Confession, the uncrossable ocean of births
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
संसारसिंधु हा दुस्तर । नुलंघवे उलंघितां पार । बहुत वाहाविलें दूर । न लगे चि तीर पैल थडी ॥1॥
किती जन्म जाला फेरा । गणित नाहीं जी दातारा । पडिलों आवताअ भोंवरा । बहुता थोरा वोळसिया ॥ध्रु.॥
वाढलों परी नेणती बुद्धी । नाहीं परतली धरिली शुद्धी । मग म्यां विचारावें कधीं । ऐसी संधी सांडुनिया ॥2॥
अनेक खाणीं आहार निद्रा । भयमैथुनाचा चि थारा । बाळत्व तारुण्य जरा । प्रधान पुरा भोग तेथें ॥3॥
ऐसीं उलंघूनि आलों स्थळें । बहु भोवंडिलों काळें । आतां हें उगवावें जाळें । उजेडा बळें दिवसाच्या ॥4॥
सांडीन या संसाराची वाट । बहु येणें भोगविले कष्ट । दावी सत्या ऐसें नष्ट । तुका ह्मणे भ्रष्ट जालों देवद्रोही ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
This ocean of worldly life is impossible to cross. However much one tries to swim across, the far shore never comes into view. O generous Lord, I have been swept far out. How many births have passed in this cycle, I cannot count. I am caught in whirlpools and vast currents. I have grown in body, but my intellect has not matured. My awareness never turned back or found its footing. When then shall I reflect, having let go of this opportunity? Through countless births I have known only eating, sleeping, fear, and mating. Childhood, youth, and old age are the primary experiences there. Having passed through so many stations, spun around by time, now this net must be untangled by the power of daylight. I will abandon the road of worldly life, which has caused me so much suffering. Says Tuka, it shows the face of truth, yet is utterly false. I have become a traitor to God.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
This ocean of worldly life cannot be crossed. However hard I swim, the far shore never comes. O generous Lord, I have been swept far out. How many births this cycle has held, I cannot count. I am caught in whirlpools and in great currents. I have grown in body, but my mind has not grown up. My awareness never turned back, never found its footing. When, then, will I reflect, after letting this chance slip away? Through countless wombs I have known only eating, sleeping, fear, and mating. Childhood, youth, old age: those are the main fare there. I have passed through so many stations, spun around by time. Now this net must be untangled by the power of daylight. I will leave the road of worldly life, which has made me suffer so much. Tuka says: it shows the face of truth, yet is utterly false. I have become a traitor to God.
What it means
Tukaram looks back over an uncountable string of births and sees only motion without arrival, a swimmer carried farther from shore the harder he strokes. The body has aged again and again while the mind never grew up; awareness never once turned around to find its ground. He names the dull menu of every life, eating, sleeping, fear, mating, childhood to old age, and calls it what it is: a wheel he keeps boarding. The sharp confession at the end is that worldly life wears the face of truth while being utterly false, and that by going along with it he has been a traitor to God; he resolves now, in daylight, to cut the net.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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