Abhanga 4292
Tukaram says the truest sign of a person's greatness isn't their words but whether their actions actually match what they say. When he finds someone like that, he doesn't hold back his respect: he will bow at their feet, sweep their courtyard with his own hands, serve them, and stand before them with folded hands like a devoted attendant. For Tukaram, someone whose life truly lines up with their words deserves to be treated as God himself, because that depth of integrity is exceedingly rare.
The verse
बोले तैसा चाले । त्याचीं वंदीन पाउलें ॥१॥
अंगें झाडीन अंगण । त्याचें दासत्व करीन ॥ध्रु.॥
त्याचा होईंन किंकर। उभा ठाकेन जोडोनि कर ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे देव । त्याचे चरणीं माझा भाव ॥३॥
Literal translation
Bole-taisā-chāle — vande-his-pādukā. Sweep-angaṇa-with-body — do-his-dāsya. Be-his-kinkara — stand-with-folded-hands. Tukā: such-a-one-is-Deva — bhāva-at-charaṇa.
What it means
THE most-quoted canonical 3-verse text. One who walks as he speaks — I will bow to his sandals. With body, I will sweep his courtyard; I will do his servitude. I will become his attendant; I will stand with folded hands. Tukā says: (such a one is) Deva — my devotion is at his feet. The line bole-taisā-chāle is one of the most-quoted lines in all-of-Marathi-literature, used universally as the test-of-true-character: one whose action matches his speech is the only one I revere. The cascading-acts (bow-sandals → sweep-courtyard → do-dāsya → become-kinkara → stand-with-folded-hands) show progressive-self-effacement. Pair with 4287 (some-blame-some-praise), 2887 (sant-pūjā warrant).
For someone today
Tukaram says the truest sign of a person's greatness isn't their words but whether their actions actually match what they say. When he finds someone like that, he doesn't hold back his respect: he will bow at their feet, sweep their courtyard with his own hands, serve them, and stand before them with folded hands like a devoted attendant. For Tukaram, someone whose life truly lines up with their words deserves to be treated as God himself, because that depth of integrity is exceedingly rare.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की माणसाच्या थोरवीची खरी खूण त्याच्या बोलण्यात नसते, तर त्याचे बोलणे आणि वागणे किती जुळते यात असते. असा माणूस सापडला की तुकाराम आपला आदर लपवत नाहीत — ते त्याच्या पायावर लोटांगण घालतील, स्वतःच्या हाताने त्याचे अंगण झाडतील, त्याची सेवा करतील, आणि हात जोडून त्याच्यासमोर एखाद्या सेवकासारखे उभे राहतील. तुकारामांच्या मते, ज्याचे जगणे त्याच्या बोलण्याशी खरोखर जुळते, तो देवासमानच मानायला हवा, कारण असा प्रामाणिकपणा फार दुर्मिळ असतो.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's THE bole-taisā-chāle = Deva canonical foundational