has authority. The seal of the powerful one, even in the hands of a nobody, must be honored. Those who refuse will learn the consequences. Says Tuka, stubbornness here is futile. One should surrender to one's own destiny.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
A stone idol, golden sandals. These are placed in the hands of the one who has the power. The seal of the powerful one, even held by a nobody, must be honored. Those who refuse it will come to learn. Tuka says: stubbornness here is no good. Surrender to your own destiny.
What it means
Tukaram is teaching acceptance of what your life has handed you. He compares the soul to a humble agent who carries the seal of a powerful master: whether the thing in your hands is a plain stone or golden sandals, its worth comes from the authority behind it, not from the object. To reject your assigned portion is to discover the hard way that the seal is binding. So he calls stubborn resistance against your circumstances futile, and tells you to bow to your own destiny rather than fight it.
Surrender and Acceptance
The conditions of spiritual receptivity and the letting go of the separate self.
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