Irony, the wicked as the saint's whetstone
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
दुष्ट भूषण सज्जनाचें । अलभ्यलाभ पुण्य त्याचें॥1॥
धन्य ऐसा परउपकारी । जाय नरका आणिकांवारि ॥ध्रु.॥
मळ खाये संवदणी । करी आणिकांची उजळणी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे त्याचा । प्रीती आदर करा साचा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The wicked person is actually an ornament to the good; his existence is a rare opportunity for the virtuous to earn merit. Blessed is such a selfless benefactor who goes to hell for the sake of others. The washcloth eats the dirt and brightens everyone else. Says Tuka, show genuine love and respect to such a one.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The wicked man is really an ornament to the good; his being there is a rare chance for the virtuous to earn merit. Blessed is such a selfless helper, who goes to hell for the sake of others. The washcloth eats the dirt and leaves everyone else bright. Tuka says: show such a one true love and respect.
What it means
Tukaram speaks with a sharp, half-smiling irony. He calls the wicked man a benefactor: by giving the good a chance to forgive, to endure, to grow in patience, the wrongdoer becomes the whetstone on which virtue is sharpened. The washcloth image is the heart of it, taking on the dirt so others come out clean. The lesson is not contempt; he tells us to feel genuine gratitude even toward the person who wrongs us, because that very friction is what polishes the soul. The harm is real, yet it can be turned into our own purification.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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