संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 553 of 4582

Abhanga 553

English: Poṭa-cē-naṭa — don't watch — chamda — viṣaya-bhēda — viṣaya-rūpa.

When the bhakta-actors perform for the belly — and you have to recognize this register
When the citta is greedy and the pose is in vain — and you accept this charge
When both the false-performer and the spectator with abhilāṣa go to same naraka — and you receive this implication

The verse

पोटाचे ते नट पाहों नये छंद । विषयांचे भेद विषयरूप ॥१॥ अर्थ परमार्थ कैसा घडों सके । चित्त लोभी भीके सोंग वांयां ॥ध्रु.॥ देवाचीं चरित्रें दाखविती लीळा । लाघवाच्या कळा मोहावया ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे चित्तीं राहे अभिळास । दोघां नरकवास सारिखा चि ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Poṭa-cē-naṭa — don't watch — chamda — viṣaya-bhēda — viṣaya-rūpa. Artha-paramārtha — how? — citta lōbhī — sōnga vāyām. Deva's caritra-līḷā — lāghava skills — mōha. Tuka says: citta — abhilāṣa — both — naraka-vāsa — same.

मराठी: पोटाचे ते नट पाहों नये छंद — विषयांचे भेद विषयरूप. अर्थ परमार्थ कैसा घडों सके — चित्त लोभी भीके सोंग वांयां. देवाचीं चरित्रें दाखविती लीळा — लाघवाच्या कळा मोहावया. तुकाराम म्हणतां — चित्तीं राहे अभिळास — दोघां नरकवास सारिखा चि.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
पोटाचे ते नट पाहों नये छंद "poṭa-cē naṭa — don't watch chamda"
विषयांचे भेद विषयरूप "viṣaya-bhēda — viṣaya-rūpa"
अर्थ परमार्थ कैसा घडों सके "artha-paramārtha — how to happen?"
चित्त लोभी भीके सोंग वांयां "citta lōbhī — sōnga vāyām"
देवाचीं चरित्रें दाखविती लीळा "deva's caritra-līḷā shown"
लाघवाच्या कळा मोहावया "lāghava skills — for mōha"
चित्तीं राहे अभिळास "citta — abhilāṣa remains"
दोघां नरकवास सारिखा चि "both — naraka-vāsa — same"

What it means

A belly-actor's-performance-don't-watch-shared-naraka abhang. Continues 0552's false-bhakta-criticism but turns to the audience-implication: those who watch greedily share the naraka. Three claims:

  1. पोटाचे ते नट पाहों नये छंद — विषयांचे भेद विषयरूप — poṭa-cē naṭa — don't watch chamda — viṣaya-bhēda — viṣaya-rūpa. The opening-warning: the poṭa-cē naṭa (actors-for-the-belly = those who perform-bhakti-as-livelihood) — don't watch their chamda (performance, indulgence); viṣaya-bhēda (different objects-of-sense), viṣaya-rūpa (form-of-objects). Don't-watch-belly-actors; their performance is sense-form-not-deva-form*.

  2. अर्थ परमार्थ कैसा घडों सके — चित्त लोभी भीके सोंग वांयां — देवाचीं चरित्रें दाखविती लीळा — लाघवाच्या कळा मोहावया — artha-paramārtha — how? — citta lōbhī — sōnga vāyām — deva's caritra-līḷā shown — lāghava skills — for mōha. The fraud-mechanism-claim: artha-paramārtha (worldly-and-otherworldly fulfillment) — how can it happen?; the citta is lōbhī (greedy, beggar-spirited); the sōnga (pose / role) is vāyām (in vain); they show the deva's caritra-līḷā (deeds-and-play); with lāghava (sleight, illusion) skills; for mōha (delusion / attraction). Greedy-citta-fraudulent-display-of-deva-caritra-for-deluding-audience.

  3. तुका म्हणे चित्तीं राहे अभिळास — दोघां नरकवास सारिखा चि — Tuka says: citta — abhilāṣa — both — naraka-vāsa — same. The closing-shared-naraka-claim: Tuka says: in the citta if abhilāṣa (greedy-desire) remains; both (the performer and the spectator) — have the same naraka-vāsa (naraka-dwelling). Both-go-to-same-naraka if abhilāṣa-in-citta. The audience-is-implicated. Don't-watch-the-fraud-or-share-the-naraka*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the belly-actor-shared-naraka register:

  1. Don't watch the poṭa-cē naṭa*'s performance. Poṭa-cē naṭa — pāhōm nayē. Those who perform-bhakti-as-livelihood: their performance is sense-form, not deva-form. Don't-watch-belly-actors*.

  2. Greedy citta + fraudulent sōnga = no artha-paramārtha*. Citta lōbhī — sōnga vāyām — paramārtha nakō. Greed-and-fraud cannot produce purpose. Don't-trust-the-display*.

  3. Lāghava-skills displaying deva-caritra are for mōha*. Lāghava — caritra-līḷā — mōha. The skills are for deluding the audience. Don't-be-deluded*.

  4. If abhilāṣa remains in citta, performer-and-spectator share the same naraka*. Abhilāṣa — naraka-vāsa sārikha. The audience-is-implicated; greedy-watching shares the naraka. Don't-share-the-naraka*.

For today: don't watch belly-actor-bhaktas perform; greedy-citta + fraudulent-sōnga produces no real-fruit; the lāghava skills are for delusion; if you watch with abhilāṣa, you share the same naraka.

This abhang is Tukaram's audience-implicated-in-fraud register — unusual: most false-bhakta-criticism focuses on the false-bhakta; here Tukaram implicates the audience too. Compare 0552 bahu-rūpī-naṭa-cāṭa; same false-bhakta-criticism but here the audience is part of the criticism. The dōghām-naraka-vāsa-sārikha claim is a precise warning: don't-watch-the-fraud.

मराठी: ही ओवी belly-actor-shared-naraka register नाव सांगते:

  1. Poṭa-cē naṭa च performance बघू नका. पोटाचे नट — पाहों नये. Bhakti-as-livelihood करणारे: त्यांचा performance sense-form, देव-form नाही. Belly-actors-watch नका*.

  2. Greedy citta + fraudulent sōnga = no artha-paramārtha*. चित्त लोभी — सोंग वायां — परमार्थ नाही. Greed-and-fraud purpose produce करू शकत नाही. Display-trust नका*.

  3. Lāghava skills देव-caritra display करत असतात mōha साठी. लाघव — चरित्र-लीळा — मोह. Skills audience ला delude करायला. Deluded-नका-होऊ*.

  4. Citta त abhilāṣa राहिला तर, performer-and-spectator same naraka. अभिलाष — नरक-वास सारिखा. Audience-implicated; greedy-watching naraka share करतं. Naraka-share-नका*.

आज: Belly-actor-bhaktas perform बघू नका; Greedy-citta + fraudulent-sōnga real-fruit produce करत नाही; Lāghava skills delusion साठी; Abhilāṣa ने बघितलं तर, same naraka share करता.

Tukaram च-audience-implicated-in-fraud-register — Unusual: most false-bhakta-criticism false-bhakta-focused; इथे Tukaram audience-ला सुद्धा implicate करतो. 0552 bahu-rūpī-naṭa-cāṭa compare; तीच false-bhakta-criticism पण इथे audience criticism चा भाग. Dōghām-naraka-vāsa-sārikha claim precise warning: fraud-watch-नका.

Where this applies

Non-dual / Advaita Bhakti

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