Social criticism, the bored worldling
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
क्षुधा तृषा कांहीं सर्वथा नावडे । पहावया धांवें कोल्हांटासी ॥1॥
कथेसी साक्षेपें पाचारिला जरी । ह्मणे माझ्या घरीं कोणी नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥
बलत्कारीं जरी आणिला कथेसी । निद्रा घे लोडेंसी टेंकूनियां ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे थुंका त्याच्या तोंडावरी । जातो यमपुरी भोगावया ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He ignores hunger and thirst entirely, yet runs to watch a street performer. If he is earnestly called to a sacred discourse, he says there is no one at home. If he is dragged by force to the discourse, he leans against a pillow and falls asleep. Says Tuka, spit upon the face of such a one. He is headed to Yama's city to suffer there.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Hunger and thirst he ignores completely, yet he runs to watch a street acrobat. If he is sincerely called to the sacred story, he says there is no one home. If he is dragged to the discourse by force, he leans on a cushion and falls asleep. Tuka says: spit on the face of such a one. He is going to Yama's city to suffer there.
What it means
Tukaram draws a sharp portrait of a man whose appetites tell on him. He will forget food and drink to gawk at a passing entertainer, but when invited to hear God's story he pretends to be out, and if forced to attend he props himself up and sleeps through it. The harsh line, spit on his face, is aimed at the pattern, not at a single soul to be despised: the readiness to spend oneself on idle spectacle while treating the one thing that matters as a chore. The warning is meant to make the listener test his own attention, since this neglect, Tukaram says, leads to suffering in the realm of death.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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