The Name, grace lifts the lowly
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
याति गुणें रूप काय ते वानर । तयांच्या विचारें वर्ते राम ॥1॥
ब्रह्महत्यारासि पातकी अनेक । तो वंद्य वाल्मीक तिहीं लोकीं ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे नव्हे चोरीचा व्यापार । ह्मणा रघुवीर वेळोवेळां ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
What were the monkeys by birth, caste, or beauty? Yet Rama chose to act according to their wishes. Valmiki was a murderer laden with countless sins, yet he became revered in all three worlds. Says Tuka, this is no stolen affair. Simply say Raghuvira again and again.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
By birth, by quality, by looks, what were the monkeys? Yet Rama chose to act according to their counsel. Valmiki was a killer, weighed down with many sins, yet he became honored in all three worlds. Tuka says: this is no shady trade. Just say Raghuvira, again and again.
What it means
Tukaram points to two unlikely cases to show that grace does not check your credentials. The monkeys of the Ramayana had nothing to recommend them by caste, character, or beauty, yet Rama worked through them and took their counsel. Valmiki had been a murderer heavy with sin, yet he rose to be revered across all three worlds. The lesson is that the Name lifts whoever takes it, regardless of where they start. And he insists there is no catch, no hidden cost, nothing underhanded: the whole price is simply to say Raghuvira again and again.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
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