Social criticism, the glib nondualist
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
माया ब्रम्ह ऐसें म्हणती धर्मठक । आपणासरिसे लोक नागविले ॥१॥
विषयीं लंपट शिकवी कुविद्या । मनामागें नांद्या होऊनि फिरे ॥ध्रु.॥
करुनी खातां पाक जिरे सुरण राई । करितां अतित्याई दुःख पावे ॥२॥
औषध द्यावया चाळविलें बाळा । दावूनियां गुळा दृष्टीपुढें ॥३॥
तरावया आधीं शोधा वेदवाणी । वांजट बोलणीं वारा त्यांचीं ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे जयां पिंडाचें पाळण । न घडे नारायणभेट तयां ॥५॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Those religious impostors who say "Maya is Brahman" have led others astray along with themselves. Wallowing in sensual pleasures, they teach corrupted knowledge, becoming like the drummer trailing behind the mind's procession. They cook and eat elephant yam and mustard freely enough, but when called upon to be generous, they suffer greatly. To give medicine to a child, one coaxes him by holding a lump of sugar before his eyes. If you wish to cross, first examine the words of the Vedas; put a stop to barren speech. Says Tuka, for those whose life is the nurturing of the body-lump, meeting with Narayana will never come to pass.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Those religious frauds who go about saying Maya is Brahman have led others to ruin along with themselves. Steeped in their own pleasures, they teach corrupted knowledge, trailing behind the mind like a drummer behind a procession. They will happily cook and eat rich food, but the moment they are asked to give, they are in agony. To get a child to take medicine, you hold a lump of sugar before his eyes. If you truly want to cross over, first search the words of the Vedas, and put a stop to all this barren talk. Tuka says: for those whose whole life is the feeding of this lump of flesh, the meeting with Narayana will never come.
What it means
Tukaram attacks the glib nondualist who recites Maya is Brahman while living for his own appetites. Their fine philosophy, he says, is corrupted knowledge dressed as wisdom; the proof is in their conduct, generous at the table, stingy when asked to give. He grants that hard truth must sometimes be sweetened, the way a child is coaxed to swallow medicine with a sugar lump, but the medicine itself must be real. The test is not the slogan but the life: anyone whose whole existence is spent pampering the body will never actually meet God, however impressive his talk.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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