Social criticism, save me from such hands
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
बुिद्धहीना उपदेश । तें तें विष अमृतीं ॥1॥
हुंगों नये गोहवाडी । तेथें जोडी विटाळ ॥ध्रु.॥
अळसियाचे अंतर कुडें। जैसें मढें निष्काम ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे ऐशा हाती । मज श्रीपती वांचवा ॥3॥
न करीं तुमची सेवा । बापुडें मी पण देवा ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Giving instruction to the witless is like pouring nectar that turns to poison. One should not even sniff near a cattle-pen of folly; the only gain there is contamination. The lazy one's inner nature is deceitful, like a corpse that has no desires. Says Tuka, save me from such hands, O Lord. I confess I am too feeble for Your service, O God.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Giving instruction to the witless is like pouring nectar that turns to poison. Do not even sniff near a pen of fools; the only thing you gain there is defilement. The lazy man's inner nature is crooked, like a corpse that wants nothing. Tuka says: save me from such hands, O Lord. I will not manage Your service; I am too feeble for it, O God.
What it means
Tukaram describes the waste of pouring good teaching into a witless mind, where even nectar curdles into poison. He warns against keeping company with fools at all, since the only thing one takes away is contamination, and he names the lazy man's desirelessness not as peace but as the deadness of a corpse. The prayer turns the warning into a plea: keep me out of such hands, Lord. The closing confession is humble rather than proud, admitting his own weakness for the work and so leaning entirely on God.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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