Social criticism, the easy path to ruin
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
यमपुरी त्यांणीं वसविली जाणा । उच्छेद भजना विधी केला ॥1॥
अवघड कोणी न करी सांगतां । सुलभ बहुतां गोड वाटे ॥ध्रु.॥
काय ते नेणते होते मागें ॠषी । आधार लोकांसी ग्रंथ केले ॥2॥
द्रव्य दारा कोणें स्थापियेलें धन । पिंडाचें पाळण विषयभोग ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे दोहीं ठायीं हा फजित । पावे यमदूतजना हातीं ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Know this: those who have destroyed the practice of worship have populated the realm of Yama. No one does what is difficult when told; the easy path seems sweet to many. Were the ancient sages ignorant? They made the scriptures as a support for the people. Who established the pursuit of wealth and pleasures, the feeding of the body with sense-enjoyments? Says Tuka, such a person is disgraced in both worlds and falls into the hands of Yama's servants.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Know this: those who tore down the practice of worship have peopled the city of Yama. No one does the hard thing when told to; the easy way tastes sweet to the many. Were the sages of old ignorant? They made the scriptures as a support for people. Who set up the chase after wealth and women, the feeding of the body with sense-pleasures? Tuka says: such a person is disgraced in both worlds and falls into the hands of Yama's messengers.
What it means
Tukaram attacks those who pull down devotion in favor of an easy, self-serving life. Abandoning worship is not freedom but the road that fills Yama's city, since the soft path always tastes sweeter and the crowd takes it. He appeals to the ancient sages, who were not fools: they left the scriptures precisely as a support for ordinary people. Against that, the life built only on money, lust, and feeding the senses has no real founder and no real ground. The point is put as a pattern to examine in oneself: choose the sweet, undisciplined road and you are shamed here and seized hereafter.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
More in this theme →