Social criticism, the false devotee
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
गांठोळीस धन भाकावी करुणा । दावूनि सज्जना कींव पीडी ॥1॥
नाठेळाची भक्ति कुचराचें बळ । कोरडें वोंगळ मार खाय ॥ध्रु.॥
सांडोव्यासी घाली देवाची करंडी । विल्हाळ त्या धोंडी पूजा दावी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे ऐसे माकडाचे छंद । अवघे धंदधंद सिंदळीचे ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The miser begs for mercy while hoarding wealth knotted tight, and by displaying pity to good people, he torments them. The rogue's devotion is a bully's strength: hollow and filthy, it earns only blows. He puts God's basket over a decoy and worships stones as if they were sacred. Says Tuka, such are the monkey's antics; all of it is the trickster's trade.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The miser begs for mercy while hoarding wealth knotted tight, and by putting on a show of pity before good people, he torments them. The rogue's devotion is a bully's strength: hollow, filthy, it earns only blows. He covers God's basket over a decoy and worships mere stones as if they were holy. Tuka says: such are a monkey's antics; all of it is the trickster's trade.
What it means
Tukaram exposes the religion of pretense: a man who guards his hoarded wealth yet whines for mercy, and wears a mask of piety that only wears down sincere people. He calls this kind of devotion a bully's bluff, hollow inside, fit only to be struck down. The man performs worship that is all surface, hiding the real and bowing to dead stones for show. The closing image, a monkey's restless antics and a swindler's trade, points at the pattern of hollow display, asking the listener to check whether their own devotion is inward and real or just a performance.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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