Moral ideal, right first, then the saints' word
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
उचित जाणावें मुख्य धर्म आधीं । चित्तशुद्ध बुद्धी ठायीं िस्थर ॥1॥
न घलावी धांव मनाचिये ओढी । वचन आवडी संताचिये ॥2॥
अंतरीं या राहे वचनाचा विश्वास । न उगे उपदेश तुका ह्मणे ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Know first and foremost what is right. Dharma is primary: let chitta-shuddhi and buddhi be firm and steady. Do not go chasing after the pull of the mind. Hold dear the words of the saints above all. Says Tuka, let faith in those words abide within. Teaching does not take root on its own.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Know first of all what is right; dharma comes first. Let the heart be pure and the mind held steady in its place. Do not go running after the pull of your own mind. Hold dear the words of the saints. Tuka says: let trust in those words stay within you. Teaching does not take root on its own.
What it means
Tukaram lays out an order for the spiritual life. The first thing is to know what is right and to keep dharma primary, grounding it in a purified heart and a mind held firm. He warns against chasing wherever the restless mind pulls, and sets against that the words of the saints, which are to be loved and trusted above one's own impulses. The closing line gives the reason: teaching does not plant itself, so faith in the saints' word is what lets it take hold within. The verse is about which voice you will follow, your own wandering mind or the steady counsel of the saints.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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