II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

माझे मज कळो येती अवगुण I
काय करू मन अनावर II
आता आड़ उभा राहे नारायणा I
दयासिंधुपणा साच करी II
वाचा वदे परी करणे कठीण I
इंद्रियां आधीन झालो देवा II
तुका म्हणे तुझा जैसा तैसा दास I
न धरी उदास मायबापा II

"As the famous saying goes,"Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds"
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj implores the seeker of Self Quest to lose mind and come to senses, for it is the sensible way to quell the rebellious mind to submission. He says, the journey of Self Realisation is in a way whipping the rebellious mind into submission. It's not that we are unaware of the negative traits of our personality, which pose as the roadblocks on our journey of Self Quest, but the outward flow of mind towards sense gratification is so powerful that it is impossible to turn the mind inward without conscious effort.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, you must Walk the Talk, say what you mean, mean what you say and follow through with suitable actions, else your words are nothing more than lies. This is because actions prove who someone is, while words just prove who they want to be. Being caught in the whirlpool of sense gratification, it is beyond our control to have a link between our words and appropriate actions.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, he humbles himself to GOD who accepts anyone seeking Him without expectations, for No Expectations there are No Disappointments.
Prayer is not Asking. It is putting Oneself in the Hands of GOD, for GOD speaks in the silence of the heart."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

चाकरीवांचून I
खाणे अनुचित वेतन II
धणी काढ़ोनिया निजा I
करील ये कामेंची पूजा II
उचितावेगळे I
अभिलाषे तोंड काळे II
सांगे तरी तुका I
पाहा लाज नाही लोकां II

It is said that "If the only prayer you said to GOD was Thank You, that would be enough."
Each day we live is a Gift, so thank GOD in the morning for another day of life, and thank GOD in the evening for getting you through the day. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, Another Day, a True Blessing, is but an Another Chance at Life, to do everything possible to make most of this rare human birth, a wonderful opportunity of Self Realisation.
Gratitude is our ability to see the grace of GOD for every passing moment, no matter what else greets us in the course of the day. However if we do everything else but forget Him then it will be like biting the hand that feeds us.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, to be paid for doing nothing is unmerited. In other words, One who serves his master with utmost sincerity gets duly rewarded honorably.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, when we wake up in the morning, someone may be taking their last breath. And hence we must thank GOD with all our heart for another day, one more chance to take life a notch close to the True Purpose of this Precious Human Birth, the Self Quest. Just like all blessings of GOD, it is up to us how we wish to experience His Blessing of "One More Day of life". He says, Pray not only because you need something but because you have a lot to thank GOD for. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

अनुहाती गुंतला नेणे बाह्य रंग I
वृत्ति येता मग बळ लागे II
मदे माते तया नाही देहभाव I
आपुला अवयव आवरिता II
आणिकांची वाणी वदे तेणे मुखे I
उपचारदुःखे नाठवती II
ते सुख बोलता आश्चर्य या जना I
विपरीत मना भासतसे II
तुका म्हणे बाह्य रंग ते विटले I
अंतरी निवाले ब्रम्हरसे II

"Sound is the force of creation, the True Whole. The whole being of a Self Realised Soul resonates with (सोहम) sound which is the "first speaking" of the Absolute itself. It is the expression of the Knowledge of Self.  (सोहम) is the revealed sound symbol of the Ultimate Reality. Just as light is inseparable from the sun, or sweetness from sugar, the inner sound of (सोहम) springs from Supreme Consciousness and is heard by a Self Realised Soul. It is the Inseparable, Non Dual Oneness of man with the Absolute.
The journey of Self Realisation is a journey within where One transcends from Body Consciousness to Supreme Consciousness. However for the One on his inward journey, reverting back to body centric thinking is very afflictive.
With Mental purity, equipose and tranquility, the Self Realised Soul is neither elated when the outcome is favourable, nor he feels depressed in unpleasant situations. As he becomes One with the Infinite Consciousness, it empowers him to face difficulties while remaining unaffected and unruffled by them.
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about a  Self Realised Soul, who on account of his Unconditional Awareness feels that Only GOD and not he, is the Doer. The Unstruck melody of (सोहम) sound vibrates in his mind and his heart revels in Absolute Happiness and Peace emanating from it. The mind  remains intuitively absorbed in his Self and hence in a way it is an experience of being in the world but not of the world. Being beyond bodily pleasure and pain, the equanimity of his mind remains undisturbed.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, not in Scriptures, not in temples, not at Pilgrimages can GOD be found. One can find Him only in Breath, for ( सोहम) is a Breathing process, the basis of our life. The Non Dual Awareness of "I am the Universal Self" is intricately connected with our Breathing. Just like Breathing happens and it cannot be done consciously, so is GOD the Eternal, whose presence is felt and experienced from within.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, words are too inadequate to express the ecstacy of Supreme Bliss which the Self Realised Soul enjoys when he transcends beyond the realm of "I am the body" idea. However if One does so, it seems too far-fetched for a commoner to grasp it.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, GOD has two dwellings, one in heaven and the other in the meek and grateful heart of a Self Realised Soul whose mind has relinquished everything pertaining to body centric thinking and whose heart is bathed in the very Essence of Supreme Consciousness. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम Ii

दिकचि या नाही संसारसंबंधा I
तुटेना या बाधा भवरोगाची II
तांतड़ी ते करी म्हणऊनि तांतड़ी I
साधिली ते घड़ी सोनियाची II
संकल्पाच्या बीजे इंद्रियांची चाली I
प्रारब्ध ते घाली गर्भवासी II
तुका म्हणे बीजे जाळुनि सकळे I
करावे गोपाळे आपुले भाट II

The Scriptures say,"Know the Self as Lord of the chariot, the body as the chariot itself, the discriminating intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins. The senses, say the Wise, are the horses; selfish desires are the roads they travel."
In this materialistic age, a great many of us are possessed by our worldly possessions. The things we own, end up owning us. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, in the world possessed by the spell of Mistress of Illusion Maya, our actions fuelled by desires are met by the reactions of sense gratification and thIs vicious circle will continue forever if One remains ignorant of the true purpose of this rare human birth. In this ephemeral existence One needs to hurry as time is short, for time isn't the main thing, but it's the only thing. He says, this rare human birth is a one time offer. One  needs to grab it and use it well.
When a flower does not bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. Similarly One needs to do everything possible for the flower of Self Realisation to bloom in its full glory.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, doing every action in our present life assuming it to be GOD's deed is the only way to be free of its Doership, else the notion "I am the Doer" is bound to keep the bucket of accumulated deeds (संचित कर्म) always full. Nothing lasts forver, for forever is a lie. All we have is what's between hello and goodbye. He implores GOD to nurture seeds of Awareness in him and wishes to grow flowers of gratitude in the soil of his prayer. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जयj जय राम II

