The play within, I am not here
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अंगीं देवी खेळे । कां रे तुम्हासी न कळे । कोणाचे हे चाळे । सुख दुःख न मनितां ॥१॥
मीं तों आतां येथें नाहीं । ओळखी वचनाच्या ठायीं । पालटाचा घेई । भाव खरें लोपे ना ॥ध्रु.॥
आपुलाले तुम्ही पुसा । सोवा एव्याच सरिसा । थिरावल्या कैसा काय । जाणों विचार ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे लाभकाळ । तेथें नसावें शीतळ । मग तैशी वेळ । कोठें जाते सांपडों ॥३॥
पांगुळ जालों देवा नाहीं हात ना पाय । बैसलों जयावरी सैराट तें जाय ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The goddess plays within this body; why can you not see it? Whose sport is this, unconcerned with pleasure or pain? I am no longer present here; recognize me only through these words. The outward form changes, but true devotion can never be concealed. Question your own selves and sit together as equals; once the mind is steadied, who can know what understanding may come? Says Tuka, when the hour of gain arrives, do not remain idle; such a moment, once lost, may never be found again.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The goddess plays within this body. Why can you not see it? Whose sport is this, that takes no notice of pleasure or pain? I am no longer here. Know me only in these words. Take in the change; true faith is never hidden. Ask within yourselves; sit together as equals. Once the mind is steadied, who knows what understanding may come? Tuka says: when the time of gain has come, do not sit there cold. Such a moment, once gone, where will you find it again? I have become crippled, O God, with no hands and no feet. Whatever I sat upon ran wild and carried me off.
What it means
Tukaram reports that the divine presence is at play inside him, indifferent to his own pleasure and pain, and so the man they knew is no longer there; they should recognize him only through these words. The outward change can be doubted, but he insists that real faith cannot stay concealed. He turns it back on the listeners: look within, steady the mind, and meaning will come of itself. The urgent close is the heart of it: when the hour of grace arrives, do not stay cold and idle, because it will not return; the final image of being carried off, crippled and seatless, by something that ran wild is the surrender he can no longer steer.
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