संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 550 of 4582

Abhanga 550

Do not call someone holy just because the world does, and do not be afraid to say so when their real aim is wealth, status, and admiration.

When the bhakta refuses to call false-saints saint — and you have to recognize this register

When the world-deva-takers are knowledge-blind load-bearers — and you accept this discrimination

When don't fear rebuking such ones — and you receive this courage-claim

The verse

करिसी तें देवा करीं माझें सुखें । परी मी त्यासी मुखें न म्हणें संत ॥१॥ जया राज्य द्रव्य करणें उपार्जना । वश दंभमाना इच्छे जाले ॥ध्रु.॥ जगदेव परी निवडीन निराळे । ज्ञानाचे आंधळे भारवाही ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भय न धरीं मानसीं । ऐसियाचे विशीं करितां दंड ॥३॥

Literal translation

Do what You will — gladly mine — but I — mukha — won't say saint. Upārjana — rājya-dravya — vaśa — dambha-māna icchā. Jaga-deva — separate apart — jñāna-amdhaḷē bhāra-vāhī. Tuka says: no fear in mind — for such — daṇḍa.

मराठी: करिसी तें देवा करीं माझें सुखें — परी मी त्यासी मुखें न म्हणें संत. जया राज्य द्रव्य करणें उपार्जना — वश दंभमाना इच्छे जाले. जगदेव परी निवडीन निराळे — ज्ञानाचे आंधळे भारवाही. तुकाराम म्हणतां — भय न धरीं मानसीं — ऐसियाचे विशीं करितां दंड.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
करिसी तें देवा करीं माझें सुखें	"do what You will — gladly mine"
परी मी त्यासी मुखें न म्हणें संत	"I — mukha — won't say saint"
जया राज्य द्रव्य करणें उपार्जना	"upārjana — rājya-dravya"
वश दंभमाना इच्छे जाले	"vaśa — dambha-māna icchā"
जगदेव परी निवडीन निराळे	"jaga-deva — separate apart"
ज्ञानाचे आंधळे भारवाही	"jñāna-amdhaḷē bhāra-vāhī"
भय न धरीं मानसीं	"no fear in mind"
ऐसियाचे विशीं करितां दंड	"for such — daṇḍa"

What it means

A won't-call-them-saint-bhāra-vāhī abhang. False-saint-criticism register. Three claims:

करिसी तें देवा करीं माझें सुखें — परी मी त्यासी मुखें न म्हणें संत — do what You will — gladly mine — but I — mukha — won't say saint. The opening-stand-claim: do what You will, deva; do (with) my-self gladly; but I — with mymukha— won't saysamta. I-won't-call-them-saint-whatever-You-do-to-me. Truth-of-discrimination-stands-firm-against-deva-pressure.
जया राज्य द्रव्य करणें उपार्जना — वश दंभमाना इच्छे जाले — जगदेव परी निवडीन निराळे — ज्ञानाचे आंधळे भारवाही — upārjana — rājya-dravya — vaśa — dambha-māna — jaga-deva — separate apart — jñāna-amdhaḷē bhāra-vāhī. The false-saint-criticism: those for whomupārjana(acquisition) ofrājya(kingdom, status) anddravya(wealth) is what-must-be-done; vaśa (subject) to the icchā (desire) of dambha-māna (hypocrisy-and-honor);jaga-dēva(world-sees-them-as-deva); yet I willnivaḍīna nirāḷē(separate-apart, distinguish-as-distinct); jñāna-amdhaḷē (blind-of-knowledge), bhāra-vāhī (load-bearers, beasts-of-burden).World-takes-them-as-deva-but-they-are-knowledge-blind-load-bearers.
तुका म्हणे भय न धरीं मानसीं — ऐसियाचे विशीं करितां दंड — Tuka says: no fear in mind — for such — daṇḍa. The closing-courage-claim: Tuka says: don't hold fear in mind; for such ones —daṇḍa(punishment, rebuke) — when given. Don't-fear-the-public-rebuke-of-false-saints.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram takes a firm stand here, saying that no matter what happens to him, he will not call someone a saint just because everyone else does. He points out that people who spend their energy chasing wealth, status, and the appearance of being respected are not holy just because the world admires them, he calls them blind to real knowledge, no better than beasts carrying heavy loads. This is a lesson about not letting popularity or acclaim substitute for genuine character. He closes by saying not to be afraid to say so out loud, calling out false holiness is not cruelty, it is simply telling the truth.

मराठी: तुकाराम इथे ठाम भूमिका घेतात आणि सांगतात, माझे काहीही झाले तरी, सगळे जग म्हणते म्हणून मी कोणाला संत म्हणणार नाही. जे लोक संपत्ती, सत्ता आणि आदर मिळवण्याच्या मागे लागतात ते फक्त जग त्यांना मानते म्हणून पवित्र ठरत नाहीत, असे ते म्हणतात, त्यांना ते खऱ्या ज्ञानाला आंधळे आणि ओझे वाहणाऱ्या जनावरांसारखे म्हणतात. लोकप्रियता किंवा वाहवा हे खऱ्या चारित्र्याची जागा घेऊ शकत नाहीत, हा या ओवीचा धडा आहे. शेवटी ते सांगतात की हे मोठ्याने बोलायला घाबरू नका, खोट्या पावित्र्याला उघड करणे ही क्रूरता नाही, ते फक्त सत्य सांगणे आहे.

Where this applies

Won't call them saint. Truth-firm.
Bhāra-vāhī-not-saints. Discrimination.
Dambha-māna desire. False-mark.
Don't fear daṇḍa. Public-rebuke-dharma.