असो खळ ऐसे फार I
आम्हां त्यांचे उपकार II
करिती पातकांची धुणी I
मोल न घेतां साबणी II
फुकाचे मजूर I
ओझे वागविती भार II
पार उतरून म्हणे तुका I
आम्हा आपण जाती नरका II

"All the criticism is ultimately a blessing in disguise."
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, to feel offended when criticised is due to ego which is Manifestation of "I am the body" idea. He says, it is better to have such critics in abundance as they help One to make a conscious effort to maintain poise and equanimity when the mind is disturbed by criticism. Critics are the way GOD takes us into troubled waters, not to drown us, but to cleanse us from within.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, he is grateful to his critics and all those who point out his weaknesses, for it is in a way an emancipation from the bondage of "I am the body" idea.
The fault finder is unaware that he is doing a great service to the One he is criticising. It imparts a wonderful opportunity to the One who is criticised to look within, and hence cleanse everything that becomes a hurdle on his journey of Self Realisation. Unknowingly the critic is doing an unpardonable sin. But for the One who is criticised, it is a boon, for complaining is finding faults and Wisdom is finding solutions."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

गेले पळाले दिवस रोज I
काय म्हणतोसि माझे माझे II
सळे धरोनि बैसला काळ I
फांको नेदी घटिका पळ Ii
कां रे अद्यापि न कळे I
केश फिरले कान डोळे II
हित कळोनि असता हाती I
तोंडी पाडोनि घेसी माती II
तुज ठाउके मी जाणार I
पाया शोधोनि बांधिसी घर II
तुका म्हणे वेगे I
पंढरीराया शरण रिघे II

"It is said that
" Light as feathers, as fleeting as Zephyre (a soft gentle breeze), one moment they breathed pink, the next they faded. Cherry blossoms were as much an inspiration for beautiful verse as they were a reminder of life's fickleness. "
No empire lasts forever, no dynasty continues unbroken. Some day, you and I will be mere legends. All that matters is whether we did what we could with the life that was given to us. So as the castles made of sand slip into the sea eventually, what we see with our eyes is transient and ephemeral, while what we see through our heart is everlasting and eternal. For only from heart can We touch the Sky, the all enveloping GOD Consciousness. This rarest of rare human birth is the Quest of our True Self and not mere living physically just because we are born and alive.
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj cautions One about wasting this precious human birth for frivolous material pursuits. He says, in worldly life, Ego is One's identity. But "My Ego is not Me" because I live in ignorance. Who I am, I cannot see.
Death stalks every mortal with a spear of enmity in his hand. Do not sit idle, for indeed Death is seeking you with every passing moment. It will always call without appointment.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, despite that the faculties of seeing and hearing wane as One ages, the ignorant mind remains unaware of the precious moments lost in this rare human birth. As maturity and age do not always go hand in hand, so is graying of hair for an ignorant person.
The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for and it is none other than knowing our True Self, the journey of Self Realisation.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, bodily identity is the way we are known in this world. In a way it is a foundation of our mundane existence. But "I am the body" idea itself is an illusion. It is that which is not. As One ages, the perishable body dwindles with every passing moment and the subsidence of the very foundation of worldly existence becomes inevitable. The only way out is utmost Surrender to Divine Lord Pandurang, for Transformation happens on the other side of Surrender "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

पायरवे अन्न I
मग करी खेदश्रीण II
ऐसे होती घातपात I
लाभेविण संगे थीत II
जन्माची जोड़ी I
वाताहात एके घड़ी II
तुका म्हणे शंका I
हिता आड़ या लौकिका II

It is said that "Until you make the Unconscious Conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate".
Doubt or uncertainty is a great obstacle in the path of Self Realisation. The arduous path of Self Realisation is haunted by ghosts of Doubts. One of the worst feelings in the world is having to doubt something you thought was unquestionable, GOD.
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about Doubt being a a major hurdle on the Self Quest. He says, as the journey of Self Realisation unfolds, One's mind is subjected more and more to Self Enquiry which creates Doubts in abundance, for without Doubt there is no faith. The man who pursues his Self Quest with a courage of conviction, who does not Doubt, has so much more merit than One who does it in the bright certainty of belief.
Illustrating with beautiful analogies, Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, just like tranquility of One having food is shattered by hearing loud footsteps in the vicinity, a single lie discovered is enough to create doubt in every truth expressed.
In another analogy he says, just like one stupid mistake can change everything and ruin all the vIrtue One has earned in his lifetime, a Doubt about his conscious efforts on the Path of Self Realisation can bring him all the way back to square one.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, Doubt is a mind game, but Heart doesn't know what Doubt is, it simply knows the Trust in GOD. Hence don't be short of Trust and don't be in a hurry, for the Heart will surely find its way. "

Ii श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

बंधनाचा तोड़ू फांसा I
देउं आशा टाकोनि II
नाही तेच घेतां शिरी I
होईल दूरी निजपंथ II
नाथिलेची माझे तुझे I
कोण ओझे वागवी II
तुका म्हणे अंतराव I
देवीं काय जिणे ते II

"As the famous saying goes "True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing."
The worldly knowledge we accumulate since birth is the knowledge gained through "I am the body" idea. It is far off from the Wisdom of our True Self, the True Knowledge of the Eternal.
Ignorance that envelopes humanity is just another name for Illusion that everything in this world is real as we see it. Just like a rope is mistaken for a snake, we tend to assume that our body is the real Self which is not.
The root cause of all our sufferings is "I am the body" idea which in itself is distancing from GOD. This is an unpardonable sin because life was never meant to be lived without GOD.
Man's mind cannot grasp the causes of events in their completeness. But the desire to find the causes is implanted deep in man's soul. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, life becomes an aimless wanderings unless One  consciously strives for His grace because GOD rewards those who diligently seek Him.
With a deliberate and conscious effort on the journey of Self Quest, the false ego sense and sense gratification recede and life takes a new zest like a breath of fresh air. As the burden of "I am the body" idea lessens, new doors to Self Realisation open. Unless One consciously offloads the Burden of Past, Burden of Doership and Burden of Sense Gratification, the shadow of duality due to "I am the body" idea will haunt forever and the way to GOD will be permanently lost in the mist of Illusion.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, GOD has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand his Wisdom, but we simply have to trust his Will."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

जरी आले राज्य मोळविक्या हाता I
तरी तो मागूता व्यवसायी II
तृषणेची मजूरे नेणती विसावा I
वाटे हाव हावा काम कामी II
वैभवाची सूखे नातळता अंगा I
चिंता करी भोगा विघ्न जाळी II
तुका म्हणे वाहे मरणाचे भय I
रक्षण उपाय करुनि असे II

