Abhanga 770
Outward spectacle like long hair, staged possession, or fortune telling proves nothing; God is never found with a fraud, however convincing the display looks.
The verse
डोई वाढवूनि केश । भूतें आणिती अंगास ॥१॥ तरी ते नव्हति संतजन । तेथें नाहीं आत्मखुण ॥ध्रु.॥ मेळवूनि नरनारी । शकुन सांगती नानापरी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मैंद । नाहीं त्यापासीं गोविंद ॥३॥
Literal translation
Ḍōī — growing — kēśa — bhūtēm — bring — anga. Yet — not — santa-jana — ātma-khuṇa — none. Gathering — nara-nārī — śakuna — tell — nānā-parī. Tuka says: maimda — Govinda — not — near.
मराठी: डोई वाढवूनि केश — भूतें आणिती अंगास. तरी ते नव्हति संत-जन — तेथें नाहीं आत्म-खुण. नर-नारी मेळवूनि — शकुन सांगती नाना-परी. Tuka म्हणे: मैंद — नाहीं त्यापासीं गोविंद.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| डोई वाढवूनि केश | "ḍōī — growing — kēśa" |
| भूतें आणिती अंगास | "bhūtēm — bring — anga" |
| तरी ते नव्हति संतजन | "yet — not — santa-jana" |
| तेथें नाहीं आत्मखुण | "ātma-khuṇa — none" |
| मेळवूनि नरनारी | "gathering nara-nārī" |
| शकुन सांगती नानापरी | "śakuna — tell — nānā-parī" |
| मैंद नाहीं त्यापासीं गोविंद | "maimda — Govinda — not — near" |
What it means
A long-hair-bringing-spirits-not-saints-gathering-men-women-omens-maimda-no-Govinda abhang. Anti-tantrika-shaman-polemic register. Three claims:
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डोई-केश-वाढवून — भूतें-अंगांत — नव्हति संत-जन — आत्म-खुण नाही. Long-hair-spirit-bringers-not-saints-claim. Growing thekēśaon theḍōī(i.e., the matted-hair / long-locks of certain shamans, tantrikas, or ascetics); they bringbhūtēm(spirits, ghosts) onto theanga(body — i.e., possession-séances); such are notsanta-jana; there is noātma-khuṇa(the mark / sign of theātman, theātman-recognition) there. Long-hair-spirit-bringers-not-saints-no-ātman-sign.
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नर-नारी-मेळवून — शकुन-नाना-परी. Gather-tell-omens-claim. Gathering men-and-women — they tellśakuna(omens, fortune-telling, predictions) innānā-parī(many ways / kinds). Mixed-gathering-and-omen-telling.
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Tuka: मैंद — नाहीं त्यापासीं गोविंद. Maimda-no-Govinda-claim. Tuka says:the maimda (cunning-cheat, swindler, fraud);Govindais not near him. Maimda-no-Govinda.
[T]
For someone today
Growing out your hair and staging dramatic spirit possession does not make someone holy; there is no real sign of the soul in that kind of performance. Gathering crowds and telling fortunes in clever, varied ways is trickery dressed up as wisdom, not genuine spirituality. Tukaram is blunt about it: God is simply not present with a fraud, no matter how convincing or theatrical the display looks.
मराठी: केस वाढवून भूतबाधेचं नाटक करणं म्हणजे संतपण नव्हे, त्यात आत्म्याची खरी खूण नसते. लोकांना जमवून नाना प्रकारे शकुन सांगणं ही धूर्त फसवणूक आहे, ती शहाणपण नव्हे. तुकाराम स्पष्ट सांगतात, कितीही खात्रीलायक आणि नाट्यमय देखावा असला तरी अशा लबाड माणसाजवळ गोविंद नसतोच.
Where this applies
- When you're tempted by someone claiming spiritual powers through dramatic rituals or possession
- When you or someone you know relies on fortune tellers or omen readers for reassurance
- When you need to tell genuine holiness apart from theatrical showmanship
- When you're impressed by outward signs of asceticism without checking what's actually behind them