आतां वंदीन सज्जन । जे परमार्थाचें अधिष्ठान । जयांचेनि गुह्यज्ञान । प्रगटे जनीं ॥ १॥

Now I bow to the saints, the foundation of the spiritual path, through whom hidden, esoteric knowledge becomes revealed to people.

जे वस्तु परम दुल्लभ । जयेचा अलभ्य लाभ । तेंचि होये सुल्लभ । संतसंगेकरूनी ॥ २॥

That reality (the Self) which is extremely rare, whose attainment seems almost impossible, becomes easily accessible through the company of saints.

वस्तु प्रगटचि असे । पाहातां कोणासीच न दिसे । नाना साधनीं सायासें । न पडे ठाईं ॥ ३॥

That reality is right there, plainly manifest, yet when one looks for it, it is seen by no one. However hard one strives through countless spiritual practices, it cannot be found.

जेथें परिक्षवंत ठकले । नांतरी डोळसचि अंध जाले । पाहात असताअंचि चुकले । निजवस्तूसी ॥ ४॥

There, even the most discerning experts have been deceived, and those with sight have effectively become blind; even while looking straight at it, they missed the true reality altogether.

हें दीपाचेनि दिसेना । नाना प्रकाशें गवसेना । नेत्रांजनेंहि वसेना । दृष्टीपुढें ॥ ५॥

This reality cannot be seen by the light of a lamp, cannot be found by any kind of illumination, and even with medicinal eye-ointment it does not come before one's sight.

सोळां कळी पूर्ण शशी । दाखवू शकेना वस्तूसी । तीव्र आदित्य कळारासी । तोहि दाखवीना ॥ ६॥

Not even the full moon with all its sixteen digits can reveal that reality, nor can the intensely radiant sun show it either.

जया सुर्याचेनि प्रकाशें । ऊर्णतंतु तोहि दिसे । नाना सूक्ष्म पदार्थ भासे । अणुरेणादिक ॥ ७॥

By whose light even the finest spider's thread becomes visible, and the subtlest of things, down to atoms and particles, appear to view.

चिरलें वाळाग्र तेंहि प्रकासी । परी तो दाखवीना वस्तूसी । तें जयाचेनि साधकांसी । प्राप्त होये ॥ ८॥

Even the split tip of a hair is illuminated by that sunlight, yet even the sun cannot reveal that reality. It is only through saints that seekers come to attain it.

जेथें आक्षेप आटले । जेथें प्रेत्न प्रस्तावले । जेथें तर्क मंदावले । तर्कितां निजवस्तूसी ॥ ९॥

There, all objections prove futile, effort itself becomes useless, and even reasoning falters and grows weak when one tries to grasp that inner reality through logic alone.

वळे विवेकाची वेगडी । पडे शब्दाची बोबडी । जेथें मनाची तांतडी । कामा नये ॥ १०॥

There, even discernment reaches its limit, words themselves stammer and fall short, and there the mind's haste is of no avail either.

जो बोलकेपणें विशेष । सहस्र मुखांचा जो शेष । तोहि सिणला निःशेष । वस्तु न संगवे ॥ ११॥

Even Shesha, the thousand-hooded serpent, exceptionally gifted in speech, grew utterly exhausted, yet even he could not manage to describe that reality.

वेदे प्रकाशिलें सर्वही । वेदविरहित कांहीं नाहीं । तो वेद कोणासही । दाखवूं सकेना ॥ १२॥

The Veda has illumined everything; nothing exists apart from the Veda. Yet even the Veda itself is unable to show that reality to anyone.

तेचि वस्तु संतसंगें । स्वानुभवें कळों लागे । त्याचा महिमा वचनीं सांगे । ऐसा कवणु ॥ १३॥

Yet that very reality begins to be known through one's own direct experience, by the company of saints. But who is there who could ever put its glory fully into words?

विचित्र कळा ये मायेची । परी वोळखी न संगवे वस्तूची । मायातीता अनंताची । संत सोये सांगती ॥ १४॥

The workings of maya are wondrous indeed, yet they do not yield true recognition of that reality. Only the saints can point the way to that infinite truth which lies beyond maya.

वस्तूसी वर्णिलें नवचे । तेंचि स्वरूप संतांचें । या कारणे वचनाचें । कार्य नाही ॥ १५॥

That which cannot be described in words is precisely the true nature of the saints themselves. For this very reason, words have no real function there.

संत आनंदाचें स्थळ । संत सुखचि केवळ । नाना संतोषाचें मूळ । ते हे संत ॥ १६॥

Saints are the very abode of bliss; saints are pure joy itself; and these saints are the root of every kind of contentment.

संत विश्रांतीची विश्रांती । संत तृप्तीची निजतृप्ती । नांतरी भक्तीची फळश्रुती । ते हे संत ॥ १७॥

Saints are rest beyond all rest; saints are the deepest fulfillment of fulfillment itself; and these very saints are the true fruit of devotion.

संत धर्माचें धर्मक्षेत्र । संत स्वरूपाचें सत्पात्र । नांतरी पुण्याची पवित्र । पुण्यभूमी ॥ १८॥

Saints are the very field of righteousness; saints are the fit vessel of the true Self; and they are the sacred, meritorious ground of all virtue.

संत समाधीचें मंदिर । संत विवेकाचें भांडार । नांतरी बोलिजे माहेर । सायोज्यमुक्तीचें ॥ १९॥

Saints are the temple of samadhi; saints are the treasury of discernment; and they are spoken of as the very homeland of ultimate liberation.

संत सत्याचा निश्चयो । संत सार्थकाचा जयो । संतप्राप्तीचा समयो । सिद्धरूप ॥ २०॥

Saints are the very certainty of truth; saints are the triumph of a fulfilled life; and the moment one attains saints is itself the attainment of perfection.

मोक्षश्रिया आळंकृत । ऐसे हे संत श्रीमंत । जीव दरिद्री असंख्यात । नृपती केले ॥ २१॥

Adorned with the wealth of liberation, these saints are the truly rich ones. They have made countless poverty-stricken souls into kings.

जे समर्थपणें उदार । जे कां अत्यंत दानशूर । तयांचेनि हा ज्ञानविचार । दिधला न वचे ॥ २२॥

Even those who are powerfully generous and supremely charitable are unable to give this gift of true spiritual knowledge to anyone.

माहांराजे चक्रवर्ती । जाले आहेत पुढें होती । परंतु कोणी सायोज्यमुक्ती । देणार नाहीं ॥ २३॥

Great emperors have existed, exist now, and will continue to exist in the future; but none of them can ever grant the gift of ultimate liberation.

जें त्रैलोकीं नाहीं दान । तें करिती संतसज्जन । तयां संतांचें महिमान । काय म्हणौनी वर्णावें ॥ २४॥

That gift which cannot be given by anyone in all the three worlds is precisely what these saints give. How, then, can one adequately describe the glory of such saints?

जें त्रैलोक्याहून वेगळें । जें वेदश्रुतीसी नाकळे । तेंचि जयांचेनि वोळे । परब्रह्म अंतरीं ॥ २५॥

That which is entirely other than the three worlds, which even the Vedas and Shrutis cannot fathom — it is precisely that supreme Brahman which, through these saints, comes to reveal itself within one's own heart.

ऐसी संतांची महिमा । बोलिजे तितुकी उणी उपमा । जयांचेनि मुख्य परमात्मा । प्रगट होये ॥ २६॥

Such is the glory of saints that however much one describes it, every comparison falls short — for it is through them that the Supreme Self himself becomes manifest.