Social criticism, the liar's gospel mocked
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ते करिती तिची विटंबना । अवघ्या प्रसद्धि जना । एक न मारितां शाहाणा । तो जाणा सुख न पवे ॥१॥
आणीक ऐका गा ए । सरवदा सांगतो काय । खरें चि बोले तो जाय । नरकामध्यें अधोगती ।
हें चौघांच्या मुखें । मना आणावें सुखें । अवघीं चुकती दुःखें । खोटें बोला नरनारी ॥ध्रु.॥
आणीक नाडेल एक जाण । सरवदा बोलतो वचन । जागें माझें म्हणोन । पडिलें खान तया घरीं ।
म्हणोन न म्हणा माझें कांहीं । निजीं निजा सुखें ठायीं । यत्न होईल तई । चोराठायीं विश्वास ॥२॥
आणीक एकी परी । सरवदा सांगतो थोरी । दुःख पावेल नारी । पतिव्रता यामधीं ।
पांचांनीं दिधली हातीं । म्हणोनि न मनावी निश्चिती । परपुरुषीं होय रती । सुखगती ते पावे ॥३॥
एकी परी । सरवदा सांगतो तें करीं । दान देतां जो न वारी । नव्हे भला भला तो तुका म्हणे आई ।
येथें नांव काई । सांगसी तें ठायीं । मरो रांडेचें ॥४॥
मुंढा - अभंग ३
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Those who humiliate the mother of the two sons bring disgrace upon themselves before the whole world; without correcting even one person, no one finds happiness. One who speaks the plain truth falls into the netherworld; but if everyone, man and woman, simply speaks what is false, all suffering ends. Furthermore, the bard warns: whoever claims 'this is mine' invites thieves into his own house; therefore call nothing your own, sleep in peace, and place your trust in the thief's own quarter. Also, the devoted wife will suffer if she obeys the commands of the five senses and takes delight in another; yet the one who resists finds true happiness. And finally, whoever blocks a person from giving charity is no good person at all. Says Tuka, let the name of that wretch perish.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
They humiliate her, and the whole world watches it happen. Without setting even one person straight, know this: the wise man finds no peace. And listen, here is what the bard keeps telling you. The one who speaks the plain truth, he goes down into hell. But if everyone, man and woman, just speaks what is false, then all your sorrows end. And another will be cheated, listen: the one who keeps saying 'this is mine.' A hole gets dug in that man's own house. So do not call anything yours. Sleep easy in your own place. When the chance comes, put your trust in the thief. And here is another, listen to the bard's great teaching: the faithful wife will come to grief. The five gave her into one man's hand, so do not hold to that certainty. Let her take pleasure in another man; that, he says, is the happy way. And one more thing the bard tells you to do: whoever does not block a man from giving charity, he is no good at all. Tuka says, mother, what name shall I even give it; let the harlot's word die.
What it means
This is satire, and it must be read against its surface: the 'bard' recites a gospel of lies, and Tukaram's point is the exact opposite of every counsel quoted. The voice praises falsehood over truth, theft over honesty, betrayal over faithfulness, and obstructing charity as if these were wisdom, precisely so the listener will recoil and recognize them as the corrupt 'common sense' that actually circulates in the world. The opening image of a woman publicly humiliated sets the moral stakes: a society that will not correct a single wrong finds no peace. By voicing the perverse advice plainly, Tukaram exposes how respectable cynicism inverts every real value. His closing disgust, refusing even to dignify the teaching with a name, turns the listener back on self-examination: do not let this inverted gospel pass for sense.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
More in this theme →