Faith over cleverness
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
उदंड शाहाणे होत तर्कवंत । परि या नेणवे अंत विठोबाचा ॥1॥
उदंडा अक्षरां करोत भरोवरी । परि ते नेणवे थोरी विठोबाची ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे नाहीं भोळेपणाविण । जाणीव ते सिण रितें माप ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Countless wise and learned debaters have tried, yet none can fathom the mystery of Vithoba. Let them pile up endless words and fill volumes, yet they cannot know the greatness of Vithoba. Says Tuka, without guilelessness, all cleverness is merely tiresome labor, an empty measure.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Let the wise and the clever debaters be ever so many; still they cannot know the end of Vithoba. Let them pile up countless words and fill volumes; still they cannot know the greatness of Vithoba. Tuka says: without simple trust, all this knowing is only weariness, an empty measure.
What it means
Tukaram is setting reasoning against simple faith and saying which one reaches God. However many sharp debaters try, and however many words they amass, they cannot touch the limit or the greatness of Vithoba; the reach of cleverness stops short. The point is not that learning is wicked but that it is the wrong instrument for this. Without guilelessness, the unguarded trust of a simple heart, all that intellectual effort is just tiring labor and a measure that comes up empty; the knowing mind weighs and weighs and holds nothing.
Faith and Trust
The boldness of faith, steadfastness, and the security of trusting in God.
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