Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha
मराठी मूळ
नामधारकासी नाहीं वर्णावर्ण । लोखंड प्रमाण नाना जात ॥1॥
शस्त्र अथवा गोळे भलता प्रकार । परिसीं संस्कार सकळ ही हेम ॥ध्रु.॥
प्रजन्य वर्षतां जीवना वाहावट । तें समसकट गंगे मिळे ॥2॥
सर्व तें हें जाय गंगा चि होऊन । तैसा वर्णावर्ण नाहीं नामीं ॥3॥
महांपुरीं जैसें जातसे उदक । मध्यें तें तारक नाव जैसी ॥4॥
तये नावेसंगें ब्राह्मण तरती । केवीं ते बुडती अनामिक॥5॥
नाना काष्ठजात पडतां हुताशनीं । ते जात होउनी एकरूप ॥6॥
तेथें निवडेना घुरे कीं चंदन । तैसा वर्णावर्ण नामीं नाहीं ॥7॥
पूर्वानुवोळख तें चि पैं मरण । जरि पावे जीवन नामामृत ॥8॥
नामामृतें जालें मुळीचें स्मरण । सहज साधन तुका ह्मणे ॥9॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
For the one who bears the Name, there is no high or low caste. Iron comes in many forms, but when touched by the philosopher's stone, all of it becomes gold. When the rains fall and water flows into streams, it all mixes and merges into the Ganga. Everything becomes the Ganga itself. Likewise, in the Name there is no distinction of caste. As a boat in a great flood carries all who board it, so Brahmins cross over. How then can the unnamed ones drown? When various kinds of wood are cast into the fire, they all become one form. There one cannot distinguish firewood from sandalwood. So too, in the Name there is no caste. The old identity is itself a kind of death. When the nectar of the Name is received, the original remembrance is restored. Says Tuka, the Name is the natural and effortless means.
This translation is auto-generated and may contain errors. We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram’s original Marathi.
The Power of the Name
The supremacy of nama-smarana: God's name as the highest practice.
More in this theme →Continue exploring