"It is said that "Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realisation of how much you already have."
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about the One, already possessing the rare human body but forgetful about its true purpose. One must make a conscious effort of using this rare human birth as a conduit to attain his ultimate goal of Self Realisation.
A seller of bunch of firewood becomes a King by fluke. Despite this windfall his urge of selling firewood remains ever active and hence he loses a wonderful opportunity to live and enjoy a much dreamed life of being a King to the fullest. It is so true that too much good fortune can make you smug and unaware. Similarly a man living a mundane life, is unaware of hIs precious and rare human birth whIch is not short of any windfall. Instead He remains absorbed in worldly desires and sense gratifications and hence loses a wonderful and unique opportunity to use his body as a channel for his Self Quest. In a way he is playing a role in this worldly theatre, unaware that there is an invisible hand guiding him. He struggles to find life outside himself, unaware that the journey within is his real goal. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj has elucidated this thought. He says, "I am the body" idea is at the core of this worldly life. The worldly life revolves around body centric thinking which breeds Greed. Greed is the crux of human undoing. one must make a conscious effort to flee "I am the body" idea and then he will be fleeing his own undoing.
The veil of ignorance due to the spell of Maya, the Mistress of Illusion is so overwhelming that One miscontrues the True objective of his rare human birth and instead of using the body for Self Quest, he frantically tries to do everything possible to hold together the ever Perishable and ever Diminishing body knowing that it is bound to succumb to death as time goes by.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, you find peace not by arranging circumstances of your life, but by realising who you are at the deepest level. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

वेदविहित तुम्ही आइका हो कर्मे I
बोलतो ती वर्मे संतांपुढे II
चारी वर्ण झाले एकाचिये अंगी I
पापपुण्य भागी विभागिले II
प्रथम पाउली पावविला पंथ I
आदि मध्य अंत भेद नाही II
आंबे बोरी वड़ बाभूळा चंदन I
गुणागुणी भिन्न अग्नि एक I
तुका म्हणे मन उन्मन जो होय I
तोवरी हे सोय विधि पाळी II

" In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about the Unmani (उन्मनी) State, the unparalleled final state of five basic traits of Consciousness that are experienced : (जागृति) Waking, (स्वप्न) Dreaming, (सुषुप्ति) Dreamless Sleep, (तुर्या) Sleepless sleep and (उन्मनी) Mind less -Space in Comic Consciousness.
In (उन्मनी) state, the seeker loses his separate existence and becomes One with GOD and experiences himself as being none other than GOD himself. It is the terminus of the Spiritual Path, the final destination of all search and endeavor followed in this rare human birth. It is the Real Awakening. He has now reached the other shore of the vast ocean of imagination, and realises that This Last Truth Is The Only Truth.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, it is the stage where the Mind.-Space transforms to Mindless-Space. At this point, becoming One with the Infinite Oneness, he has transcended Duality. He experiences Selflessness, No-Mind, No Duality and the object and subject relationship disappears. He says, the seeker must dilligently follow the path illuminated by Vedic Scriptures till he reaches (उन्मनी), the pinnacle state of Supreme Bliss.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, born from the Divine, the society is divided into four categories (वर्ण) , be they on the basis of actions or aptitudes in this life or as a result of the actions in the past life. Wise men know that GOD is in things and Divinity is latent in nature. Trees of Mango, Ber, Banyan, Babul or Sandalwood, each has its own marked distinctness on the basis of their attributes. Regardless of this each one of them is devoured by Raging Fire and ultimately become One with it. In the (उन्मनी) state, when Oneness with Supreme Self is attained, all the worldly modes of distinctions such as Doer, his Actions and  Fruits of his Actions disappear and what remains is our True Self, the Sublime Bliss forever.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the journey of Self Realisation is a process of constant Self Enquiry in tandem with Self Discipline. it does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop because the hour of fulfillment is buried in years of patience "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

बीज पेरे सेती I
मग गाडेवरी वाहाती II
वायां गेले ऐसे दिसे I
लाभ त्याचे अंगी वसे II
पाल्याची जतन I
तरि प्रत्यया यती कण II
तुका म्हणे आळा I
उदक देता लाभे फळा II

It is said that "Without Purity in the Vital Tree of Blood, there can Never be Purity of thought and if your blood is being processed through organs that hold memories of stench and decay, so you will battle with your mind's Impure thoughts." In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about conscious cultivating of the mind soil, as Purity of Heart is gateway to GOD.
Just like Gardening, when you plant a vegetable seed, the "fruits" of the seed will totally depend on how you prepare the soil, and how you nourish and support the growing seedling into its adulthood.
Gardening is a process of continual weeding, of pulling out of the roots of all the foreign plants that might choke the seedling to death or might stunt or distort it's growth. Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, One needs to consciously cultivate the soil of the mind on his journey of Self Realisation. This Self Quest is all about looking within, pulling out roots of all worldly temptations that swerve the mind away from Self Quest. The sole purpose of this rare human birth is to attain Self Realisation. The entanglements of worldly desires not only stall the process of finding our True Self, they may trap One in "I am the body" idea, thus swaying him from his true purpose.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, just like Gardening, the journey of Self Realisation is a process of continual weeding. Even the richest soil, if left uncultivated will produce the rankest weeds. To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves because Self Quest is all about Self Enquiry.
As the famous saying goes " If you tickle the earth with a hoe, she laughs with a harvest."
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, One gets huge returns on few seeds sown in the field. When sown, being within the soil One has to wait patiently to reap its rewards. Even the leaves of just sprouted crop never disappoint, as time has its own ways of revealing the Truth.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the height of cultivation always runs to simplicity. The ability to express the UTMOST with the MINIMUM. It is the halfway cultivation that leads to nowhere. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

उंबरातील कीटका I
हेचि ब्रम्हांड ऐसे लेखा II
ऐसी उंबरे किती झाड़ी I
ऐशी झाड़े किती नव खंडी II
हेचि ब्रम्हांड आम्हांसी I
ऐसी अगणित अंडे कैसी II
विराटाचे अंगी तैसे I
मोजू जातां अगणित केश II
ऐशा विराटाच्या कोटी I
साठविल्या जाच्या पोटी II
तो हा नंदाचा बाळ मुकुंद I
तान्हा म्हणवी परमानंद II
ऐसी अगम्य ईश्वर लीळा I
ब्रम्हानंदी गम्य तुकयाला II

"The Eternal Bramha, the Supreme Consciousness which envelopes all is beginningless and endless. It is immutable and unchanging, in the inherently mutable and changing experience of existence in the flow of time. Whatever it is, it occurs in humans, animals, plants and everything in the Infinite Cosmoses scattered in the multidimensional universe like layers of clothing. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the only way to grasp this incomprehensible Supreme Consciousness is to become One with it.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj has illustrated with a beautiful analogy. He says, for an insect trapped inside Cluster Fig (उंबर), the fruit itself is the universe. However in reality there are innumerable Cluster Fig trees in the giant universe. Here Cluster Fig is the analogy for  earth which is a tiny part of billions of cosmoses in the universe. They spring from GOD and ultimately merge back to Him. He manifests in different forms, in different names, but Oneness of Supreme Consciousness or GOD Consciousness is unique.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, our earth is a tiny part of the milky way galaxy which in turn is just one of billions of galaxies existing in the universe. As we try to uncover more and more of the secrets of this incredible universe we realise how tiny our earth is in the scheme of things. It's still a long way to go before we can see the whole picture of this "Giant Puzzle", and maybe we never will."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु Ii

