Mythology, Ravana takes nothing across
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
पाषाण परिस भूमि जांबूनद । वंशाचा संबंध धातयाचा॥1॥
सोनियाची पुरी समुद्राचा वेढा । समुदाय गाढा राक्षसांचा ॥ध्रु.॥
ऐसी सहस्र त्या सुंदरा कामिनी । माजी मुखरणी मंदोदरी ॥2॥
पुत्रपौत्राचा लेखा कोण करी । मुख्य पुत्र हरी इंद्रा आणी ॥3॥
चौदा चौकडिया आयुष्यगणना । बंधुवर्ग जाणा कुंभकर्ण॥4॥
तुका ह्मणे ज्याचे देव बांदवडी । सांगातें कवडी गेली नाहीं ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Lanka's foundation was of stone and gold, its lineage that of a noble dynasty. Its golden city was surrounded by ocean, and its populace a mighty host of rakshasas. A thousand beautiful women graced it, with Mandodari chief among them. Who could count Ravana's sons and grandsons, when his chief son conquered even Indra? His lifespan numbered fourteen times four ages, and his brother was mighty Kumbhakarna. Says Tuka, yet for him who held even the gods captive, not a single cowrie went with him in the end.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Lanka's stone was touchstone, its earth was gold. Its lineage was that of a noble dynasty. The golden city was ringed by the ocean, and its people a mighty host of rakshasas. A thousand beautiful women were there, and Mandodari was chief among them. Who could count Ravana's sons and grandsons, when his own son conquered even Indra? His lifespan was fourteen times four ages. His brother, you know, was Kumbhakarna. Tuka says: yet for him who held the very gods captive, not a single cowrie went with him in the end.
What it means
Tukaram heaps up Ravana's glory only to strip it away in one line. He lists the gold and stone of Lanka, its noble line, its ocean wall, its army of rakshasas, its thousand women and chief queen Mandodari, his uncountable descendants, his son who beat Indra, his immense lifespan, his giant brother. Every detail says power, wealth, permanence. Then the turn: this king who held the gods themselves as prisoners carried not one cowrie, the smallest coin, with him when he died. The poem uses the grandest possible example to make the plainest possible point, that nothing of what we amass goes with us, so do not stake your life on it.
Sacred Stories
Abhangas drawing on mythological narratives to illuminate spiritual truths.
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