Abhanga 1618
For today: the one called paṇḍita is said to be great-joy — but when you really look, he is wholly a fool; what use is mere recitation? — the Veda-recitation has gone in vain; he doesn't do what the Veda says — the ill-conducted one doesn't know the sama-Brahma; Tuka sees Śiva in the jīva — this is the experience of that-place.
The verse
पंडित म्हणतां थोर सुख । परि तो पाहातां अवघा मूर्ख ॥१॥ काय करावें घोकिलें । वेदपठण वांयां गेलें ॥ध्रु.॥ वेदीं सांगितलें तें न करी । सम ब्रम्ह नेणे दुराचारी ॥२॥ तुका देखे जीवीं शिव । हा तेथींचा अनुभव ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Called paṇḍita: great joy — but when seen, wholly a fool. What is done with mere recitation? — Veda-paṭhaṇa has gone in vain. He does not do what Veda has said — the durācārī does not know sama-Brahma. Tuka sees Śiva in jīva — this is that-place's experience.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पंडित म्हणतां थोर सुख | "paṇḍita — called — great joy" |
| परि तो पाहातां अवघा मूर्ख | "but — seeing — wholly fool" |
| काय करावें घोकिलें | "what to do — with the recitation (ghōkilēm)" |
| वेदपठण वांयां गेलें | "Veda-paṭhaṇa — has gone in vain" |
| वेदीं सांगितलें तें न करी | "what Veda has said — does not do" |
| सम ब्रम्ह नेणे दुराचारी | "sama-Brahma — does not know — the durācārī" |
| तुका देखे जीवीं शिव | "Tuka — sees — Śiva — in jīva" |
| हा तेथींचा अनुभव | "this — is that-place's experience" |
What it means
Anti-bookish-paṇḍita-as-fool abhang. Opens a triad with 1619 (pro-Viṭhṭhal-paṇḍita) and 1620 (paṇḍita-must-not-praise-patrons).
The opening: paṇḍita mhaṇatām thōra sukha — parī tō pāhātām avaghā mūrkha — called paṇḍita: great joy — but when seen, wholly fool. The paṇḍita (= learned-Sanskrit-scholar) is publicly-honored as great-joy-bringing; but examined closely, he is a complete-fool. (Striking-formulation: the outer-status-and-inner-wisdom-mismatch of the bookish-paṇḍita.)
The recitation-in-vain: kāya karāvēm ghōkilēm — vēda-paṭhaṇa vāyām gēlēm — what to do with mere recitation? — Veda-paṭhaṇa has gone in vain. Ghōkilēm = parrot-recitation / by-rote-memorization; vāyām = in vain. The whole Veda-recitation-discipline has been wasted.
The dharma-failure: vēdīm sāngitalēm tēm na karī — sama Brahma nēṇē durācārī — he doesn't do what Veda has said — the durācārī doesn't know sama-Brahma. Durācārī = one of bad conduct; sama-Brahma = equal-Brahma seen in all-beings (the central-Vedānta-teaching). The paṇḍita who recites the Veda but does not live by it, who behaves badly, does not know sama-Brahma.
The contrast: Tukā dēkhē jīvīm Śiva — hā tēthīñcā anubhava — Tuka sees Śiva in jīva — this is that-place's experience. Tuka, the unlettered bhakta, sees Śiva in jīva (= sees the divine-in-each-being). This is the experience of that-place (= the experience that comes from reaching that place — actual-realization, not bookish-knowledge).
[T]
For someone today
For today: the one called paṇḍita is said to be great-joy — but when you really look, he is wholly a fool; what use is mere recitation? — the Veda-recitation has gone in vain; he doesn't do what the Veda says — the ill-conducted one doesn't know the sama-Brahma; Tuka sees Śiva in the jīva — this is the experience of that-place.
Where this applies
- Paṇḍita-praised-but-fool.* Paṇḍita-mhaṇatām-thōra-pāhātām-mūrkha.
- Recitation-in-vain.* Ghōkilēm-vēda-paṭhaṇa-vāyām.
- Doesn't-do-Veda-doesn't-know-sama-Brahma.* Vēdīm-tēm-na-karī-sama-Brahma-nēṇē.
- Tuka-sees-Śiva-in-jīva.* Tukā-jīvīm-Śiva.