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

मुक्त तो आशंक नाही जया अंगी I
बद्ध मोह संगी लज्जा चिंता II
सुख पावे शांती धरुनि एकांत I
दुःखी तो लोकांत दंभ करी II
तुका म्हणे लागे थोडाच विचार I
परी हे प्रकार नागविती II

"It is said that " Doubts are for Faithless and Faith is for Doubtless."
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about Doubtless Awareness. He says, if Self Realisation is the foothill of a large mountain, then Doubtless Awareness is the peak of that mountain, the pinnacle of Spiritual Quest. On the other hand One who is strongly in the grip of "I am the body" idea considers himself to be the doer. This sense of doership is the mother of all worries. Worry, Doubt, Fear and Despair are the the real roadblocks on our journey of Self Realisation.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, only when there is freedom from Doership, your True Self emerges from within. Sense of Doership always creates boundaries while Liberation happens when One has a sense of Understanding.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, One needs a courage of conviction to walk on the path of Self Realisation which is the journey within. It is all about looking at Self. It is a journey from Self to Self and hence it is natural that One seeking dialogue with Self seeks Solitude. Solitude  is a conscious choice to reflect and to be at ease with Oneself in the absence of activity. It is but a way of giving a reflective thought on the path of Self Quest, a journey within. On the other hand an impostor with pompous display may catch attention of people for sometime, but it does not last long. The impostor is unaware that in deceiving others, he is hurting himself and in a way losing everything he has earned knowingly or unknowingly.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, in our worldly life, all our endeavors are only to seek pleasure from senses and we feel that sense gratification is the real happiness. But what we get from it most of the times is suffering. In a way, our worldly living then becomes a journey from illusory happiness to sufferings. On the other hand the journey to Self Realisation is  the journey other way round, from worldly sufferings to True Eternal Happiness of Supreme Self. This is possible only when we make a conscious effort to find out the root of all our sufferings and then do everything possible analogous to it, to be free from its bondage. He says, actually very little is needed to seek happiness. It is all within yourself and in your way of thinking. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

सिणलो दातारा करितां येरझारा I
आता सोडवी संसारापासोनिया II
न सूटेचि बाकी नव्हे झाडापाड़ा I
घाटलोसे खोड़ा हाडांचिया II
मायबापे माझी जीवाची सांगाती I
ती देखील हाती काळाचिया II
पड़ताळूनि सूरी बैसले शेजारी I
यमफाश करी घेऊनिया II
पाठी पोटी ऐके लागली सरसी I
नेती नरकापाशी ओढूनिया II
जन साहयभूत असे या सकळां I
मी एक निराळा परदेशी II
कोणा काकुलती नाही कोणे परी I
तुजविण हरी कृपाळूवा II
तुका म्हणे मज तुझाचि भरवसा I
म्हणऊनि आशा मोकलिली II

"A Bee trapped in the spider web resembles a man in the shackles of worldly life. The human life has been put forth metaphorically as a journey from womb to tomb. As no one can escape death, it is imperative that One has to make a conscious effort to put an end to the unending cycle of death and rebirth by realising the Divine in this birth itself. A man is born alone, dies alone and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his deeds all alone.
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about fleeting existence of this rare human birth where our physical body is but a bubble on the surface of a great river. A bubble forms and disappears instantly, without even bothering the flow of the river. He says, being tired of his wanderings in the endless cycle of sufferings, the only way he sees to be free of this gruelling bondage is to surrender to the Supreme Lord Shri Ram.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, Karma or Action is inevitable for every born being. Whether intended or not, the accumulated result of all actions from all our past lifetimes is the Sanchit Karma, a Storehouse. This incessant accumulation can cease if everything we do in our present life is surrendered to the feet of Lord Divine.  If we do every action assuming that Lord and not you, are the doer then that action will cease to have your ownership and hence there is no danger of it being added to the Storehouse of your Sanchit Karma. To do so One must Attach Holy Ram Nam while doing every action, for this is the best way to Detach and hence cease the endless accumulation in the Storehouse of Sanchit Karma.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, this human birth is an ephemeral stay of few moments. Being engrossed in "I am the body" idea, we feel closeness to everything pertaining to body such as relatives, worldly possessions. We tend to forget that the Parents to whom we are born is confined to only this birth and all these associations form by the dynamics of Sanchit Karma of different people. There is no way for us to know, why we were born to two particular people as our Parents. Regardless of different people who come together by different relations in every birth, there Is one thread common to all. As soon as we are born, we are destined to die and will be the prey to Death God unless we make conscious effort in this rare human birth to be free of the repeated sufferings.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, our body is but a bundle of desires. The whirlpool of Prarabdha Karma along with sense gratification is a sure ticket to hell. Only when a fortunate One realises the mistake he is committing since time immemorial, the journey of Self Realisation begins. It is a journey within which makes him the One in the world but not of the world. He understands that the only way he can stop his degradation is by surrendering to the Divine Lord who accepts anyone coming to him with utmost faith.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the only refuge he sees in his sufferings is his Trust in GOD, because faith is not believing that GOD can, but it is knowing that GOD will."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

भोग भोगांवरी द्यावा I
संचिताचा करुनी ठेवा II
शांती धरणे जिवासाठी I
दशा उत्तम गोमटी II
देह लेखावा असार I
सत्य पर उपकार II
तुका म्हणे हे मिरासी I
बुडी द्यावी ब्रम्हरसी II

"Prarabdha is a Karma, in the sense that it is the fruit of actions that we have done in the past, and no Karma can ever give Liberation. Neither action nor the fruit of action or any propensity to do any action can give us Liberation because the very nature of Liberation is freedom from doership and hence from all action. It is the body that has Prarabdha, not the Self. When Prarabdha is over, the experiences which One has to undergo through his body are exhausted, and then there is death. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about the Living Liberated Soul who is endowed with a mind that has become subtle and who has experience of his True Self. In this state of  being Living Liberated, it is not that the pain and pleasure experiences go away, they continue to exist. But the difference now is that the Wise person recognises that the Prarabdha Karma can only affect the body and not the Self. For him the Wisdom of Self has already destroyed the Sanchit Karma, all accumulated deeds. There is no longer the ego saying "I am the doer". Instead there is only the knowledge that "I am the Supreme Bliss".
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, One must remain consciously aware of the Eternal Truth that the body is perishable, but within it dwells the imperishable Self. Inculcating Compassion is in a way renouncing the "I am the body" idea which is the very basis of Self Realisation and hence Liberation.On the journey of Self Realisation One must constantly strive for someone else's sunshine and try to become the reason for someone to smile, for God is embodiment of Compassion.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, for the Living Liberated Soul, the real riches are the riches possessed inside because somewhere within us all, there does exist a Supreme Self who is Eternally at peace."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

