Moral ideal, giving with discernment
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
सर्वा भूतीं द्यावें अन्न । द्रव्य पात्र विचारोन । उपतिष्ठे कारण । तेथें बीज पेरीजे ॥1॥
पुण्य करितां होय पाप । दुग्ध पाजोनि पोशिला साप । करोनि अघोर जप । दुःख विकत घेतलें ॥ध्रु.॥
भूमी पाहातां नाहीं वेगळी । माळ बरड एक काळी । उत्तम निराळी । मध्यम कनिष्ठ ॥2॥
ह्मणोनि विवेकें । कांहीं करणें निकें । तुका ह्मणे फिकें । रुची नेदी मिष्टान्न ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
One should give food to all beings, but distribute wealth only after discerning the worthy recipient. Where the cause is right, there one should plant the seed. A meritorious deed can turn sinful: feeding milk to a serpent only nourishes its venom; performing fierce rites only purchases suffering. All land looks alike, yet some is barren, some middling, and some exceedingly fertile. Therefore one must act with discernment. Says Tuka, a bland dish will not acquire flavor by being mixed with fine delicacies.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Give food to every living being. But give wealth only after weighing the worthy receiver. Where the cause is right, there plant the seed. A good deed can turn into sin. Feed milk to a snake and you only feed its venom. Do fierce austerities for the wrong end and you have bought your own suffering. All land looks the same at a glance, yet some is barren, some middling, some richly fertile. So act with discernment; that is what is good. Tuka says: a bland dish gets no flavor by being mixed with fine delicacies.
What it means
Tukaram draws a line between two kinds of giving. Food may go to all beings without question, but wealth and effort must be placed where they will bear good fruit, like seed sown only in fit ground. He warns that a good act misdirected becomes harmful: milk given to a snake strengthens its poison, and severe austerity aimed wrongly only purchases grief. Fields look alike to a careless eye but differ from barren to fertile, and people are the same. The lesson is to give and act with discernment, since pouring something fine onto an unfit recipient no more improves him than mixing delicacies into a bland dish gives it taste.
The Moral Ideal
Purity, sincerity, truthfulness, humility, peacefulness, and service.
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