संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1231 of 4582

Abhanga 1231

English: Some are chanting "guru-guru" — surrounded by a load of disciples.

When fake-gurus collect disciples, indulge in other-men's-wives, drinking, opium-dens — Tuka calls them dogs and says they go to adhōgati

The verse

एक करिती गुरु गुरु । भोंवता भारु शिष्यांचा ॥१॥ पुंस नाहीं पाय चारी । मनुष्य परी कुतरीं तीं ॥ध्रु.॥ परस्त्री मद्यपान । पेंडखान माजविलें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे निर्भर चित्तीं । अधोगती जावया ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Some are chanting "guru-guru" — surrounded by a load of disciples. No tail, four feet — they're human in form, but they are dogs. Other men's wives, drinking — they have established an opium-den. Tuka says: with full confidence in mind they go — to adhōgati.

मराठी: कोणी "गुरु-गुरु" करत आहेत — चहूकडे शिष्यांचा भार. पुंसा नाहीं, चार पाय — मनुष्य-रूपी पण ते कुत्रींच. पर-स्त्री, मद्यपान — पेंडखान (अफूचा अड्डा) चालू केला. Tukā म्हणे — निर्भर चित्तानें — अधो-गतीला च जायचें.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
एक करिती गुरु गुरु "some are saying 'guru-guru' (over and over)"
भोंवता भारु शिष्यांचा "all around — disciple-load (bhāra)"
पुंस नाहीं पाय चारी "no pumsa (tail), four feet"
मनुष्य परी कुतरीं तीं "though human in form — they are kutarīm (dogs)"
परस्त्री मद्यपान "para-strī (others' wives), madyapāna (drinking)"
पेंडखान माजविलें "they have established a pēṇḍakhāna (opium-den)"
निर्भर चित्तीं अधोगती जावया "with full confidence in mind — to go to adhōgati"

What it means

Anti-fake-guru abhang — companion to 1209 gurguḍī-cī lāmba naḷī. The image-bank is the same: fake-gurus collecting disciples while indulging in para-strī, madyapāna, pēṇḍakhāna (other-men's-wives, alcohol, opium-den). Tuka tightens the pun: guru mouthed repeatedly — guru-guru — sounds like gurr-gurr (a dog's growl).

The dog-image is sharp: pumsa nāhīm pāya cārī — manuṣya parī kutarīm tīmno tail and (only) four feet — the only difference between them and dogs is shape; in essence they're dogs. Pēṇḍakhāna (opium-den) is a precise 17th-c. Marathi term for the addict-gathering houses.

The closing — nirbhara cittīm adhōgatī jāvayāthey go to adhōgati with full confidence — is the most damning. They aren't even worried; they've convinced themselves they're guru-figures.

[T]

For someone today

For today: fake-gurus saying "guru-guru" collect disciple-loads but live in para-strī-madyapāna-pēṇḍakhāna; Tuka says they go to downfall with full confidence — recognize them.

Where this applies

Related verses