मोले घातले रडाया I
नाही असूं आणि माया II
तैसा भक्तिवाद काय I
रंगबेगडीचा न्याय II
वेठी धरिल्या दावी भाव I
मागे पळावयाचा पाव II
काजव्याच्या ज्योती I
तुका म्हणे न लगे वाती II

" GOD, as the bestower of the result of man's deeds, blesses a person with devotion to Him only when the devotee seeks devotion as the end and not as a means to realise something else. The Divine Lord becomes bound to such a devotee who is devoted to Him for His sake. Only when the devotee does not seek anything from GOD, the Divine Lord blesses him with devotion. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj implores One to be single minded and wholehearted in his devotion to GOD. He says prefer the Supreme Being to all else, and everything else will fall into place. Talking about Reason-less devotion to GOD he says,
Love has no reason. When asked "Why?" the answer is "I don't know. I just do."
Because love does not come from the mind to know but from the heart to feel. True devotion is motivated by love alone and is devoid of selfish entanglements.
The limitless loving devotion to GOD is the highest elevation of which the heart is capable. It is the highest degree of prayer.
Illustrating with beautiful analogies he says, sometimes people are hired as professional mourners after the death of a relative. They publicly express the grief of family members who are not permitted to display emotion due to social status. These hired mourners make a scene crying out loud. Just like these hired people who cry for the sake of money and nothing else, the devotion to GOD merely as a routine procedure devoid of true love to Him is worthless. The Loveless Devotion to GOD is just like a porter who offloads his burden and goes away without looking back.
In another analogy Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, just like luminescence of Fireflies, the Lightening Bugs is not sufficient to light a lamp, the pompous flashiness of ritualistic display is just not enough to deceive GOD of One's pretensions devoid of true devotion.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the rewards of life and devotion to GOD are love and ecstasy from within. He says, Pray with all your heart, and though Prayer does not change GOD, it makes a marked change in him who prays."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

शहाणपण वेद मुक़ा I
गोपिका त्या ताक़टी II
कैसे येथे कैसे तेथे I
शहाणे ते जाणती II
यज्ञमुखे खोड़ी काढ़ी I
कोण गोडी बोरांची II
तुका म्हणे भावाविण I
अवघा सींण केला होय II

"It is said that "Not to seek anything from GOD is a beginning of devotion and seeking GOD from GOD is a paramount stage of devotion."
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about devotion for the sake of devotion which blossoms and it reaches it's pinnacle when One seeks GOD from GOD. He says, a strong belief in existence of GOD is the very basis of devotion to Him. Nothing else matters. A true devotee leaves everything in GOD's HANDS and eventually sees GOD's HANDS in everything.
A true devotee never believes that lines on his hand predict his future, but he strongly believes that his future is safe in GOD's HANDS.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the Wisdom of Vedic Scriptures seeks silence for being unable to express glory of GOD. However the cow herding girls (गोपिका) though illiterate, enjoy their unconditional devotion to Divine Lord Krishna which gives them immense contentment from within. Sant Tukaram Maharaj has illustrated with beautiful analogy. He says Wisdom of Vedic Scriptures  is just like a whole butter which is difficult to be digested for a common man if eaten as it is but butter milk drunk by cow herd girls, though contains traces of butter in it, gives the flavour of butter without any hindrances. Traces of butter is nearness of GOD which does its miracle. GOD gives miracles to those who believe, courage to those with faith, hope to those who dream and love to those who accept.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, it is beyond human intellect to decipher doings of GOD. Only the Wise men of Wisdom know that GOD can restore what is broken and change it to something amazing. All One needs is an absolute faith in Him.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, mere ritualistic procedures void of loving devotion means nothing to the Divine Lord. However GOD accepted and enjoyed the half eaten berries offered to Him by Shabri, and blessed her for her love to Him. Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, it is not what we do or offer to GOD, how big or small things. What matters most is with how much devotion we offer it to GOD.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, when you enter GOD's presence with true and selfless devotion, He envelopes your consciousness with GOD Consciousness. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

शहाणपण वेद मुक़ा I
गोपिका त्या ताक़टी II
कैसे येथे कैसे तेथे I
शहाणे ते जाणती II
यज्ञमुखे खोड़ी काढ़ी I
कोण गोडी बोरांची II
तुका म्हणे भावाविण I
अवघा सींण केला होय II

" It is said that " Not to seek anything from GOD is a beginning of devotion and seeking GOD from GOD is a paramount stage of devotion. "
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about devotion for the sake of devotion which blossoms and it reaches it's pinnacle when One seeks GOD from GOD. He says, a strong belief in existence of GOD is the very basis of devotion to Him. Nothing else matters. A true devotee leaves everything in GOD's HAND and eventually sees GOD's HAND in everything.
A true devotee never believes that lines on his hand predict his future, but he strongly believes that his future is safe in GOD's HANDS.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the Wisdom of Vedic Scriptures seeks silence for being unable to express glory of GOD. However the cow herding girls (गोपिका) though illiterate enjoy their unconditional devotion to Divine Lord Krishna which gives them immense contentment. Here Sant Tukaram Maharaj has illustrated with beautiful analogy. He says Wisdom of Vedic Scriptures is a whole butter which is difficult to be digested by all but butter milk had by cow herd girls though contains traces of butter in it could drink it and enjoy the GOD's HAND in it to the full. GOD gives miracles to those who believe, courage to those with faith, hope to those who dream and love to those who accept.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, it is beyond human intellect to decipher doings of GOD. Only the Wise men of Wisdom know that GOD can restore what is broken and change it to something amazing. All One needs is a faith in Him.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, more than mere ritualistic procedures, GOD accepted and enjoyed the half eaten berries offered to Him by Shabri, and blessed her for her love to Him. Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, it is not what we do or offer to GOD, how big or small things. What matters most is with how much devotion we offer it to GOD.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, when you enter GOD's presence with true and selfless devition, He envelopes your consciousness with GOD Consciousness. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

अवघ्या वाटा झाल्या क्षीण I
कळी न घड़े साधन I
उचित विधि विधान I
न कळे न घड़े सर्वथा II
भक्ति पंथ बहु सोपा I
पुण्य नागवे या पापा I
येणे जाणे ख़ेपा I
येणेचि एके खंडती II
उभारोनि वाहे I
विठो पालवित आहे I
दासा मीच साहे I
मुखे बोले आपुल्या II
भाविक विश्वासी I
पार उतरिले त्यांसी I
तुका म्हणे नासी
कुतरक्याचे कपाळी II

