God the true master, the open field
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
संचित उत्तम भूमि कसूनियां । जाऊं नेणे वांयां परि त्याचें ॥1॥
त्याचिया पिकासि आलिया घुमरी । आल्या गाईवरी आणिक गाई ॥2॥
गाई दवडुनि घालिती बाहेरी । तंव ह्मणे हरि बांधा त्या ही ॥3॥
त्याही तुह्मी बांधा तुमच्या सारिख्या । भोवंडा पारिख्या वाडएांतुनि ॥4॥
पारिख्या न येती कोणाचिया घरा । सूत्रधारी खरा नारायण ॥5॥
नारायण नांदे जयाचिये ठायीं । सहज तेथें नाहीं घालमेली ॥6॥
मेलीं हीं शाहाणीं करितां सायास । नाहीं सुखलेश तुका ह्मणे ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Like a well-tilled, fertile field that never fails, so is good merit. When the harvest is abundant, neighboring cows wander over to graze. They drive the cows away, but Hari says, 'Tie them up too.' 'Tie them also; they are as good as yours. Let the strangers share the pasture.' Strangers do not come to anyone's door by accident. The true master is Narayana, who directs everything. Where Narayana dwells, there is no turmoil or strife. Says Tuka, the clever who labor without God know no happiness at all.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Good merit is like a fertile, well-tilled field that never fails. When the harvest is thick, the neighbors' cows wander in to graze. They drive the strange cows out, but Hari says, tie them up too. Tie them as if they were your own; let the strangers share the pasture. Strangers do not arrive at anyone's door by accident. Narayana is the true master who works it all. Where Narayana lives, there is no quarrel. Tuka says: the clever who toil without God find no happiness at all.
What it means
Tukaram makes one image carry the whole teaching: merit is a field that bears, and what it draws is not only your own but the stranger too. When the cowherds want to drive off the outsiders' cows, Hari overturns them and says welcome them, treat them as your own, for no stranger comes to your door by chance. The deeper claim is that Narayana is the one who arranges everything, the hidden master of the field, and where he is present there is no strife or grasping. By contrast the clever who labor on their own strength, leaving God out, get no peace from all their cleverness. He is teaching open-handedness and trust in God as the real worker behind the harvest.
Worldly Metaphors
Poems using images from games, occupations, and daily life as spiritual teaching.
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