Worldly life, the test by fire
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
वडील आणि धाकुलें । नाहीं ऐसें जालें दुसरें तें ॥1॥
नाहीं लागत मुळीहूनि । सुहृदजन आणि जननी ।
लागल्या लागें त्यागें सांडूनि। लोभीये मांडणी संयोगाची ॥ध्रु.॥
शिव बाटला जीवदशे । बहुत ओतत आलें ठसें ।
हीन जालें भूषणाचें इच्छे । निवडती कैसे गुणागुण ॥2॥
आतां हे हुतांश तों बरें । अवघे एक च मोहरें ।
पिटिलियाविण नव्हे खरें । निवडें बरें जातिशुद्ध ॥3॥
तुका उतावेळ याजसाटीं । आहे तें निवेदीन पोटीं ।
आवडी द्यावी जी येथें लाटी । तुझी जगजेठी कीर्ती वाखाणीन ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Elder or younger, nothing quite like this has ever been. From the very root, neither kinsmen nor mother are of any use. Driven by attachment, they abandon all and set up the marketplace of union. Shiva became tainted by worldly existence; many impressions have been stamped upon Him. The luster of ornaments has dimmed, and how shall virtues and faults be sorted? Now let the fire of truth burn well; let all face the same test. Without being beaten, the truth will not emerge; only then does pure lineage become clear. Says Tuka, I am eager for this reason: I will offer all I have. Grant me Your love here, O Lord of the world, and I will sing Your glory.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Elder or younger, there has never been anything else like this. From the root, neither kinsmen nor mother are of any use. Driven by attachment, people leave all and set up the marketplace of union; the greedy build their arrangement of meeting. Even Shiva was stained by the state of a living being; many marks have been pressed into Him. The shine of the ornament has gone dull; how then are good and bad to be told apart? Now let the fire of truth burn well, and let all meet one test. Without being beaten, the truth will not come out; only then does the pure metal show clear. Tuka says: for this I am eager. I will lay open what is within me. Grant me Your love here, O Lord of the world, and I will sing Your glory.
What it means
Tukaram is asking to be tested rather than spared. He observes that kin and mother are no help at the root, that attachment drives people into a marketplace of bonds, and that even the high name of Shiva gets tarnished once it is dragged through worldly use. When the ornament has lost its shine, true and false can no longer be told apart by looking, so he asks for the fire and the hammer. The blow that hurts is the very thing that proves the metal pure. He welcomes it, offering to lay his inner life bare, and asks only for God's love so that he may sing the Lord's glory through the testing.
Worldly Life
The perplexities of action, karma, and navigating life in the world.
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