Metaphor, judge by the holy, not the harmless
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
डिवेना डसेना बुझेना निर्मळ । परि अमंगळ स्वीकारीना॥1॥
परंतु गर्धब अपवित्र जाणा । पर्वकाळीं दाना देऊं नये ॥ध्रु.॥
डिवी लात्री बुजे बहु नेदी दुध । मुखीं नाहीं शुद्ध विष्ठा खाय ॥2॥
परंतु ते गाय पवित्र हो जाणा । पर्वकाळीं दाना देऊजेते॥3॥
ब्राह्मणें ब्राह्मणा सद्गू करावा । परि न करावा शूद्रादिक ॥4॥
तुका ह्मणे देवें सांगितली सोय । ह्मणोनि त्याचे पाय धरिले जीवें ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
A donkey does not kick, does not bite, and is docile and clean, yet it is considered impure and should not be given as a gift on holy occasions. A cow kicks, charges, is stubborn, and does not give milk easily. Its mouth is not clean; it eats anything. Yet the cow is considered sacred and fit to be given as a gift on holy days. A brahmin should accept as Sadguru only a brahmin, not one of lower caste. Says Tuka, this is the path God has prescribed; therefore I have held fast to His feet with all my life.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
A donkey does not kick, does not bite, is calm and clean; yet it is held impure, and you must not give it as a gift on a holy day. The cow kicks, charges, is stubborn, gives milk only with trouble. Its mouth is not clean; it eats filth. Yet know the cow is holy and is given as a gift on holy days. Tuka says: God told me this is the right way, and so I have held His feet with my whole life.
What it means
Tukaram uses two animals to overturn judgment by surface behavior. The donkey is mild, clean, and well-mannered, yet counts as unfit; the cow is rough, stubborn, and unclean in its habits, yet is held sacred and given on holy days. His point is that worth is not read off outward tidiness or temper but off a deeper holiness that the surface can hide. The reader does best to take the lesson at this level, that what looks well-behaved is not automatically what is holy, and to test things by their true sacredness rather than their manners. Tukaram presents it as a way God showed him, and says it is why he has clung to God's feet with all his life.
Worldly Metaphors
Poems using images from games, occupations, and daily life as spiritual teaching.
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