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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 552 of 4582

Abhanga 552

English: Speaks ati-vāda — one-finger sōnga.

When the false-bhakta speaks ati-vāda and shows poses — and you have to recognize this register
When one moment establishes, next moment kills — and you accept this self-contradiction-mark
When no bhūta-dayā in his place — and you receive this final-test

The verse

अतिवाद लावी । एक बोट सोंग दावी ॥१॥ त्याचा बहुरूपी नट । नव्हे वैष्णव तो चाट ॥ध्रु.॥ प्रतिपादी वाळी । एक पुजी एका छळी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नाहीं । भूतदया ज्याचे ठायीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Speaks ati-vāda — one-finger sōnga. His bahu-rūpī naṭa — not Vaiṣṇava — cāṭa. Pratipādī-vāḷī — one — worship; one — chaḷ. Tuka says: no — bhūta-dayā — in ṭhāyī.

मराठी: अतिवाद लावी — एक बोट सोंग दावी. त्याचा बहुरूपी नट — नव्हे वैष्णव तो चाट. प्रतिपादी वाळी — एक पुजी एका छळी. तुकाराम म्हणतां — नाहीं — भूतदया ज्याचे ठायीं.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
अतिवाद लावी "speaks ati-vāda"
एक बोट सोंग दावी "one-finger sōnga"
त्याचा बहुरूपी नट "his bahu-rūpī naṭa"
नव्हे वैष्णव तो चाट "not Vaiṣṇava — cāṭa"
प्रतिपादी वाळी "pratipādī-vāḷī"
एक पुजी एका छळी "one — worship; one — chaḷ (ridicule)"
नाहीं भूतदया ज्याचे ठायीं "no — bhūta-dayā — ṭhāyī"

What it means

A short false-bhakta-no-bhūta-dayā abhang. Sharp-criticism register. Four claims:

  1. अतिवाद लावी — एक बोट सोंग दावी — speaks ati-vāda — one-finger sōnga. The opening-mark: speaks (lāvī) ati-vāda (over-argument, contradictions, hyper-disputation); shows one-finger sōnga (a single-finger pose / gesture, performance). Over-argues-and-poses.

  2. त्याचा बहुरूपी नट — नव्हे वैष्णव तो चाट — his bahu-rūpī naṭa — not Vaiṣṇava — cāṭa. The false-bhakta-name-claim: his is bahu-rūpī naṭa (the multi-form actor, the shape-shifting performer); he is not a Vaiṣṇava (devotee-of-Viṣṇu); but a cāṭa (charlatan, fraud). Multi-form-shape-shifter-is-charlatan-not-Vaiṣṇava.

  3. प्रतिपादी वाळी — एक पुजी एका छळी — pratipādī-vāḷī — one worship; one chaḷ. The self-contradiction-mark: pratipādī (one moment establishes / argues-for) and vāḷī (next moment kills / refutes / destroys); one moment pūjī (worships), next moment chaḷ (ridicules, harasses). Self-contradiction-mark*.

  4. तुका म्हणे नाहीं — भूतदया ज्याचे ठायीं — Tuka says: no — bhūta-dayā — ṭhāyī. The closing-final-test: Tuka says: no bhūta-dayā (compassion-to-creatures, mercy-to-beings) in his ṭhāyī (place, location, person). No-bhūta-dayā = no-saint. Final-test-of-bhakta*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the false-bhakta-no-bhūta-dayā register:

  1. Over-argues and poses — multi-form-actor — charlatan, not Vaiṣṇava. Ati-vāda — bahu-rūpī naṭa — cāṭa. The shape-shifter is not the Vaiṣṇava. Don't-mistake-the-charlatan-for-the-saint.

  2. One moment worships, next moment ridicules. Pratipādī-vāḷī — pūjī-chaḷī. Self-contradiction is the false-bhakta's mark. Watch-the-contradictions.

  3. No bhūta-dayā* in his place — final test. Bhūta-dayā nāhīm — ṭhāyī. Compassion-to-creatures is the final-test of the saint. No-bhūta-dayā = no-saint. Final-test*.

For today: the false-bhakta over-argues, poses, contradicts, ridicules; the test is bhūta-dayā — compassion to creatures; no bhūta-dayā in his place = no saint, even with all the appearance.

This abhang is Tukaram's bhūta-dayā-as-final-test register — one of his most-cited tests of true-bhakti. Compare 0550-551 false-saint-discrimination; same register but here with the bhūta-dayā as the precise-criterion. The bahu-rūpī-naṭa-cāṭa image is one of Tukaram's most-direct namings of fraud.

मराठी: ही ओवी false-bhakta-no-bhūta-dayā register नाव सांगते:

  1. Over-argues आणि poses — multi-form-actor — charlatan, Vaiṣṇava* नाही. अति-वाद — बहु-रूपी-नट — चाट. Shape-shifter Vaiṣṇava नाही. Charlatan-saint म्हणून मानू नका*.

  2. एक क्षण worship, पुढच्या क्षणी ridicule. प्रतिपादी-वाळी — पूजी-छळी. Self-contradiction false-bhakta चं mark. Contradictions-watch करा.

  3. त्याच्या ṭhāyī मध्ये bhūta-dayā* नाही — final test. भूत-दया नाही — ठायीं. Bhūta-dayā (compassion-to-creatures) saint चा final-test. No-bhūta-dayā = no-saint. Final-test.

आज: False-bhakta over-argues, poses, contradicts, ridicules; Test bhūta-dayā — creatures-ला-compassion; त्याच्या ṭhāyī मध्ये bhūta-dayā नाही = no saint, सर्व appearance असली तरी.

Tukaram च-bhūta-dayā-as-final-test-register — True-bhakti च्या most-cited tests पैकी एक. 0550-551 false-saint-discrimination compare; तीच register पण इथे bhūta-dayā precise-criterion म्हणून. Bahu-rūpī-naṭa-cāṭa image Tukaram च्या most-direct fraud-namings पैकी एक.

Where this applies

Bhakti

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