" In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about journey of Self Realisation in Kali Yuga, the age of darkness or decadence in which we now live.
The age of Kali - Kali Yug is the last of four stages that the world goes through as part of its cycle of existence. It is believed that time is cyclical and the Four Yuga's are similar to the Four Seasons that keep recurring in perpetual eternity. In each successive Yuga, SATYA to TRETA to DWAPAR to KALI, all human virtues, such as age, honesty, values, keep getting diminished. Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, in Kali Yug, the age of Downfall, Atheism (नास्तिकवाद) flourishes. Religious observances are performed solely for the sake of reputation or merely as a procedural duty. False doctrines spread randomly. People prefer to remain in ignorance and hence hold false ideas instead of finding the root cause of all sufferings.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, in Kali Yug the worship of God is confined mostly to ritualistic boundaries. The Piousness and Truthfulness of the person performing the rituals is paramount for their effectiveness. It is believed that chanting prayer to Rain God (पर्जन्य्सूक्त) is a old rain invoking ritual and dates back to times of Vedic Scriptures. The Vedic Rishis were Self Realised Souls who had direct intuitive perception of Bramha or the Truth. With their intense meditation and knowledge of Eternal Truth, their words had the power to invoke Rain God for thunder showers. However in Kali Yug, to do so is nothing less than a myth.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, even though we are born in the Age of Darkness, we are fortunate to have been born in time when devotion to Supreme Lord Shri Ram still prevails in the hearts of masses. Since time immemorial the Scriptures have mentioned that it is much simpler to attain Self Realisation in this Kali Yug than in other ages, where all One needs to do is remember his Name, the Holy Ram Nam. One can get deliverance from the cycle of death and rebirth only through the Name Worship of Supreme Lord Shri Ram.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, in Kali Yug the Name Worship of Supreme Lord Shri Ram is the only respite to attain Self Realisation. It works it's miracle without getting trapped in the boundaries of sins and virtues. It is the best way to go beyond the realm of repeated sufferings.The Supreme Lord embraces every devotee surrendering to him with utmost devotion unconditionally.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, fortunate is the One who is conscious of his ephemeral existence and hence wishes to do everything possible to make this rarest of rare human birth fruitful on his journey of Self Realisation. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

तडामोड़ी करा I
परि उत्तम ते भरा II
जेणें खंडे एके खेपे I
जाय तेथे लाभे वोपे II
दाविल्या सारिखे I
मागे नसावे पारिखे II
मागे पुढे ऋण I
तुका म्हणे फिटे हीण II

"It is said that "The Wise regard the giving up of "I am the body" idea as exhaling, Self Enquiry as inhaling. Attention to One's Self, which is ever shining as "I", is the only raft with which the individual, who is firmly gripped by "I am the body" idea, can cross the ocean of unending births."
This composition of Sant Tukaram Maharaj is about Self Enquiry, of seeking the Source and finding out from where the "I -ness" springs or rises. He says,
Renunciation of desires, affection, attachments is just like  merchandising. What One gets in exchange of these goods is the fuel of Self Realisation. This is because quest of our True Self becomes  more focussed as the sheen of "I am the body" idea goes on fading.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, there are two ways of accumulating wealth. One who possesses riches of material wealth feels ocean of grief when death nears. He may have gathered his valuables with lot of hard work and enjoyed them for a long time, but in the end he must depart naked and empty handed as though robbed by thieves. As against to this One who has chosen the path of renunciation and detachment has consciously inculcated and practiced to be in the world but not of the world. He feels no fear as death nears because he is aware that the wealth of transformation from within which he has gained with conscious effort in his lifetime will be accompanying him in the future births and will help him from being swayed off from his ultimate goal, the Self Realisation, where he will transcend beyond the endless cycle of deaths and rebirths. This rare human birth is a wonderful opportunity to do everything possible in the quest of our True Self, as none of these conscious efforts will go in vain in his journey of Self Realisation.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the choice of path is entirely a  discretion of the seeker. But once chosen there is no going back from the path of Self Quest, because to do so will be to put all his earlier efforts in jeopardy.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, offering every thought and every action of this present moment (KRIYAMAN KARMA) to the Supreme Lord Shri Ram by absorbing in the Holy Ram Nam, One can consciously prevent accumulation of SANCHIT KARMA so that the path towards Liberation will start unfolding slowly but steadily and then it will be only a matter of time for One to reach Abode of Supreme Bliss sometime in future."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

केले नाही मनी तया घड़े त्याग I
उबग उद्वेग नाही चित्ती II
देवचि हा जाणे अंतरींचा भाव I
मिथ्या तो उपाव बाह्य रंग II
त्यागिल्याचे ध्यान राहिले अंतरी I
अवघी ते परी विटंबना II
तुका म्हणे आपआपणां विचारा I
कोण हा दूसरा सांगे तुम्हां II

"As the famous saying goes " Renunciation (त्याग) which is natural does not herald it's coming by the blowing of trumpets. It comes in imperceptibly without anyone noticing it. "
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about Renunciation which is not about pushing something away. It is about letting go. It is a commitment to let go of things that create suffering. He says, those who conquer their minds are beings of Renunciation and Detachment. Men are great not by what they acquire, but what they renounce.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the person who does not boast of the duties he performs, whose mind is always free from attachment and who lives life with no regrets because he understands that everything happens for a reason attains the supreme perfection of freedom through Renunciation.
Renunciation is a journey of transformation from within and hence futility of its pompous display does not remain hidden from God, the indweller of heart.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, if One regrets of things he has renounced then it is mockery of all that he does in his quest of Self.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, until we make a conscious effort to practise Self Enquiry, we will not be able to attain knowledge of our True Self and will remain in muddled state of mind and tentative about who or what we really are."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

जीव तोचि देव भोजन ते भक्ति I
मरण ते मुक्ति पाशांड्याची II
पिंडाच्या पोषकी नागविले जन I
लटिके पुराण केले वेद II
मना आला तैसा करिती विचार I
म्हणती संसार नाही पुन्हा II
तुका म्हणे पाठी उठती यमदंड I
पापपुण्य लंड न विचारिती II

It is said that "For a believer, no explanation is necessary. For a non-believer, no explanation is possible."
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about a Non Believer (नास्तिक) for whom material sense gratification is standard of civilization. He says, for an Atheist (नास्तिक) who lacks an active belief in God, everything revolves round "I am the body" idea. Thus for him his body is God, catering to the needs of body is Devotion and death of the body is Liberation. This is in contradiction to what Scriptures have propounded since time immemorial that the perishable body is merely an apparel which is bound to wither over the time while the Supreme Self residing within is immortal. This precious human birth is a wonderful opportunity to understand the True Nature of Self and hence to attain Self Realisation. An Atheist with his body centric thinking believes that everything that can be done to satisfy bodily desires is the only thing worth in life. The veil of ignorance does not allow him to see the real purpose of this rare human birth which is to attain Liberation from the endless cycles of deaths and rebirths.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, unless One transcends beyond "I am the body" idea, the shadow of repeated sufferings will continue to haunt forever the One caught in the web of deception of this illusory world. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

