Social criticism, the slanderer's trade
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जन्मांतरिंचा परिट न्हावी । जात ठेवी त्यानें तें॥1॥
वाखर जैसा चरचरी । तोंड करी संव दणी ॥ध्रु.॥
पूर्व जन्म शिखासूत्र । मळ मूत्र अंतरीं ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे करिती निंदा । धुवटधंदा पुढिलांचा ॥3॥
नाम दुसी त्याचें नको दरषण । विष तें वचन वाटे मज ॥2॥
अमंगळ वाणी नाइकवे कानीं । निंदेची पोहोणी उठे तेथें॥ध्रु.॥
काय लभ्य त्याचिये वचनीं । कोणत्या पुराणीं दिली ग्वाही ॥2॥
काय आड लावूं त्याचिया तोंडासी । आतां या जिभेसी काय करूं ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे संत न मनिती त्यांस । घेऊं पाहे ग्रास यमदूत ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The washerman and barber from past lives carry their caste through births. The potter's wheel keeps turning and grinding, making the same rasping sound. Inherited from a former birth are the sacred thread and tuft, yet filth dwells within. Says Tuka, those who engage in slander practice the washerman's trade on others' dirty linen. One whose very name I detest, whose sight I do not wish for, whose words feel like poison to me. Such impure speech is unbearable to the ears; wherever it arises, a flood of slander follows. What good can come from his words? Which scripture has endorsed them? What barrier can be placed before such a mouth? What shall be done about that tongue? Says Tuka, the saints pay no heed to such people; the messengers of Yama are watching to seize them.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The washerman and barber from past lives carry their caste through births. The potter's wheel keeps turning and grinding, making the same rasping sound. The sacred thread and tuft are inherited from a former birth, yet filth dwells within. Tuka says: those who slander practice the washerman's trade, scrubbing other people's dirty linen. His very name I detest; I do not want the sight of him; his words feel like poison to me. Such foul speech is unbearable to the ears; wherever it rises, a flood of slander follows. What good is there in his words? Which scripture has endorsed them? What barrier can I set before such a mouth? What shall I do about that tongue? Tuka says: the saints pay no heed to such people; the messengers of Yama wait to seize them.
What it means
Tukaram attacks the habit of slander by exposing what the slanderer is really doing. The man wears the outward marks of caste and piety, the sacred thread and the tuft carried from birth to birth, yet inside he is unclean. His trade, says Tukaram, is the washerman's: he busies himself scrubbing other people's dirty linen, forever handling the faults of others. Such speech is poison to hear, sanctioned by no scripture, and once it starts it floods everything around it. The closing warning is sharp but aimed at the pattern: the saints simply ignore the slanderer, and death's own messengers are waiting for the tongue that lives this way. The poem invites the listener to ask whether his own mouth has taken up that trade.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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