Abhanga 254

This abhang names the diagnostics of the corrupted-brahma-niṣṭha:

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

One of Tukaram's sharpest anti-fake-jñāni abhangs. Five claims:

1. ब्रम्हनिष्ठ काडी जरी जीवानांवें मोडी — तया घडली गुरुहत्या — the brahma-niṣṭha — if (he) breaks one twig to harm life — to him is done guru-hatyā. The radical-claim. Even one twig of harming-life (= minimal harm-to-living-beings) by the brahma-niṣṭha (one-who-claims-realization-of-brahman) — equals guru-hatyā (guru-killing, the gravest sin). The brahma-niṣṭhā does not give license to harm; if anything, it raises the standard.

2. गेला उपदेश तो मिथ्या — the upadeśa is mithyā. The upadeśa (the realization-instruction) the brahma-niṣṭha received — is mithyā (false, in-vain) if he then harms life. The test of having received true upadeśa is not-harming-life. If the post-upadeśa person harms life, the upadeśa was either not received or has been corrupted.

3. सांगितलें कानीं — रूप आपुलें वाखाणी — (when) told (into the) ear — describes only his own form. The self-aggrandizing critique. The upadeśa told into the ear — is used to describe only his own form / his own status / his own attainment. The upadeśa-content is appropriated for self-glorification.

4. भूतांच्या मत्सरें — ब्रम्हज्ञान नेलें चोरें — with bhūta-matsara — brahma-jñāna is carried away by the thief. The thief-claim. Bhūta-matsara — jealousy-toward-living-beings — is the thief that steals brahma-jñāna. If you have jealousy-toward-other-beings, your brahma-jñāna has already been stolen by the thief of jealousy.

5. शिकल्या सांगे गोष्टी — भेद क्रोध वाहे पोटीं — निंदा स्तुति स्तवनीं — वेंची वाणी — tells learned-things, but in belly bheda-krodha; in nindā-stuti-stavanī, uses-up the voice. The summary. The fake-jñāni speaks learned-things externally but internally carries bheda (division) and krodha (anger). He uses up his voice in criticism, praise (of self / faction), and eulogy (of self / faction). The voice that should be for jñāna is used-up in factional speech.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the diagnostics of the corrupted-brahma-niṣṭha:

1. Test: does the jñāni* harm life? Brahma-niṣṭha kāḍī jarī jīvānāmvē moḍī. If a self-claimed jñāni breaks even one twig to harm a living-being, the jñāna is corrupted. Real brahma-niṣṭha — by virtue of seeing-all-as-brahman — cannot harm life with intent. The harming-life test is stringent*.

2. Mithyā-upadeśa diagnostic. Gēlā upadeśa tō mithyā. If the post-upadeśa person harms life, the upadeśa is mithyā — either not received or corrupted. Don't trust the upadeśa-claim if the harm-life test fails.

3. Self-aggrandizement of the upadeśa-content. Rūpa āpulēm vākhāṇī. If the upadeśa is being used to describe only the recipient's own status, it has been corrupted into self-aggrandizement. The upadeśa is for the universal-realization, not for personal-status-display.

4. Bhūta-matsara is the thief. Bhūtāñcyā matsarē brahma-jñāna nēlē corē. Jealousy-toward-other-beings — steals the brahma-jñāna. If you have bhūta-matsara, your jñāna-claim has already been undermined. (Even before external-failures appear.)

5. Voice-uses: the diagnostic. Nindā-stuti-stavanī venchī vāṇī. If a jñāni's voice is used-up in criticism (of others), praise (of self / faction), eulogy (of self / faction) — the voice is misused. The voice should be for the jñāna, not for the factional-display.

For today: when you encounter a brahma-niṣṭha-claimant (yourself or others) — apply these tests: - Does this person harm life (twigs / beings)? - Is the upadeśa being used to describe only their own form? - Do they carry bhūta-matsara? - In their belly: bheda-krodha? - Their voice: used-up in nindā-stuti-stavanī?

If any of these is yes, recognize the brahma-niṣṭha-claim is undermined. (Compare 244's renunciate-with-abhimāna is julūma, 251's vēśa-disgracer, 246's anti-fault-finding (which protects real-saints).)

मराठी: ही ओवी corrupted-brahma-niṣṭha चे diagnostics नाव सांगते:

1. Test: jñāni* जीवाला हानी करतो का? ब्रम्हनिष्ठ काडी जरी जीवानांवें मोडी. Self-claimed jñāni एक काडी सुद्धा जीवाला हानी करायला मोडतो — jñāna corrupted. Real brahma-niṣṭha — सर्वांना brahman म्हणून पाहत असल्याने — intent-ने जीवाला हानी करू शकत नाही. Harm-life test stringent*.

2. Mithyā-upadeśa diagnostic. गेला उपदेश तो मिथ्या. Post-upadeśa व्यक्ती जीवाला हानी करतो — upadeśa mithyā — एकतर मिळाला नाही, किंवा corrupted. Harm-life test fail झाला तर upadeśa-claim trust करू नका.

3. Upadeśa-content चं self-aggrandizement. रूप आपुलें वाखाणी. Upadeśa recipient च्या स्वतःच्या status वर्णनासाठी वापरला जात असेल — self-aggrandizement मध्ये corrupted. Upadeśa universal-realization साठी, personal-status-display साठी नाही.

4. Bhūta-matsara चोर आहे. भूतांच्या मत्सरें ब्रम्हज्ञान नेलें चोरें. Other-beings कडे जलूस — brahma-jñāna चोरतो. तुम्हाला bhūta-matsara असेल — jñāna-claim आधीच undermined.

5. Voice-uses: diagnostic. निंदा-स्तुति-स्तवनीं वेंची वाणी. Jñāni चा voice — (इतरांची) निंदा, (स्वतःची / factional) स्तुति, (स्वतःचा / factional) स्तवन मध्ये used-up — voice misused. Voice jñāna साठी, factional-display साठी नाही.

आज: brahma-niṣṭha-claimant (स्वतः किंवा इतर) भेटला — हे tests लागू करा: - ही व्यक्ती जीव-हानी करते का (काड्या / beings)? - Upadeśa त्यांच्या स्वतःच्या form वर्णनासाठी वापरला जातोय का? - Bhūta-matsara आहे का? - पोटात: bheda-krodha? - आवाज: nindā-stuti-stavanī मध्ये used-up?

यापैकी काही yes असेल — brahma-niṣṭha-claim undermined ओळखा.

Where this applies

• Test 1: harming-life is guru-hatyā. Stringent.
• Test 2: upadeśa used for own-form-description. Self-aggrandizement.
• Test 3: bhūta-matsara steals brahma-jñāna. Thief-of-jñāna.
• Test 4: belly carries bheda-krodha. Internal-corruption.
• Test 5: voice used-up in nindā-stuti-stavanī. Voice-misuse.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374
• Abhanga 2377 — English: Gentle, sweet bāla-rūpa — that form from Kāḷī-time.
• Abhanga 2387
• Abhanga 2402