निर्वैर होणे साधनाचे मूळ I
येर ते विल्हाळ सांडीमांडी II
नाही चालो येत सोंग संपादणी I
निवड़े अवसानी शुद्धाशुद्ध II
त्याग नाव तरी निर्विषयवासना I
कार्यकारणापुरते विधि II
तुका म्हणे राहे चिंतनी आवडी I
येणे नावे जोड़ी सत्यत्वेशी II

"It is said that "One must radiate boundless love towards the entire world, above below and across, unhindered without ill will, without enmity."
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about the caution One must exercise on his journey of Self Realisation. He says, the worst grudge is being told that you are forgiven, yet your sins are still glowing in their hearts like a burning coal. The journey of Self Realisation is all about spreading love that conquers all because where Love reigns, Love appears. And where Love is rejected, Enmity triumphs.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, in the quest of True Self, One must make sure that his Intentions are not Pretensions because this Self Deception masks unfaithfulness, hypocrisy and disloyalty to the Self.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, One must constantly do the Self Enquiry in his journey of Self Realisation. It is a dialogue with the Self where we ask ourselves about Truthfulness of our actions. Everything we do consciously in this journey must make a marked improvement in our outlook towards life otherwise the actions will remain mere procedures to hold our Pretensions and everything will go in vain. Pompous display of rituals may influence the people around temporarily but to Lord Divine, nothing remains secret. He sees through us inside out and to Him our hypocrisy stands naked.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, in the present age when everything we do is far from what is expected ideally, the incessant recital of Holy Ram Nam is a great refuge in the turmoil around. Remaining absorbed in the Holy Ram Nam is the finest way to be in the world but not of the world.''

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

गहु एक जाती I
परीं त्या पाधाणी नासती II
वर्म जाणावें ते सार I
कोठे काय थोड़े फार II
कमाईचे सार I
जाती दाविती प्रकार II
तुका म्हणे मोल I
गुणा मिथ्या फीके बोल II

" In the world we live in, everything revolves round the Valuation aspect of our living. The priorities in our life vary according to the Valuation or Worth of a thing under consideration. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj elucidates the paramount importance of Valuation in the journey of Self Realisation. He says, our worldly living revolves around body centric thinking or "I am the body" idea. Worldly possessions and sense gratification then play a pivotal role in our living. As a natural consequence, everything that caters to our material needs becomes valuable to us. Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, our perishable body in this ephemeral existence appears to be very real and seems as if nothing can go wrong with it. This web of deception weaved by Maya, the Mistress of Illusion is so overwhelming that One tends to value the world around him very highly in the material sense than its actual Valuation.
The journey of Self Realisation is all about Valuation. One must continually assess the worth of everything he does on the background of his ultimate goal, the Self Realisation. The Valuation is all about our outlook towards what we do. In a beautiful analogy Sant Tukaram Maharaj  says, a good cook can make variety of delicacies from ordinary wheat while for a bad cook all goes in vain.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, a conscious effort of Valuation enables One to identify the worth of this rarest of rare human birth from the perspective of Self Realisation because right Valuation leads one to the door of Liberation. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

भोग द्यावे देवा I
त्याग भोगीच बरवा II
आपण व्हावे एकीकडे I
देव कळेवरी जोड़े II
योजे यथाकाळे I
उत्तम पाला कंद मुळे II
वंचकासी दोष I
तुका म्हणे मिथ्या सोस II

" It is believed that Non Duality is an experience in which the sense of being a witness or seer of things vanishes completely and instead you feel yourself to be whatever thing you are beholding. You don't see the mountain, you are the mountain.You don't hear a birdsong, you are the birdsong. Awareness is no longer split into experience and the thing that is experienced, there is just pure experience with no divisions. This experience of Oneness with Supreme Consciousness is the Essence of Non Duality. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about such sublime Non Dual experience which is the mark of beginning of process of Awakening. He says,
The choices you made yesterday, voluntary or otherwise, have landed you where you are today, and the choices you will make today will dictate your tomorrow. Hence it is paramount to do your present actions absorbed in the Holy Ram Nam so that your doership ceases and your deeds no longer get accumulated in the storehouse of Sanchit Karma. With every action done on the backdrop of Holy Ram Nam makes Divine Lord the doer. Eveything He does is absorbed in Him and hence it frees Oneself from the doership. As soon as the doership ceases, the incessant accumulation of Sanchit Karma ceases which in turn opens the path of Self Realisation or Liberation from bondage of repeated sufferings bit by bit.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, Non Duality is a possibility that you are the open space of Supreme Consciousness in which absolutely everything seems to come and go, and that space is already at rest, it's already home. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

कौतुकाची सृष्टी I
कौतुकेच केले कष्टी II
मोडे तरी भले खेळ I
फांके फांकिल्या काल्हाळ II
जाणणियासाठी I
भय सामावले पोटी II
तुका म्हणे चेता I
होणे ते तूंचि आइता II

" The image of tree in water that appears inverted might cause fear or disturbance as an abnormal phenomenon to One who does not identify the image as a mere reflection.
A Gem is a creation of the Lord Supreme and it remains so for ever. But it's appeal to us as being precious, exotic and unique is the creation of our individual consciousness. We, the individual soul, create the feelings of happiness, disappointment or indifference with regard to the Gem, but the nature of the Gem as created by the Creator remains the same.
Just like someone lost too long in the desert will desperately seek oasis or someone lost at sea desperately reaches out for a boat or a piece of wood, someone spellbounded by Maya, the Mistress of Illusion will reach out for the Eternal, the Changeless Supreme Reality in the world of fleeting entities.
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about the sense of duality which is the cause of dIstortion of our outlook. He says, Maya is the root cause of ignorance in the world. It is the cause of Dualism, of seeing ourselves as separate from one another, from nature, from Cosmos. We, in this rare human birth possess a magic wand of sense of Discrimination, wielding of which we can remove veil of ignorance cast by Maya, the Cosmic Charmer, thereby evading the trap of body centric thinking.which is the root cause of all sufferings.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, "I am the body" idea is the mother of fear. The journey of Self Realisation is the only way One can transcend beyond Body Consciousness because True Nature of Self is the Supreme Self itself, the storehouse of Intutitive Wisdom. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

लापनिकशब्दे नातूड़े हा देव I
मनिंचा गुह्य भाव शुद्ध बोला II
अंतरींचा भेद जाणे परमानंद I
जयासी संवाद करणे लागे II
तुका म्हणे जरी आपुले स्वहित I
तरी करी चित्त शुद्धभावे II

" It is said that by the constant and earnest contemplation when we uplift ourselves from our false ego sense to a Higher Consciousness, it is worship which is a sublime experience.
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, people who resort to deceit find it difficult to follow the path of devotion. Lord Divine sees us inside out so nothing can remain secret. One needs to be true to Self because it is the only way to become One with the Supreme Self.
If we want to discover our True Nature then we must fIrst enquire of what we are not. Only when we discard all that we are not, only thing that remains is our True Self.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, One must identify the true purpose of this rare human birth. This rare human birth is for the sole purpose of attaining Self Realisation. One must make a conscious effort of reciting the Holy Ram Nam incessantly as it is the only way to seek the Abode of Supreme Bliss "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु iI

