From Quality Materials to Smart Management
In the first part of Karkhane Prakaran (Verses 1–11), Samarth Ramdas Swami focuses on the basics of construction: choosing the right building materials. His main rule was zero compromise on quality right from the start. This meant preparing the right clay mix, maintaining exact brick measurements (9 x 7 x 3 tasu), sun-drying them until they rang clear and solid (khankhaneet), and baking them in kilns with controlled heat (zhanzhaneet) so that no weak or cracked brick ever reached the site.
However, top-quality materials alone cannot finish a project without good leadership. In Part 2, Ramdas Swami shifts focus from raw materials to people management, daily site operations, honest accounting, and accurate engineering. He lays down a practical guide for site supervisors:
१२. पहिलेपासून शेवटवरी । अंतःकरण बरें विवरी । आळस करील तो वैरी । कामा नये ॥ १२ ॥
Pahilepaasoon shevatvaree | Antahkaran bare vivaree | Aalas kareel to vairee | Kaamaa naye || 12 ||
Keep a watchful eye from start to finish. Laziness is the biggest enemy of work; do not hire lazy or careless people.
१३. कामकर्त्यास गमूं देऊं नये । काम घेतां त्रासूं नये । कठीण शब्द बोलूं नये । क्षणक्षणां ॥ १३ ॥
Kaamakartyaas gamoo deoo naye | Kaam ghetaa traasoo naye | Katheen shabd bolu naye | Kshankshanaa || 13 ||
Keep workers engaged and motivated without letting them experience boredom or despair. Extract output without harassing them, and avoid berating them with harsh, abusive words at every moment.
१४. दिवस उगवल्यावरी येऊं देऊं नये । गमित माणूस कामा नये । अशक्त पोर कामा नये । आणि म्हातारे ॥ १४ ॥
Divas oogavalyaavaree yeoon deoo naye | Gamit maanoos kaamaa naye | Ashakt por kaamaa naye | Aani mhaataare || 14 ||
Enforce punctuality at dawn; do not permit workers to arrive late after sunrise. Indolent, time-wasting people must not be engaged. Frail young boys and weak elderly persons are unfit for heavy construction labour.
१५. बळकट लोक निवडावे । काम पाहूनि लावावे । सगट मुशारे करावे । हें मूर्खपण ॥ १५ ॥
Balkat lok nivadaave | Kaam paahooni laavaave | Sagat mushaare karaave | He moorkhapan || 15 ||
Select physically robust individuals. Assign duties strictly based on each person’s skills and capacity. Paying a flat, blanket wage to everyone regardless of output or ability is foolishness.
१६. जेवणापुरतें बसों द्यावे । सवेंचि कामास लावावे । दिवस धारे सांभाळावे । क्षणक्षणां ॥ १६ ॥
Jevanaapoorte baso dyaave | Savechi kaamaas laavaave | Divas dhaare saambhaalaave | Kshankshanaa || 16 ||
Allow workers to pause only for necessary meal breaks and resume work promptly afterward. Value the daylight hours and manage progress continuously throughout the day.
१७. वेळ गमूंचि नेदावा । खोटा रुका बदलून द्यावा । मुशारा रेवूचि न द्यावा । तमक खोटा ॥ १७ ॥
Vel gamoo chi nedaavaa | Khotaa rukaa badaloon dyaavaa | Mushaaraa revoochi na dyaavaa | Tamak khotaa || 17 ||
Do not allow time to be wasted. Replace any defective or counterfeit coin without delay. Never hold back or delay a worker’s wages out of false pride, anger, or spite.
१८. हिशेब बरा राखीत जावा । लिहिण्याचा आळस नसावा । मुबदला करीत जावा । उपसामुग्री ॥ १८ ॥
Hisheb baraa raakheet jaavaa | Lihinyaachaa aalas nasaavaa | Mubadlaa kareet jaavaa | Oopasaamoogree || 18 ||
Maintain the accounts meticulously; never allow laziness to creep into record-keeping. Constantly replace and replenish auxiliary tools, hardware, and supporting materials as they wear out.
