Self-counsel, silence over debate
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आपुल्या विचार करीन जीवाशीं । काय या जनाशीं चाड मज ॥1॥
आपुलें स्वहित जाणती सकळ । निरोधितां बळें दुःख वाटे ॥ध्रु.॥
आइको नाइको कथा कोणी तरी । जाऊनियां घरीं निजो सुखें ॥2॥
माझी कोण वोज जाला हा शेवट । देखोनियां वाट आणिकां लावूं ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे भाकुं आपुली करुणा । जयाची वासना तथा फळे ॥4॥
विधिनिषेध उर फोडी । जंव नाहीं अनुभवगोडी ॥ध्रु.॥
वाढे तळमळ उभयता । नाहीं देखिलें अनुभवितां ॥2॥
अपुल्या मतें पिसें । परि तें आहे जैसेंतैसें ॥3॥
साधनाची सििद्ध । मोन करा िस्थर बुिद्ध ॥4॥
तुका ह्मणे वादें । वांयां गेलीं ब्रह्मवृंदें ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I will take counsel within my own jiva. What concern of mine are these people? Everyone knows their own welfare; to restrain them by force only causes sorrow. Let whoever wishes to hear the sacred story listen; otherwise, let them go home and sleep in peace. What is my concern? This has reached its end. Having seen the path, I will set others on it. Says Tuka, I will plead before God's own compassion. Each one's desire bears its own fruit. The clash of prescriptions and prohibitions splits the chest open, so long as one has not tasted experience directly. Restlessness grows on both sides when one has not personally realized the truth. In one's own opinion it seems like madness, but the truth remains exactly as it is. The fulfillment of practice is silence; make the buddhi steady. Says Tuka, through mere argument, even the assemblies of Brahmins have been wasted.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I will take counsel within my own soul. What do I owe to these people? Everyone knows their own good; force them and you only cause pain. Let whoever wishes hear the sacred story; the rest can go home and sleep in peace. What is it to me? This has reached its end. Having seen the path, I will set others on it. Tuka says: I will plead my case before God's own mercy; each one's desire bears its own fruit. The clash of rule and prohibition splits the chest open, so long as one has not tasted experience itself. Restlessness grows on both sides while the truth has not been lived. In one's own opinion it looks like madness, but the truth stands just as it is. The fulfillment of practice is silence; make the mind steady. Tuka says: through mere argument, even whole assemblies of Brahmins have come to nothing.
What it means
Tukaram resolves to stop wrestling with other people and to take the matter inward instead. He sees that everyone already knows their own good, and forcing them only causes pain, so he leaves it open: let whoever wants the sacred story listen, and let the rest go sleep. His own work, he feels, is done; having found the path, he can only point it out and leave each person's longing to bear its own fruit before God. Then he diagnoses why the arguing hurts so much: as long as a person only debates rules and prohibitions without tasting the reality for themselves, both sides stay torn and restless. The truth does not change to suit anyone's opinion, even when it looks like madness to them. So the real end of practice is silence and a steadied mind; arguing has wasted even gatherings of learned Brahmins.
Autobiography
Tukaram's own account of his life, struggles, awakening, and mission.
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