Sant Tukaram was a 17th c. CE poet-saint of the Bhakti or devotional movement in Maharashtra.  His dates are uncertain; he may have been born in 1598 or in 1608, and died in 1649 or 1650.  He came from a humble background of farming and trading, and lost his first wife and their son in a famine.  This loss had a profound effect on Tukaram, and he became contemplative, spending time meditating in the hills, where, he said, he had ‘discussions with my self.’  He is best known for the thousands of devotional hymns he composed, still sung today in kirtans, a form of musical call and response that has its roots in the ancient tradition of the Vedas.

O my mind, I wish you were a better friend.
You never remind me of my longing
for the Indestructible One,
But distract me with the seven vices,
singing their praises,
knowing in the end
their sweet taste turns to poison.
Do you think it is funny
to keep me distracted
from my simple wish
to serve the Servant?
This life is passing quickly.
You worry about the end –
Why?
There is no point if one
does not serve the Beloved.
You have made it miserable.
Why do you want to cling
to such a miserable life?
I ask you.

Tr. Nee Mayeyolago