A few examples will point out to readers how ordinary men become satisfied by knowing the superficial meanings of words, but how the same words carry totally different and deeper meanings to those who are wise and thoughtful.
It is generally believed that there was great surprise all over the world, when it became known that Saint Tukaram was weighed against God and that the balance was equal.
Now, can this literally happen? One might say that this is only a poetic way of description. But a better explanation of this event is possible if it is understood as meaning meditation on the divine Name, contemplation on the vision by means of the eyes, and attention to both meditation and contemplation by means of the mind.
And when Tukaram could stand these tests with success, it became a matter of great surprise to all. Or, a better meaning still would be to say that Tukaram could go beyond both the spheres of activity, and non-activity and beyond all the limitations (upadhis) of these two, by means of meditation and contemplation and by keeping his eyes half-open, so that he could have his gaze on the Atman, and exclude all other things. One can as well say that it was a surprise to all that Tukaram could have concentrated his attention on the vision of the Atman in front of him in spite of the three great temptations of woman, wealth, and land.Consider the three words 'dhira', 'udara and 'gambhira' which ordinarily mean a person having patience, courage, and conviction respectively.
Spiritually, however they have specific meanings. One can be said to be 'dhira' who patiently bears all that befalls him with joy and with the thought that the one doer of all things is God only. He is courageous if he can sacrifice everything in the world for the sake of devotion to God.
And, he can exhibit the deep moral conviction of his mind if like Tukaram, he can declare that all the women in the world, excepting his wife, are in the place of his mother.
Now to the question: who can be said to be a man of purity? I would like to answer that he is pure who sees the presence of God in some form or other before his very eyes. One who does his meditation daily, without being tired and one who repents for having wasted his life without any devotional attitude to God, can also be said to be pure of heart.
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