Exhortation, the terrors of Yama
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आले हो संसारा तुह्मी एक करा । मुक्तीमारग हळू चि धरा । काळदंड कुंभयातना थोरा । कां रे अघोरा देखसी ना ॥1॥
नाहीं त्या यमासि करुणा । बाहेर काढितां कुडी प्राणा । ओढाळ सांपडे जैं धान्या । चोर यातना धरिजेतां ॥2॥
नाहीं दिलें पावइल कैसा । चालतां पंथ तेणें वळसा । नसेल ठाउकें ऐकतो कैसा । नेती बंद जैसा धरोनियां ॥3॥
क्षण एक नागीवा पायीं । न चलवे तया करितां कांहीं । वोढितां कांटवणा सोई । अिग्नस्तंभीं बाही कवटाळविती ॥4॥
देखोनि अंगें कांपती । तये नदीमाजी चालविती। लागे ठाव न लगे बुडविती । वरि मारिती यमदंड ॥5॥
तानभूक न साहावे वेळ । तो राखिती कितीएक काळ । पिंड पाळूनि कैसा सीतळ । तो तप्तभूमीं ज्वाळ लोळविती ॥6॥
ह्मणउनी करा कांहीं सायास । व्हावेल तर व्हा रे उदास । करवेल तर करा नामघोष । सेवा भक्तीरस तुका ह्मणे ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
You have come into this world; now do this one thing. Gently take the path of liberation. The rod of Death, the torment of Yama's cauldron, these are terrible. Why do you not see the horror? Yama has no compassion when he drags the life-breath out of the body. Just as a thief caught stealing grain is seized and punished, so it is with the soul. One who has not given charity, how will he fare on that road? The path takes a detour then. If you do not know, listen now: they seize and lead you away like a prisoner. Not even a moment can you walk barefoot, and nothing avails you then. They drag you over thorns and force your arms around pillars of fire. Seeing this, bodies tremble as they are made to walk through that dreadful river. They are plunged in and beaten with Yama's rod upon the surface. You who cannot endure hunger or thirst for even a moment, they will hold you for ages. The body you pampered in comfort is rolled on burning ground amid flames. Therefore make some effort. If you can, become detached from the world. If you can, chant the Name aloud. Says Tuka, taste the nectar of devotion and service.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
You who have come into this world, do this one thing. Quietly take hold of the path of liberation. The rod of Death, the great torment of the cauldron, why, O reckless one, do you not see it? That Yama has no pity when he pulls the foul life-breath out of the body. As a stray ox caught in the grain is seized, as a thief is held and tortured, so it goes. One who has given nothing, how will he fare? On that road there is a long detour for him. If you do not already know it, listen to how it goes: they seize you and lead you off bound, like a captive. Not for a moment can you walk barefoot, and nothing you do helps you then. They drag you over thorns. They wind your arms around pillars of fire. The body trembles to see it; they march you into that river. Where there is no footing they drown you, and on the surface they beat you with Yama's rod. You who cannot bear hunger and thirst for an hour, they hold you for ages. The body you kept so cool and pampered, they roll it on burning ground amid the flames. So make some effort. If you can manage it, become detached. If you can manage it, raise the sound of the Name. Tuka says: take to the service and the nectar of devotion.
What it means
Tukaram preaches here with the full machinery of Yama's hell laid out in front of the listener: the rod, the cauldron, the thorns, the pillars of fire, the river with no footing. The terror is deliberate and pointed, the soul that gave nothing and remembered nothing is dragged off bound like a caught thief, and the very body that was pampered and kept cool is rolled in flames. He drives home the contrast between an hour's hunger we cannot bear now and ages of torment later, so the danger feels real rather than abstract. But the threat is only the setup; the whole point is the way out, named plainly at the end. Take the path of liberation gently, grow detached if you can, and above all raise the sound of the Name and taste the nectar of devotion, while there is still time to choose.
Appeals and Exhortations
Direct calls to action: wake up, seek God, do not waste this human birth.
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