Satire, the bitter wife who scorns kindness
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कोण घरा येतें आमुच्या काशाला । काय ज्याचा त्याला नाहीं धंदा ॥१॥
देवासाटीं जालें ब्रम्हांड सोइरें । कोमळ्या उत्तरें काय वेचे ॥ध्रु.॥
मानें पाचारितां नव्हे आराणुक । ऐसे येती लोक प्रीतीसाटीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे रांडे नावडे भूषण । कांतेलेंसें श्वान पाठीं लागे ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Who comes to our house, and for what reason? Does everyone not have their own work to attend to? For God's sake, the whole world has become a relative; kind words cost nothing to offer. When called with respect, no one refuses to come; people arrive simply for the sake of love. Says Tuka, the wife who despises ornaments is like a skinned dog snapping at everyone's heels.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Who comes to our house, and what for? Does everyone not have their own work to do? For God's sake, the whole world has become one family; soft, kind words cost nothing to give. Call a person with respect and no one refuses to come; people come simply for the sake of love. Tuka says: a wife who hates ornaments is like a skinned dog snapping at every passing heel.
What it means
Tukaram contrasts two ways of meeting people who come to the door. The open way treats the whole world as kin and spends gentle words freely, since respect and love draw others near at no cost. Against that he sets the sour temper that grudges every visitor and asks why they bother coming. His sharp closing image is aimed at that pattern of bitterness, not at the dignity of any person: a heart that scorns gentleness becomes raw and snapping like a skinned dog. The poem commends warmth and self-examines the meanness that drives others off.
Worldly Metaphors
Poems using images from games, occupations, and daily life as spiritual teaching.
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