Abhanga 1762
True devotion is felt inside, not performed outside, and it is wise to keep away from those whose show of holiness hides deceit.
The verse
भाव नाहीं काय मुद्रा वाणी । बैसे बगळा निश्चळ ध्यानीं ॥१॥ न मनी नाम न मनी त्यासी । वाचाळ शब्द पिटी भासी ॥ध्रु.॥ नाहीं चाड देवाची कांहीं । छळणें टोंके तस्करघाईं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे त्याचा संग । नको शब्द स्पर्शअंग ॥३॥
Literal translation
No bhāva — what use mudrā-vāṇī? — heron sits steady in dhyāna. Doesn't recognize nāma, doesn't recognize him — vācāḷa words pierce with false-claim. No longing for Deva — mocks and strikes like-thief-blow. Tuka says: his sanga — don't — no word, no body-touch.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| भाव नाहीं काय मुद्रा वाणी | "no bhāva — what use mudrā-vāṇī" |
| बैसे बगळा निश्चळ ध्यानीं | "the heron sits — steady in dhyāna" |
| न मनी नाम न मनी त्यासी | "doesn't recognize nāma — doesn't recognize him" |
| वाचाळ शब्द पिटी भासी | "vācāḷa words — pierces with false-claim" |
| नाहीं चाड देवाची कांहीं | "no longing for Deva" |
| छळणें टोंके तस्करघाईं | "mocks-and-strikes — like-thief-blow" |
| तुका म्हणे त्याचा संग | "Tuka says — his sanga" |
| नको शब्द स्पर्शअंग | "don't — word, body-touch" |
What it means
Anti-fake-yogi-heron-still abhang.
The famous heron-image: bhāva nāhīm kāya mudrā vāṇī — baisē bagaḷā niścaḷa dhyānīm — no bhāva — what use mudrā-vāṇī? — heron sits steady in dhyāna. Bagaḷā = the heron (which stands-motionless-in-water-pretending-to-meditate-but-actually-watching-for-fish). The heron-yogi is the standard satirical-image of the fake-meditator.
The non-recognition: na manī nāma na manī tyāsī — vācāḷa śabda piṭī bhāsī — doesn't recognize nāma — doesn't recognize him — vācāḷa words pierce with false-claim. Vācāḷa = the talkative-one; piṭī bhāsī = pierces with false (apparent / impressive) claims.
The mockery: nāhīm cāḍa Devācī kāhīm — chaḷaṇēm ṭōnkē taskara-ghā'īm — no longing for Deva — mocks and strikes like-thief-blow. Taskara-ghā'ī = thief's-blow.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē tyācā sanga — nakō śabda sparśa-anga — Tuka says: his sanga — don't — no word, no body-touch. Don't even-have his association — no word, no body-contact.
[T]
For someone today
For today: no inner-feeling — what use are mudrā and speech? — the heron sits steady-in-meditation (only watching for fish); doesn't truly recognize the nāma, doesn't recognize him — the talkative-one pierces with false-claims; no real longing for Deva — mocks and strikes like a thief's-blow; Tuka says — don't even have his association — no word, no body-touch.
Where this applies
- When someone acts spiritually impressive in public but you sense no real warmth or honesty behind it
- When a smooth talker uses religious language to gain your trust before taking advantage of you
- When you're deciding whether to stay close to a person whose holiness is all performance
- When you catch yourself performing devotion outwardly while your heart isn't really in it