Exhortation, the story carries you across
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आणीक नका करूं चेष्टा । व्हाल कष्टा वरपडी॥1॥
सुखें करा हरिकथा । सर्वथा हे तारील ॥ध्रु.॥
अनाथाचा नाथ देव। अनुभव सत्य हा ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे बहुतां रिती । धरा चित्तीं सकळ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Do not make useless efforts elsewhere; you will only fall into misery. Happily engage in the story of Hari; it will certainly carry you across. God is the Lord of the helpless; this truth is proven by experience. Says Tuka, in many ways, hold this firmly in your chitta.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Do not waste your effort on other things. You will only fall into hardship. Gladly tell the story of Hari. That, above all, will carry you across. God is the protector of the helpless. This is a truth proven by experience. Tuka says: in many ways I tell you, hold all of this in your heart.
What it means
Tukaram warns against spending effort on anything else, since it leads only to suffering. In its place he sets one practice, gladly telling and hearing the story of Hari, and promises it will carry the listener across the worldly sea. He grounds the promise not in theory but in experience: God really does protect the helpless, and he has seen it. The closing line is an urging to take all of this to heart and keep it there.
Appeals and Exhortations
Direct calls to action: wake up, seek God, do not waste this human birth.
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