Abhanga 782
Tukaram warns that wearing the marks of devotion and performing tears at kirtana means nothing if there is no real love behind it, since God is never near such pretenders.
The verse
टिळा टोपी माळा देवाचें गवाळें । वागवी वोंगळ पोटासाटीं ॥१॥ तुळसी खोवी कानीं दर्भ खोवी शेंडी । लटिकी धरी बोंडी नासिकाची ॥ध्रु.॥ कीर्तनाचे वेळे रडे पडे लोळे । प्रेमेंविण डोळे गळताती ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ऐसे मावेचे मइंद । त्यांपाशीं गोविंद नाहीं नाहीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Tilaka-tōpī-māḷā — deva's gavāḷa — carries — ongaḷa — for stomach. Tuḷasī — kāna — darbha — śēṇḍī — false — bōṇḍī — nāsika. Kīrtana — cry — fall — roll — without prema — eyes — flow. Tuka says: māvēcē maimda — Govinda — not, not.
मराठी: टिळा-टोपी-माळा देवाचें गवाळें — पोटासाठी ओंगळ-वागवी. तुळसी कानीं खोवी, दर्भ शेंडीत — नासिकाची लटिकी बोंडी धरी. कीर्तनाच्या वेळे रडे-पडे-लोळे — प्रेमें-विण डोळे गळताती. Tuka म्हणे: ऐसे मावेचे मइंद — त्यांपाशी Govinda नाहीं, नाहीं.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| टिळा टोपी माळा | "tilaka-tōpī-māḷā" |
| देवाचें गवाळें | "deva — gavāḷa" |
| वागवी वोंगळ पोटासाटीं | "carries — ongaḷa — for stomach" |
| तुळसी खोवी कानीं | "tuḷasī — kāna" |
| दर्भ खोवी शेंडी | "darbha — śēṇḍī" |
| लटिकी धरी बोंडी नासिकाची | "false — bōṇḍī — nāsika" |
| कीर्तनाचे वेळे रडे पडे लोळे | "kīrtana — cry, fall, roll" |
| प्रेमेंविण डोळे गळताती | "without prema — eyes — flow" |
| ऐसे मावेचे मइंद | "such — māvēcē maimda" |
| त्यांपाशीं गोविंद नाहीं नाहीं | "near them — Govinda — not, not" |
What it means
A tilaka-cap-mālā-as-deva's-bag-for-stomach-tulasī-darbha-show-kīrtana-cry-without-prema-māyā-deceivers-no-Govinda abhang. Anti-hypocrite-māyā-mainda register. Four claims:
-
टिळा-टोपी-माळा — देवाचं-गवाळं — ओंगळ-पोटासाठी. Tilaka-cap-mālā-deva-bag-for-stomach-claim. Tilaka,tōpī(cap),māḷā(rosary) —deva'sgavāḷa(bag, accoutrement-set, stage-prop); carries (vāgavī, drags-around) theongaḷa(dirty / disgusting) (one) for thepōṭā-sāṭī(stomach's-sake, livelihood). Devotee-paraphernalia-as-stage-props-for-livelihood.
-
तुळसी-कानी — दर्भ-शेंडी — नासिक-लटिकी-बोंडी. Tulasī-darbha-false-nose-bond-claim. (He) stickstuḷasīin thekāna(ear); darbha in the śēṇḍī (top-knot);holds a laṭikī (false / fake) bōṇḍī (knot, stuff) of the nāsika (nose).Showy-religious-accessories.
-
कीर्तन-वेळे रडे-पडे-लोळे — प्रेमेंविण-डोळे-गळताती. Kīrtana-cry-fall-roll-without-prema-eyes-flow-claim. Atkīrtana-time, cries-falls-rolls; withoutprema, theḍōḷaflows (i.e., even tears-without-prema, performative-weeping). Performative-bhāva-without-real-prema.
-
Tuka: मावेचे-मइंद — Govinda-नाहीं-नाहीं. Māyā-deceivers-no-Govinda-claim. Tuka says: suchmāvēcē maimda(māyā-cunning-cheats — those who deceive in the māyā-mode); Govinda is not, not (near) them.Māyā-deceivers-no-Govinda-double-emphasized.
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram takes aim at people who wear the outward marks of devotion, the tilak mark, the cap, the rosary, tulasi leaves tucked behind the ear, sacred grass in the topknot, only to make a living off looking pious. At kirtana time they cry, fall down, and roll on the ground, but their eyes flow without any real love behind them, so it is all performance. Tuka says plainly that such crafty pretenders, however convincing the show, do not have God anywhere near them. The verse asks you to notice the difference between religious costume and religious feeling, and to be honest about which one you are offering.
मराठी: तुकाराम महाराज इथे अशा लोकांवर टीका करतात जे टिळा, टोपी, माळ, कानात तुळस, शेंडीत दर्भ असे बाह्य भक्तीचे चिन्ह मिरवतात, पण खरे तर पोटासाठी, उदरनिर्वाहासाठी हा दिखावा करतात. कीर्तनाच्या वेळी ते रडतात, पडतात, लोळतात, पण त्यांचे डोळे खऱ्या प्रेमाशिवाय वाहतात, म्हणजे हे सगळे नाटक असते. तुकोबा स्पष्ट सांगतात की असे धूर्त, मायावी लोक कितीही खरे वाटले तरी त्यांच्याजवळ गोविंद नसतोच नसतो. ही ओवी आपल्याला भक्तीचा दिखावा आणि खरी भक्तीभावना यातला फरक ओळखायला सांगते.
Where this applies
- Tilaka-cap for stomach. Livelihood-show.
- Performative crying. No-prema.
- NoGovinda. Verdict.