The porter of the Master's goods
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
सकिळकांच्या पायां माझी विनवणी । मस्तक चरणीं ठेवीतसें ॥1॥
अहो श्रोते वक्ते सकळ ही जन । बरें पारखुन बांधा गांठी ॥ध्रु.॥
फोडिलें भांडार धन्याचा हा माल । मी तंव हामाल भारवाही ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे चाली जाली चहूं देशी । उतरला कसीं खरा माल ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I place my humble plea at the feet of all. I bow my head to everyone's feet. O listeners, speakers, all people, examine well and tie the knot firmly. The treasury has been opened; this is the Master's merchandise. I am merely a porter, a carrier of the load. Says Tuka, this trade has spread in all four directions. The goods have proven genuine when tested.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I lay my plea at the feet of all. I set my head down at everyone's feet. O listeners, O speakers, all you people: test it well, then tie the knot fast. The treasury has been opened. This is the Master's merchandise. I am only a porter, a carrier of the load. Tuka says: the trade has spread to all four lands. Tested, the goods proved genuine.
What it means
Tukaram opens by bowing low to everyone, listeners and fellow speakers alike, taking the humblest place. He tells them not to accept his words on trust but to examine the goods well and only then hold on tight. The treasury he has opened is not his own; it is the Master's stock, and he is merely the hired porter who hauls it on his back. He takes no credit for the worth of what he carries. The proof is in the testing: the teaching has spread to the four directions and, weighed and assayed, has come out true.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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