Social criticism, the false pregnancy
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
चिरगुटें घालूनि वाढविलें पोट । गहवार बोभाट जनामध्यें ॥1॥
लटिके चि डोहळे दाखवी प्रकार । दुध स्तनीं पोर पोटीं नाहीं ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे अंतीं वांज चि ते खरी । फजिती दुसरी जनामध्यें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
She stuffs rags under her garment and flaunts a swollen belly, making a great commotion before the world. She mimics the cravings of pregnancy and puts on a show, yet there is no milk in the breast and no child in the womb. Says Tuka, in the end she is proven barren; a second disgrace follows amid the people.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
She stuffs rags under her clothes and shows off a swollen belly, making a loud commotion before everyone. She fakes the cravings of pregnancy and puts on a whole show, yet there is no milk in the breast and no child in the womb. Tuka says: in the end she is proven barren, and a second disgrace follows before all the people.
What it means
Tukaram tells a sharp little parable of pretended fruitfulness. A woman pads her belly with rags, mimics a pregnant woman's cravings, and makes a public scene of it, but there is no child and no milk; the whole display is hollow. The point is the pretense of inner attainment without the reality: a show of devotion or holiness with nothing actually grown inside. He notes that such a fraud cannot last; time exposes it, and the exposure is a second, worse shaming before the same crowd that was impressed. The warning is against performing a fullness you do not have.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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