Renunciation, beyond praise and blame
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
निंदी कोणी मारी । वंदी कोणी पूजा करी ॥१॥
मज हें ही नाहीं तें ही नाहीं । वेगळा दोहीं पासुनी ॥ध्रु.॥
देहभोग भोगें घडे । जें जें जोडे तें बरें ॥२॥
अवघें पावे नारायणीं । जनार्दनीं तुक्याचें ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Someone slanders, someone strikes. Someone bows, someone worships. To me, this is nothing, that is nothing; I am separate from both. What the body experiences through its nature, whatever is gained, that is well. Everything of Tuka's reaches Narayana, in Janardana.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
One person slanders me, another strikes me. One bows to me, another worships me. To me, this is nothing and that is nothing; I stand apart from both. Whatever the body undergoes by its own nature, and whatever it gains, that is fine. Tuka says: everything that is mine reaches Narayana, who is Janardana.
What it means
The evenness of one who has stepped out of the self's accounting. Praise and blame, a worshipper's bow and an attacker's blow, are treated exactly alike, because Tukaram no longer takes any of them personally; he stands apart from both. He lets the body undergo whatever its nature brings and counts whatever comes as fine, neither chased nor refused. The final line gives the reason it can all be let go: everything he is and has flows to Narayana, the Lord he calls Janardana. Held by God, he has nothing of his own left to defend.
Renunciation
The case for letting go of worldly attachments and turning wholly to God.
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