Abhanga 4355
Bibvyā-work — adhama-the-adhama.
The verse
तेथें बिबव्याचें काम । अधमासि तों अधम ॥१॥
तेथें चाकराचें काम । अधमासि तों अधम ॥ध्रु.॥
तेथें बटकीचें काम । अधमासि तों अधम ॥२॥
तेथें पैजारेचें काम । अधमासि तों अधम ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे जाती । जातीसाटीं खाती माती ॥४॥
Literal translation
Bibvyā-work — adhama-the-adhama. Chākara-work — adhama-the-adhama. Baṭakī-work — adhama-the-adhama. Paijāra-work — adhama-the-adhama. Tukā: jāti — jāti-sāṭīm-khātī-mātī.
What it means
★★ THE canonical 5-verse anti-caste-occupation critique. There is the bibvyā's work — for the adhama, it's degrading. There the chākara's work — for the adhama, degrading. There the baṭakī's work — for the adhama, degrading. There the paijāra's work — for the adhama, degrading. Tukā says: caste — they eat mud for caste's sake. The refrain adhamāsi tōm adhama (to the adhama it is the adhama) is a deliberately-paradoxical-formulation suggesting that occupational-degradation-is-circular-within-caste-thinking. The closing line jāti-sāṭīm-khātī-mātī (they eat mud for the sake of caste) is a striking-condemnation: caste-pride-actually-degrades-its-claimants. Pair with 4275 (caste-democratization-saints-list), 4205 (births-of-any-caste-acceptable).
For someone today
Tukārām: caste-pride-actually-degrades — they-eat-mud-for-the-sake-of-caste.
Where this applies
- ★★ Tukārām's THE jāti-sāṭīm-khātī-mātī anti-caste-economy canonical