Chokhamela was a 14th c. CE mystic and poet of Maharashtra. He was a follower of the bhakta movement and a student of the legendary Namdev. He was a member of a caste considered to be untouchable, and worked as a labourer, killed in fact by the collapse of a wall he was helping to build. The following was his response to being condemned for his caste.

A sugarcane may be crooked, and yet its juice is not crooked.

A bow may be curved, and yet the arrow is not curved.

A river may be winding and yet the water has no winding.

Chokha may be untouchable, but his heart is not untouchable.