Abhanga 465

Hollow devotion performs restraint without inner substance and drifts toward distraction, while true devotion serves without shame from a place of inner steadiness; seeing truth and acting blind to it is the surest sign of having fallen.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A patanam-sōyirī-fall-kin diagnosis abhang within the women-bhakta-dance cluster. Four claims:

1. मोकळी गुंते रिती कुंथे — नाहीं भार दावें — धेडवाडा बैसली खोडा घेतली आपुल्या भावें — loose-entangled, empty-groans — no bhāra-dāva — ḍhēḍa-vāḍā sat with khoḍa — own bhāva. The opening-image of the fallen-bhakta: (the false-bhakta is) loose-and-entangled, empty-groaning; no real-burden to show; (she has) sat down in theḍhēḍa-vāḍā(low-quarter) with khoḍa (vow-restraint imitation), but only by āpaḷē bhāva (her own private-stance).Empty-show without inner-substance.

2. ऐका बाई लाज नाहीं आणिकां त्या गरतीची — समाधानीं उंच स्थानीं जाणे सेवा पतीची — listen, lady — no lāja for that other gartī — samādhāna at high place, knows pati-sevā. The contrast-with-true-gartī: that othergartī(proud-noble-woman / true-bhakta) has no shame; insamādhānaat high-place, she knowspati-sevā(husband-service / deva-service). True-bhakta has no shame, knows the deva-service.

3. न बोलतां करी चिंता — न मारिता पळे — दादला सेज नावडे — निजे जगझोडीचे चाळे — without speaking, cintā — without striking, flees — dādalā doesn't like sēja — sleeps to jagajhōḍī cāḷē. The fallen-marks: worries without speaking; flees without being struck; thedādalā(husband / deva) doesn't like thesēja(bed); (she) sleeps tojagajhōḍī cāḷē(whoever-passes-by tricks). Anxious-without-cause; flighty; deva-uninterested-in-her-bed; promiscuous-with-passers-by.

4. देखत आंध बहिर कानीं बोल बोलतां मुकें — तुका म्हणे पतन सोयरीं ऐसीं जालीं एकें — seeing-blind, deaf-when-called, mute-when-speaking — Tuka says: patanam sōyirī, such have become some. The closing-diagnosis: seeing-blind (sees but as if blind to truth), deaf-when-called (when called to bhakti, deaf), mute-when-speaking-is-required (when must speak the truth, mute);Tuka says: patanam-sōyirī (kin of the fall) — such have become some.The fallen-kin-marks.

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For someone today

This abhang draws a sharp contrast between hollow devotion and the real thing. The false devotee is loose and scattered, making a show of restraint and self-denial that is really just her own private posture, with no true weight behind it — worry without cause, running away without provocation, restless and easily distracted by whatever passes by, so that God takes no interest in what she offers. She sees the truth but acts as if blind to it, hears the call to devotion but acts as if deaf, and falls silent exactly when she should speak up — and that, Tukaram says, is the mark of someone who has truly fallen. The genuine devotee, by contrast, feels no shame, rests in deep inner steadiness, and serves faithfully and quietly, the way a devoted wife serves her husband. Ask yourself honestly which pattern is your own, and choose the steady, faithful path rather than the hollow performance.

मराठी: हा अभंग पोकळ भक्ती आणि खऱ्या भक्तीमध्ये स्पष्ट फरक दाखवतो. खोटी भक्ती करणारी सैल आणि विस्कळीत असते, संयम आणि त्यागाचा देखावा करते जो प्रत्यक्षात फक्त तिचा स्वतःचा पवित्रा असतो, त्यामागे खरं वजन नसतं — विनाकारण काळजी करणं, विनाकारण पळून जाणं, अस्वस्थ राहून वाटेल त्या गोष्टीने विचलित होणं, त्यामुळे देवालाही तिच्यात रस उरत नाही. ती सत्य बघते पण आंधळी असल्यासारखी वागते, भक्तीची हाक ऐकते पण बहिरी असल्यासारखी वागते, आणि नेमकं बोलायची वेळ येते तेव्हा गप्प बसते — आणि तुकाराम म्हणतात, हीच खरी पतनाची खूण आहे. याउलट खरी भक्त लाजत नाही, खोल अंतःस्थैर्यात राहते, आणि पतिव्रता स्त्री जशी नवऱ्याची सेवा करते तशी शांतपणे, इमानदारीने सेवा करते. स्वतःला प्रामाणिकपणे विचारा तुम्ही कोणत्या मार्गावर आहात, आणि पोकळ देखाव्याऐवजी स्थिर, इमानदार मार्ग निवडा.

Where this applies

• Loose-entangled, empty-groan, fake-khoḍa. Fallen-marks.
• True gartī: samādhāna, pati-sevā. Contrast-bhakta.
• Anxious-flight; dādalā uninterested. Fall-signs.
• Jagajhōḍī cāḷē. Promiscuity-to-passers-by.
• Amdha-bahira-mukē—patanam-sōyirī. Triple-diagnostic.

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