Social criticism, the greedy preacher
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
न कळे ब्रह्मज्ञान आचार विचार । लटिका वेव्हार करीतसे ॥1॥
विश्वामित्री पोटीं तयाचा अवतार । नांव महाखर चांडाळाचें ॥ध्रु.॥
द्रव्यइच्छेसाटीं करीतसे कथा । काय त्या पापिष्ठा न मिळे खाया ॥2॥
पोट पोसावया तोंडें बडबडी । नाहीं धडफुडी एक गोष्टी ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे तया काय व्याली रांड । येउनिया भंड जनामध्यें ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He does not know the knowledge of Brahman, nor right conduct, nor discernment. He carries on in false dealings. Such a one, born from a corrupt lineage, bears the mark of the excluded. He performs religious discourses out of greed for money. What would such a wrongdoer not eat? He babbles with his mouth only to fill his belly, without a single word of substance. Says Tuka, what kind of mother bore such a one, who comes and makes a spectacle of himself among the people?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He does not know the knowledge of Brahman. He does not know right conduct. He has no discernment. He carries on with false dealings. Born from a corrupt line, he bears the mark of the cast out, and his name is great donkey, outcaste. He gives religious talks only out of greed for money. What would such a sinner not eat? He babbles with his mouth only to fill his belly. There is not one word of substance in him. Tuka says: what kind of woman bore him, who comes and makes a spectacle of himself among the people?
What it means
Tukaram is attacking a pattern, not setting up a man to despise: the preacher who has none of the thing he sells. The target knows neither the knowledge of Brahman nor conduct nor discernment, yet he holds forth as if he did, and the engine under the words is appetite, money for the purse, food for the belly. Tukaram's coarse insults, donkey, outcaste, what mother bore him, measure the gap between the holy office and the empty performance. The test the poem leaves for the listener is simple and aimed inward: is there one word of substance here, or only the belly talking?
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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