Exhortation, the terror of hell
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
विषयाचें सुख एथें वाटे गोड । पुढें अवघड यमदंड ॥1॥
मारिती तोडिती झोडिती निष्ठ । यमाचे किंकर बहुसाल ॥ध्रु.॥
असिपत्रीं तरुवरखैराचे विंगळ । निघतील ज्वाळ तेलपाकीं ॥2॥
तप्तभूमीवरि लोळविती पाहीं । अिग्नस्तंभ बाहीं कवळविती ॥3॥
ह्मणऊनि तुका येतो काकुलती । पुरे आतां योनी गर्भवास ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The pleasure of the senses seems sweet here, but ahead lies the dreadful punishment of Yama. His servants beat, hack, and thrash without mercy, in great numbers. In the forest of sword-edged leaves and thorn-trees, flames leap from cauldrons of boiling oil. On scorching ground they roll the sinner, and burning pillars are clasped to his arms. Says Tuka, I come to You in humble supplication. Enough now of womb-dwelling and the cycle of births.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The pleasure of the senses tastes sweet here, but ahead lies the dreadful rod of Yama. His servants beat and hack and thrash without mercy, in great numbers. In the forest of sword-leaved trees and thorns, flames leap from cauldrons of boiling oil. On scorching ground they roll the sinner, and burning pillars are clasped against his arms. So Tuka comes pleading: enough now of the womb and the round of births.
What it means
Tukaram sets the brief sweetness of sense pleasure against the long horror that follows it. He paints the hells of Yama in hard detail, the merciless blows, the forest of blade-leaved trees, the cauldrons of boiling oil, the scorching ground, the embrace forced upon red-hot pillars, so the cost of present indulgence cannot be ignored. The aim is not cruelty but warning: what feels sweet now buys this later. From that fear he turns to prayer, begging God to end the whole cycle of rebirth and womb-dwelling for him.
Appeals and Exhortations
Direct calls to action: wake up, seek God, do not waste this human birth.
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