Social criticism, devotion without mercy
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नाहीं संतांशीं शरण । काय वाचोनि पुराण ॥1॥
ह्मणे विठ्ठलाचा दास । देखोनी परनारीस हांसे ॥ध्रु.॥
करिती विठोबाची भक्ति । दयाधर्म नाहीं चित्तीं ॥2॥
तेथें नाहीं माझा देव। व्यर्थ श्रमवी हा जीव ॥3॥
अंगीं नाहीं क्षमा दया । ह्मणती भेट पंढरीराया ॥4॥
नाहीं धर्माची वासना । काय करोनि प्रदिक्षणा॥5॥
ऐसें नव्हे भक्तिवर्म । तेथें नाहीं माझा राम ॥6॥
नये कृपा कांहीं केल्या । नये घाम जीव गेल्या ॥7॥
जैसी खड्गाची धार । विठ्ठलचरणीं तुका शूर ॥8॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Without surrendering to the saints, what use is reading the Puranas? He calls himself Vitthal's devotee but leers at other men's wives. They worship Vitthoba outwardly but have no compassion or righteousness in their chitta. My God does not dwell there; such a one exhausts his jiva for nothing. He has no patience or mercy in him, yet claims to have met the Lord of Pandhari. Without the desire for dharma, what use are circumambulations? This is not the essence of true devotion; my Rama is not there. Grace will not come to such a one no matter what he does, even if he sweats his life away. Says Tuka, like the edge of a sword, the path to Vitthal's feet demands a warrior's courage.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
If you do not surrender to the saints, what use is reading the Puranas? He calls himself Vitthal's servant, and he leers at other men's wives. They worship Vithoba on the outside, but there is no compassion, no right conduct, in the heart. My God is not there. Such a one wears out his life for nothing. There is no patience in him, no mercy, yet he says he has met the Lord of Pandhari. There is no longing for dharma in him. What use is his walking around the shrine? This is not the truth of devotion; my Rama is not there. No matter what he does, grace will not come; it will not come even if he sweats his life away. Tuka says: like the edge of a sword, the path to Vitthal's feet asks for a warrior's courage.
What it means
Tukaram is testing devotion by its fruit, not its display. He names a man who carries the labels, servant of Vitthal, worshipper of Vithoba, who walks the circuit of the shrine, yet keeps no mercy, no patience, no longing for right living in his heart. To such conduct Tukaram says God simply is not present, and no amount of outward effort or sweat will buy the grace that is missing. The point is turned at the pattern, not at any one person: ritual without compassion is empty. He closes with the cost: this path is a sword's edge, and only courage, the willingness to be inwardly true, can walk it.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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