Worldly life, ties without warmth
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
उभय भाग्यवंत तरी च समान । स्थळीं समाधान तरी च राहे ॥1॥
युक्तीचें गौरव नसतां जिव्हाळा । सांचवणी जळा परी नाश ॥ध्रु.॥
तुका ह्मणे अवघे विनोदाचे ठाव । एकात्मक भाव नाहीं तेथें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Both parties must be fortunate for true harmony to prevail; contentment endures only when there is genuine affection. Without real warmth behind the formal courtesies, the bond is like stored water that eventually spoils. Says Tuka, all such places are for amusement only. True unity of spirit is absent there.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Both sides must be fortunate for things to be equal. Only then does contentment stay in a place. Without the warmth behind the polite respect, it is like stored-up water: it spoils in the end. Tuka says: all such places are only for amusement. There is no real oneness of heart there.
What it means
Tukaram looks at the bonds that hold worldly relationships together and weighs what makes them last. Outward courtesy is not enough; without real affection behind the polite respect, a tie is like water kept too long, it goes stagnant and turns bad. True harmony needs both sides to bring genuine warmth, not just manners. His verdict is cool and clear: gatherings built only on form are for passing pleasure, and the unity of spirit that would make them real is simply not present. The point is not to scorn company but to see honestly how thin a bond without love actually is.
Worldly Life
The perplexities of action, karma, and navigating life in the world.
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