Ecstasy, the union that ends sin and merit
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
भाग्यें ऐसी जाली जोडी । आतां घडी विसंभेना ॥1॥
विटेवरी समचरण । संतीं खुण सांगितली ॥ध्रु.॥
अवघें आतां काम सारूं । हा चि करूं कैवाड ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे खंडूं खेपा । पुढें पापापुण्याच्या ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
By good fortune such a union has been made. Now I cannot be parted from it for even a moment. The saints have revealed the sign: those even feet upon the brick. I shall set aside all other work now; I shall take up this one cause alone. Says Tuka, I shall sever the future rounds of sin and merit.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
By good fortune such a union has come to me. Now I cannot bear to be parted from it even for a moment. The even feet upon the brick: the saints have shown me the sign. Now I will set aside every other task. This is the one work I will do. Tuka says: I will cut off the coming rounds of sin and merit.
What it means
Tukaram speaks as one who has been joined to God and now cannot stand to be away from Him for an instant. He credits the saints with showing him the sign, the two level feet of Vitthal standing on the brick at Pandhari, as the place to fix his gaze. Having found it, he lays down all other work and takes up this alone as his single occupation. The closing claim is the radical one: he will sever even the future cycle of sin and merit, because both are bonds that keep the soul turning, and union with God ends the turning altogether.
Ecstasy and Joy
Triumphant happiness: poems written from the far side of the struggle.
More in this theme →