संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 316 of 4582

Abhanga 316

Following rituals strictly by rule and renouncing worldly things strictly by rule amount to the same thing — both are just outer form without real devotion behind them. The real essence of dharma is keeping God present in your heart continuously, from beginning to end, not through occasional rituals or temporary renunciations. Going overboard with rules, or getting lost in clever logical arguments, only multiplies confusing paths and leads you further from the truth. Tukaram says what actually draws God's grace is sincere feeling — not rule-following, not clever argument, just heartfelt faith.

When rule-bound-service is being mistaken for bhakti — and the abhang says that = viṣaya-tyāga, not bhakti

When tarka multiplies paths but bhāva triggers kṛpā — and you receive this contrast

The verse

विधीनें सेवन । विषयत्यागातें समान ॥१॥ मुख्य धर्म देव चित्तीं । आदि अवसान अंतीं ॥ध्रु.॥ बहु अतिशय खोटा । तर्कें होती बहु वाटा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भावें । कृपा करीजेते देवें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Service by vidhi — same as viṣaya-tyāga. The main dharma is — deva in chitta — from ādi to avasāna. Excess — very khōṭā; by tarka — many vāṭā arise. Tuka says: by bhāva — kṛpā is done by the deva.

मराठी: विधीनें सेवन — विषयत्यागातें समान. मुख्य धर्म देव चित्तीं — आदि अवसान अंतीं. बहु अतिशय खोटा — तर्कें होती बहु वाटा. तुकाराम म्हणतां — भावें — कृपा करीजेते देवें.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
विधीनें सेवन	"service byvidhi(rule-bound)"
विषयत्यागातें समान	"same asviṣaya-tyāga"
मुख्य धर्म देव चित्तीं	"the maindharmais — deva inchitta"
आदि अवसान अंतीं	"fromāditoavasāna(beginning to end)"
बहु अतिशय खोटा	"excess (literalism) — verykhōṭā(false)"
तर्कें होती बहु वाटा	"bytarka— manyvāṭā(paths) arise"
भावें कृपा करीजेते देवें	"bybhāva—kṛpāis done by the deva"

What it means

A short vidhi-vs-bhāva abhang. Three claims:

विधीनें सेवन — विषयत्यागातें समान — vidhi-bound-service = viṣaya-tyāga. The radical-equation. Service performed by-vidhi-rule is equivalent to viṣaya-tyāga (renunciation-of-objects). Reading: both are external-form-without-bhakta-content. Doing the right-actions-by-rule and renouncing-the-objects-by-rule are both vidhi-bound, both not-the-bhakta-mode. (Compare 315 vidhi-niṣedha lōpa, mārga uccheda; here, the vidhi-bound forms are equated as thenot-the-path modes.)
मुख्य धर्म देव चित्तीं — आदि अवसान अंतीं — main dharma — deva in chitta — beginning to end. The positive-claim. The main-dharma is — deva-in-chitta from beginning-to-end (continuous through-out). Not vidhi-bound action; not viṣaya-tyāga; but continuous-deva-presence-in-chitta. (Compare 281's to-the-deva orientation as the varma of dharma; same claim.)
बहु अतिशय खोटा — तर्कें होती बहु वाटा — excess — very khōṭā; by tarka — many vāṭā arise. Excess-of-literal-rules (atiśaya — going-overboard with vidhi) is khōṭā (false). And tarka (logical-debate) creates many paths — the bhakta-mārga is one; tarka multiplies it into many false-paths.
तुका म्हणे भावें — कृपा करीजेते देवें — by bhāva — kṛpā is done by the deva. The closing-rule. Bhāva triggers kṛpā; not vidhi, not tarka, not viṣaya-tyāga. Bhāva alone is the trigger.

[T]

For someone today

मराठी: नियमांनुसार काटेकोरपणे विधी पाळणं आणि नियमांनुसार वस्तूंचा त्याग करणं या दोन्ही गोष्टी सारख्याच आहेत — दोन्ही केवळ बाह्य आकार आहेत, त्यामागे खरी भक्ती नसते. धर्माचं खरं सार म्हणजे देवाला सुरुवातीपासून शेवटपर्यंत सतत आपल्या मनात ठेवणं, अधूनमधून केलेल्या विधींतून किंवा तात्पुरत्या त्यागातून नव्हे. नियमांचा अतिरेक करणं, किंवा हुशार तर्कवितर्कात हरवून जाणं, फक्त गोंधळात टाकणारे अनेक मार्ग निर्माण करतं आणि तुम्हाला सत्यापासून आणखी दूर नेतं. तुकाराम म्हणतात, देवाची कृपा प्रत्यक्षात मनापासूनच्या भावनेने ओढली जाते — नियम पाळण्याने नाही, हुशार तर्काने नाही, फक्त मनापासूनच्या श्रद्धेने.

Where this applies

Rule-bound-service ≠ bhakti. Equivalent to viṣaya-tyāga as form-without-content.
Main dharma = continuous deva-in-chitta. Not interrupted ritual.
Atiśaya and tarka multiply false-paths.
Bhāvatriggerskṛpā. The mechanism.