Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
 नागलें देखोनि चांगलें बोले । आपुलें वेचूनि त्याजपुढें खुले ॥1॥
 अधमाचे ओंगळ गुण । उचित नेणें तो धर्म कोण॥ध्रु.॥
 आर्तभूता न घली पाण्याचा चुळ । न मागे त्यासी घाली साखर गुळ ॥2॥
 एकासी आड पडोनि होंकरी । एकासी देखोनि लपवी भाकरी ॥3॥
 तुका ह्मणे ते गाढवपशु । लाभेंविण केला आयुष्यनाशु॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Seeing a well-dressed person, the base man speaks sweetly and opens his purse before him. Yet the vile one's habits are ugly; he knows neither propriety nor dharma. He will not offer even a sip of water to one in need, but will heap sugar and jaggery before one who never asked. He blocks one person rudely while hiding his bread from another. Says Tuka, such people are mere donkeys; without true gain, they have wasted their entire lives.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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