Social criticism, the false saint
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
भोंदावया मीस घेऊनि संतांचें । करी कुटुंबाचें दास्य सदा ॥1॥
मनुष्याचे परी बोले रावा करी । रंजवी नरनारी जगामध्यें॥ध्रु.॥
तिमयाचा बैल करी सिकविलें । चित्रींचें बाहुलें गोष्टी सांगे ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे देवा जळो हे महंती । लाज नाहीं चित्तीं निसुगातें ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Under the guise of sainthood, he deceives others while serving his own family day and night. He speaks like a human being, puts on a show, and entertains men and women in the world. He is like a ventriloquist's puppet or a painted doll that tells stories. Says Tuka, O God, cursed is such spiritual leadership. The shameless one feels no remorse.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He puts on the disguise of a saint to cheat others, while day and night he serves only his own household. He talks like a man, makes a show, and entertains the men and women of the world. He is a trained performing bull, a painted doll that tells stories. Tuka says: O God, let such sainthood burn; the shameless man feels nothing in his heart.
What it means
Tukaram exposes the man who wears holiness as a costume. The robe and the title are a disguise for deceit, while in truth his whole devotion goes to feeding his own family. He performs piety for an audience, charming the crowd of men and women, but he is only a trained animal going through tricks or a painted puppet reciting borrowed tales. Tukaram curses this kind of religious leadership outright. The point falls on the pattern of using sanctity as a show: a heart so shameless that it feels no sting at the fraud.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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