The free medicine of the Name
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अल्ला देवे अल्ला दिलावे अल्ला दारु अल्ला खलावे । अल्ला बगर नही कोये अल्ला करे सो हि होये ॥१॥
मर्द होये वो खडा फीर नामर्दकुं नहीं धीर । आपने दिलकुं करना खुसी तीन दामकी क्या खुमासी ॥ध्रु.॥
सब रसोंका किया मार । भजनगोली एक हि सार । इमान तो सब ही सखा । थोडी तो भी लेकर ज्या ॥२॥
जिन्हो पास नीत सोये । वो हि बसकर तिरोवे । सांतो पांचो मार चलावे । उतार सो पीछे खावे ॥३॥
सब ज्वानी निकल जावे । पीछे गधडा मटी खावे । गांवढाळ सो क्या लेवे । हगवनि भरी नहि धोवे ॥४॥
मेरी दारु जिन्हें खाया । दिदार दरगां सो हि पाया । तल्हे मुंढी घाल जावे । बिगारी सोवे क्या लेवे ॥५॥
बजारका बुझे भाव । वो हि पुसता आवे ठाव । फुकट बाटु कहे तुका । लेवे सोहि लें हिसखा ॥६॥
गोंधळ - अभंग ३
राजस सुंदर बाळा । पाहों आलिया सकळा वो । बिबीं बिंबोनि ठेली ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Allah gives, Allah causes to give, Allah is the medicine, Allah causes it to be taken. There is no one besides Allah; whatever Allah does, that alone comes to pass. The brave one stands firm; the coward has no steadiness. Make your own heart happy; what pride can a thing worth three pennies carry? Strike down all other relishes; the pill of devotion alone is the essence. Faith is the true companion; take even a little and go your way. Those who sleep beside wealth will also sit and be robbed. The five and seven senses strike their blows; the aftermath is swallowed later. All youth passes away, and afterward the old donkey eats dust. Whoever has taken my medicine has beheld the divine face and reached the holy shrine. Says Tuka, I hand out this remedy free. Whoever has the good fortune, let him take it.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Allah gives, Allah makes others give, Allah is the medicine, Allah makes you take it. There is no one but Allah; whatever Allah does, that alone happens. Be a man and stand firm; the coward has no steadiness. Make your own heart glad; what pride can a thing worth three pennies hold? Strike down all the other pleasures; the one pill of devotion is the whole essence. Faith is the true friend; take even a little and go on your way. Those who sleep beside their wealth will sit there and be robbed. The five senses and the seven strike their blows, and the cost is swallowed later. All the youth drains away, and afterward the old donkey eats dust. Whoever has taken my medicine has seen the divine face and reached the holy shrine. Tuka says: I hand out this remedy for free. Whoever has the good fortune, let him take it.
What it means
In the fakir's voice, Tukaram makes God the giver, the medicine, and the hand that makes you swallow it, all action belongs to the One. He calls for courage rather than cowardice and tells you not to prize the cheap pleasures of the senses, which strike their blows now and send the bill later. The blunt warning is mortal: youth runs out, and the man who clung to it ends up an old donkey eating dust, while the one who slept beside his wealth wakes up robbed. Against all of this he sets one cure, the pill of devotion, which alone brings the seeker to the divine face. And he gives it away free, asking only that the fortunate take it.
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