Social criticism, worth over birth
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आपणा लागे काम वाण्याघरीं गुळ । त्याचे याति कुळ काय कीजे ॥1॥
उकरडएावरी वाढली तुळसी । टाकावी ते कैसी ठायागुणें ॥ध्रु.॥
गाईचा जो भक्ष अमंगळ खाय । तीचें दूध काय सेवूं नये ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे काय सलपटासी काज । फणसांतील बीज काढुनि घ्यावें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
When you need something, you go to the merchant's shop for jaggery. What does his caste or lineage matter then? If a tulsi plant grows on a refuse heap, should it be discarded because of where it grew? A cow may eat impure things, but should her milk not be consumed? Says Tuka, what use is the rough outer skin? Extract the seed from within the jackfruit and take it.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
When you need it, you go to the merchant's shop for jaggery. What then does his caste or his family matter? A tulsi plant grows up on a rubbish heap; should it be thrown away because of where it grew? A cow eats foul and impure things; should her milk then not be drunk? Tuka says: what use is the rough outer rind? Take out the seed from inside the jackfruit and use it.
What it means
Tukaram attacks the habit of judging worth by birth and origin with four plain examples from daily life. You take the jaggery and never ask the merchant's caste; you keep the sacred tulsi even from a refuse heap; you drink the cow's milk though she eats filth; you eat the jackfruit seed and discard the rough rind. Each case separates the value of a thing from where it came or what surrounds it. The teaching is to look for the real worth, the sweetness, the sacredness, the seed, and let the accident of origin fall away.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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