Disgust with the world, a pauper at the door
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कोण सुख धरोनि संसारीं । राहों सांग मज बा हरी । अवघ्या नाशिवंता परी । थिता दुरी अंतरसी ॥1॥
प्रथम केला गभाअ वास । काय ते सांगावे सायास । दुःख भोगिलें नव ही मास । आलों जन्मास येथवरी ॥2॥
बाळपण गेलें नेणतां । तारुण्यदशे विषयव्यथा। वृद्धपणीं प्रवर्तली चिंता । मरें मागुता जन्म धरीं ॥3॥
क्षण एक तो ही नाहीं विसावा । लक्ष चौयाशीं घेतल्या धांवा ।
भोवंडिती पाठीं लागल्या हांवा । लागो आगी नांवा माझ्या मीपणा ॥4॥
आतां पुरे ऐसी भरोवरी । रंक होऊनि राहेन द्वारीं । तुझा दास मी दीन कामारी। तुका ह्मणे करीं कृपा आतां ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
What happiness is there in worldly life that I should cling to it? Tell me, O Hari. Everything is perishable; the Eternal One remains distant. First came the torment of dwelling in the womb. What can be said of those trials? Nine months of suffering were endured before I arrived in this world. Childhood passed in ignorance, youth was spent in the agony of sense-pleasures, and old age brought nothing but worry. One dies only to be born again. There is not even a moment's rest. Through eighty-four lakh births I have been driven by cravings chasing me from behind. Let fire consume my sense of "I" and "mine." Enough of this turmoil. I will become a pauper and stand at Your door. I am Your servant, a humble laborer. Says Tuka, show me mercy now.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
What happiness is there in this world that I should cling to it? Tell me, Hari. It is all perishable, and meanwhile the Eternal stays far from me. First came the dwelling in the womb. What can I say of those trials? Nine months of pain were borne before I came into this life. Childhood went by without my knowing it. Youth was spent in the ache of sense-pleasures. Old age brought worry. One dies only to be born again. There is not a single moment's rest. Through eighty-four lakh births I have been driven, cravings always chasing at my back. Let fire take my sense of "I" and "mine." Enough of this whirling now. I will become a pauper and stand at your door. I am your servant, your lowly laborer. Tuka says: show me mercy now.
What it means
Tukaram walks through a whole human life and finds no resting place in any stage of it. The womb is torment, childhood passes unnoticed, youth burns in craving, old age sinks into worry, and then death only restarts the round through countless births. His verdict is that the world offers nothing worth clinging to, since all of it perishes while the Eternal stays out of reach. The decisive line is his curse on "I" and "mine": let fire take the ego that drives the whole exhausting chase. Having given up every claim, he chooses the lowest place, a pauper and laborer at God's door, and asks only for mercy.
Worldly Life
The perplexities of action, karma, and navigating life in the world.
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