Settled certainty, speech falls silent
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अक्षई तें झालें । आतां न मोडे रचिलें ॥1॥
पाया पडिला खोले ठायीं । तेथें पुढें चाली नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥
होतें विखुरलें । ताळा जमे झडती आलें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे बोली । पुढें कुंटित चि जाली ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
What has been built is now imperishable; what has been established cannot be undone. The foundation has been laid deep, and there is no room to advance further in debate. What was scattered has now come into balance and alignment. Says Tuka, even speech has become humble and still before this.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
What has been made is now imperishable. What has been built cannot be undone. The foundation has been laid deep. From there, there is no walking on, no further to go. What was scattered has come into balance; it has fallen into place and is gathered. Tuka says: from here on, even speech stops short.
What it means
Tukaram is describing the arrival of a state that no longer changes. The realization has been built on a deep foundation, and what is built that way cannot be torn down. He pictures everything in him that was once scattered now settling into alignment and balance. Because the matter is finished, there is nowhere further to advance, no more ground to argue over. Even words give out at the edge of it: speech reaches the boundary and falls silent, because what has happened cannot be spoken, only rested in.
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