१९. खिळे कुऱ्हाडी पायळ्या । पाहरा संबळ कुदळ्या । सन फावडे लेरसळ्या । तरफा असाव्या ॥ १९ ॥
Khile kurhaadee paayalyaa | Paaharaa sambal kudalyaa | San faavade lerasalyaa | Tarafaa asaavyaa || 19 ||
Ensure complete tool inventory on site: nails, woodcutting axes, volumetric measures (payalya), heavy crowbars (pahar, sambal), pickaxes (kudalya), trenching hoes (san), shovels (favade), clearing bars, and heavy levers (taraf).
२०. नाडे साले काथे दोर । काढवणे कळके ढोलर । उथाळ्या चालण्या डाळ्या थोर । तक्ते बळकट काथवटी ॥ २० ॥
Naade saale kaathe dor | Kaadhavane kalake dholar | Oothaalyaa chaalanyaa daalyaa thor | Takte balkat kaathavatee || 20 ||
Maintain assorted ties, bark fiber, coir cords, hauling ropes, bamboo poles, and hollow tubes; keep shallow mortar dishes, sieves, large baskets (dalya), sturdy scaffolding planks, and thick wooden troughs (kathavati).
२१. मांदणें ढेरे घागरी । रांजण गाडगीं भारी । पाळीं बहुता परोपरी । दांडे असावे ॥ २१ ॥
Maandane dhere ghaagree | Raanjan gaadgee bhaaree | Paalee bahootaa paroparee | Daande asaave || 21 ||
Keep ready large wide-mouthed clay troughs (mandane), bulbous pitchers, and water pots; store heavy quantities of giant water vats (raanjan) and earthen jars (gaadgee); and provide a wide variety of ladles fitted with sturdy long handles.
२२. धोंडे गुंडे चिपा चिपरे । खरूस चुना वाळू कंकरे । पाटे वरवंटे बरे । कामगार असावे ॥ २२ ॥
Dhonde gunde chipaa chipre | Kharoos choonaa vaaloo kankare | Paate varavante bare | Kaamgaar asaave || 22 ||
Procure suitable rubble stone, boulders, and flat stone chips (chipre); provide slaked lime (kharus chuna), sand, and fine gravel. Keep flat stone grinding slabs with rollers (pate-varvante) along with skilled grinding labour.
२३. पोशिंदे असावे सावधान । हुन्नरबंदी तुफान । दोघांचें एकचित्त मन । कामा नये ॥ २३ ॥
Poshinde asaave saavadhaan | Hunnarbandee toofaan | Doghaanchen ekachitt man | Kaamaa naye || 23 ||
Project patrons and managers (poshinde) must remain vigilant. The master artisans (hunnarbandi) must possess top-tier technical skill. The manager and the craftsman must never collude together to cut corners or compromise quality.
२४. तिकट्या सूत्रें ओळंबे । काम पाहुनियां मनुष्य झोंबे । तरी मग इमारती खेवडंगे । उभे राहती ॥ २४ ॥
Tikatyaa sootre olambe | Kaam paahoniyaa manushya jhonbe | Taree mag imaaratee khevadange | Oobhe raahati || 24 ||
Employ reference triangles (tikatya), alignment cords (sutra), and plumb lines (olambe). When workers apply themselves diligently with strict adherence to alignment, grand and enduring structures rise up.
Key Takeaways:
Merit-Driven Systems: Equal pay without accountability kills initiative. Rewarding competence and matching human aptitude to the task creates high-performing organizations.
Humane Management: Sustainable execution relies on psychological respect. Firm timekeeping must go hand-in-hand with eliminating toxic, abusive supervision.
Audit Readiness & Tool Readiness: Operational friction is avoided by real-time accounting and proactive maintenance of infrastructure.
Strict Alignment: Technical ability must submit to objective benchmarks (sutra and olambe) to avoid skewed execution.
Summary:
Material resources must be directed by human discipline. Lasting organizations require clear accountability, performance-based compensation, proactive supply chain readiness, ethical governance, and strict adherence to geometric and moral alignment.
Samarth Ramdas Swami sought to forge an organized, disciplined, and capable society capable of self-rule (Swarajya) and collective elevation. His core goal was to dismantle social lethargy, fatalism, and mismanagement by demonstrating that spiritual consciousness must express itself as practical competence (Karya-Kaushalya). For future generations, his timeless message is clear: righteous ideals are realized only when backed by organized administration, vigilant leadership, fair economics, and relentless diligence.
|| Jay Jay Raghuveer Samarth ||
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