The Self, unstained by its many disguises
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नटनाट्ये अवघें संपादिलें सोंग । भेद दाऊं रंग न पालटे ॥१॥
मांडियेला खेळ कौतुक बहुरूप । आपुलें स्वरूप जाणतसों ॥ध्रु.॥
स्फटिकाची शिळा उपाधि न मिळे । भाव दावी पिवळे लाल संगे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आम्ही या जनाविरहित । होऊनि निश्चिंत क्रीडा करूं ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Like an actor, I have put on the whole costume of this play, yet however the scene may change, the true color beneath does not alter. The game of many disguises has been set up as a spectacle, but I know my own true nature all along. A crystal slab takes on no stain from its surroundings; it merely reflects yellow or red from whatever is placed beside it. Says Tuka, we are free from this crowd of people and shall sport in perfect ease.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Like an actor, I have put on the whole costume of this play. The scene changes, but the true color underneath does not change. A game of many disguises has been set up as a spectacle. Through it all, I know my own true nature. A slab of crystal takes no stain from what is near it; it only shows yellow or red from whatever is set beside it. Tuka says: we stand free of this crowd of people, and at ease we will play.
What it means
Tukaram is naming the difference between the role and the one who wears it. He compares life to a stage where he has put on a full costume and plays many parts, while what he truly is never alters underneath. The crystal is his image for this: it reflects whatever color is placed against it, yet takes no color into itself. So he passes through the world's many appearances without being changed by them. Knowing his own nature, he no longer belongs to the crowd and its anxieties; he can move through the whole spectacle in freedom and ease.
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