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

बहुतां जन्मां अंती I
जोड़ी लागली हे हाती II
मनुष्यदेहा ऐसा ठाव I
धरी पांडुरंगी भाव II
बहु झाला फेरा I
येथे सापडला थारा II
तुका म्हणे जाणे I
ऐसे दुर्लभ ते शाहाणे II

" Among the several kinds of living beings, it is the human being who is best equipped to progress spiritually and be liberated from the excruciating trauma of being born again and again. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj emphasizes the privilege of human birth for which man must express his gratitude to his Creator for this rare favour.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, attainment of human birth is as difficult as finding  a needle in the haystack. On completion of life as a human being, to attain the human birth yet again is as difficult as it is for the burnt parts - leaves and branches - of tree to regain the original mode of the tree. If somehow the human birth is attained again, if true faith is not acquired, human birth becomes useless, like the face without vision. And even after attaining this rare true faith if One is immersed in worldly pleasures then it is like burning sandalwood paste for the sake of ash.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, the rare human birth is very ephemeral and very uncertain. It is full of inherent adversity, but nevertheless an invaluable opportunity. Only in this rare human birth One can strive to become free from the bondage of repeated sufferings and it is a great fortune if One understands its unparalleled importance at the right time when he can do something constructively in the direction of ultimate goal, the Liberation "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

येऊनि नरदेहा झाकतील डोळे I
बळेची आधंळे होती लोक II
उजेडासरसी न चलती वाट I
पुढील बोभाट जाणोनिया II
बहु फेरे आले सोसोनिया वोळसा I
पुढे नाही ऐसा लाभ मग II
तुका म्हणे जाऊ सादावीत वाटे I
भेटे तरी भेटे कोणी तरी II

" Among the innumerable species of living beings, man alone has been vested with the freedom of choice, he can discriminate between right and wrong and eschew that which is not conducive for his well being. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj says that it is rare to be born as a human being and hence it becomes imperative that it should be put to optimum use and One should not let it fritter away on materialistic pursuits.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, to spend this precious human birth for doing everything other than Self Realisation is nothing but having a sight but no vision. Those who have been privileged to be born as human beings tend to take it for granted without pausing to think that such wonderful opportunity may not come their way again as there is no guarantee about the nature of our next birth.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says that in our journey from womb to tomb, no one can evade death. He earnestly insists to find the rare One who with conscious effort may put an end to this endless cycle of repeated sufferings by realising God in this rarest of rare human birth."

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

भार घाली देवा I
न लगे देश डोई घ्यावा II
देह प्रारब्ध आधीन I
सोसे अधिक वाढे सींण II
व्यवसाय निमित्त I
फळ देतसे संचित II
तुका म्हणे फिरे I
भोवंडिने दम जिरे II

We are all influenced by our past. From birth to death One keeps Oneself alive by performing Karma, through the body, mind and emotions. The element of action is linked with One's needs, ambitions, success and failures. The expression of human life is "I am" and the Karma connects this "I" with this world, thus making it inseparable part of this universe.
In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about Karma which is imperishable. He says, the residue, the experiences and the result of Karma remain with the soul after death. When the soul is born again the mind brings fruits of actions in the form of impressions of mind into the new life. This is called Prarabdha Karma. What One has brought along to this life is One's Prarabdha. And hence Sant Tukaram Maharaj says that One must fully entrust his life on God instead of becoming worried about what life holds for him. One can chose his profession by his free will but what returns he will get from it is decided entirely by his Prarabdha and not by anything else.
One must work very hard and do his best of efforts remaining fully aware that ultimately he will be rewarded by his Prarabdha.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says that in life our efforts are not directly proportional to our rewards. Sometimes One becomes rich without knowing what made him rich. While sometimes One does not get rewards appropriate to his extraordinary effort. This is because the rewards are decided by Prarabdha of every individual which he is uniquely born with. Only if One does his work sincerely, remaining aware of the spell of Prarabdha in his life then he will be able to accept the rewards graciously as a gift of God without getting trapped in the whirlpool of blame game which takes him nowhere. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

अवघी मिथ्या आटी I
राम नाही जव कंठी II
सावधान सावधान I
उगवी संकल्पी हे मन II
सांडिलें ते मांडे I
आग्रह उरल्या काळ दंडे II
तुका म्हणे आले भागा I
देउनि चिंति पांडुरंगा II

As the saying goes,
" Like the butter hidden in milk, the Pure Consciousness resides in every being.This ought to be constantly churned out by the churning rod of the mind, the incessant recital of Divine name Pandurang. In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, a conscious effort of reciting the Divine Name Pandurang, cleanses One's mind by removing doubts. Just like breathing that continues until our last breath, we must constantly and consciously remain engaged in the Divine Name every moment of this rarest of rare human birth.
Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, emotional attachment to worldly objects clouds our Sense of Discrimination. This Discriminating intellect helps us to distinguish between truth and falsehood. However as the mind willingly begins to contemplate on the Divine Name Pandurang within, it is a way to get attuned to the Discriminating intellect  which is so essential on the journey of Self Realisation.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, accepting life as it is and accordingly performing each of our action absorbed in the Name of Divine Lord Pandurang, is the best way to remain out of the endlessly accumulating Cycle of Karmic Deeds. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

मरणा हाती सुटली काया I
विचारे या निश्चये II
नासोनिया गेली खंती I
सहजस्थिति भागाचीचे II
न देखेसे झाले श्रम I
आले वर्म हातां हे II
तुका म्हणे कैची कीव I
कोठे जीव निराळा II

In this composition Sant Tukaram Maharaj talks about (सहजावस्था) The Natural State of Being. He says, When the state of disturbed mind is replaced by the enduring Natural Poise free from worldly distractions and it remains constantly unshaken then it becomes One's Natural or Simple State of Being. Since there is no false ego sense in this state, there are no bodily or mental distractions. The Self Realised Soul enjoying this state of Supreme Bliss has mastered his mind with the Wisdom of his True Self thus keeping him out of spell of Maya, the Mistress of Illusion. In this way he enjoys this state of Natural State of Being as beyond all miseries, including the repeated sufferings.
Seeds of his Spiritual Ignorance have been roasted in the fire of Divine Wisdom and hence although he lives amidst of this world of pluralities, yet he remains unaffected by it.
Summing up Sant Tukaram Maharaj says, becoming One with God Consciousness, there is no longer any individuality. Consciousness and Self Awareness continue to exist but not in the sense of duality of "that is mine" and "that is yours". The Liberated One lives in the Eternal Happiness and Joy and ultimately when his body is renounced, the Consciousness dissolves completely in the Divine Self. "

II श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम II

II श्रीसद्गुरुचरणार्पणमस्तु II