Abhanga 351

Real knowledge without real character is worthless, and worse, it can be harmful. Tukaram describes a so-called learned person who has no genuine conduct and no real devotion of his own, yet spends his energy hunting for other people's faults and, in doing so, causes them real harm. He compares this person to a dog around a plate of sweets: the dog cannot actually eat the food, but it ruins the food for everyone else just by touching it. Someone who criticizes others' faith while having none of his own spoils it for everyone else, and Tukaram says bluntly that such a hollow position does not last; it collapses quickly.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A sharp anti-paṇḍita-without-conduct abhang. Three claims:

1. आचरणा ठाव नाहीं — अंगीं स्वता भाव — no place in conduct — no own bhāva in body. The first-mark of the false-paṇḍita: no foothold in conduct (ācaraṇa); no own-bhāva (sva-bhāva of devotion) in the body. The paṇḍita-without-substance.

2. करवी आणिकांचे घात — खोडी काढूनि पंडित — causes others' destruction — extracting faults — the paṇḍita. The active-harm: the paṇḍita extracts khōḍī (faults) of others, causing their ghāta (destruction). Fault-extraction is destruction-causing. (Compare 246 squeezing the flower register.)

3. श्वानाचियापरी — मिष्टान्नासि विटाळ करी — like a dog — defiles sweet-food. The image: like a dog — defiles miṣṭānna (sweet-food). The dog — cannot eat the miṣṭānna; but defiles it for others by touching with mouth or paw. The fault-extracting-paṇḍita is the dog who defiles miṣṭānna; cannot enjoy bhakti, but spoils it for others.

4. तुका म्हणे ऐसा — सटवे चि ना पांचा दिसां — Tuka says: such a one — won't even last five days. The fragility-claim: such a paṇḍita-without-substance won't even survive five days. The false-paṇḍita is short-lived.

[T]

For someone today

Real knowledge without real character is worthless, and worse, it can be harmful. Tukaram describes a so-called learned person who has no genuine conduct and no real devotion of his own, yet spends his energy hunting for other people's faults and, in doing so, causes them real harm. He compares this person to a dog around a plate of sweets: the dog cannot actually eat the food, but it ruins the food for everyone else just by touching it. Someone who criticizes others' faith while having none of his own spoils it for everyone else, and Tukaram says bluntly that such a hollow position does not last; it collapses quickly.

मराठी: खरं ज्ञान चांगल्या वर्तनाशिवाय निरुपयोगी असतं, किंबहुना ते हानिकारक ठरतं. तुकाराम असं वर्णन करतात की एक तथाकथित पंडित, ज्याच्या स्वतःच्या वागण्यात खरेपणा नाही आणि मनात खरी भक्तीही नाही, तो मात्र आपली शक्ती दुसऱ्यांचे दोष शोधण्यात खर्च करतो आणि त्यामुळे त्यांचं खरं नुकसान करतो. तुकाराम त्याची तुलना गोड पदार्थाजवळच्या कुत्र्याशी करतात: कुत्रा तो पदार्थ स्वतः खाऊ शकत नाही, पण नुसतं शिवून तो इतरांसाठीही तो खराब करतो. जो दुसऱ्यांच्या भक्तीत दोष काढतो पण स्वतःजवळ भक्ती नसते, तो सगळ्यांसाठीच ती खराब करतो. तुकाराम स्पष्ट सांगतात की अशी पोकळ भूमिका फार काळ टिकत नाही, ती लवकरच कोसळते.

Where this applies

• No ācaraṇa, no sva-bhāva. Hollow-paṇḍita diagnosis.
• Fault-extraction destroys others. Active-harm.
• Dog-defiles-miṣṭānna. Spoils-without-eating.
• Won't last five days. Short-lived.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374 — Rather than scattering devotion among many lesser deities who demand offerings, Tukaram sa
• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2387 — Accept whatever life brings with reverence, and place the burden on God rather than carryi
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is