Abhanga 1832
For today: kathā is not a shawl-of-protection — not bhikṣā-food; do thus your sva-hita — considering dharma-nīti; the temple is not a house — the prapañca is for para-upakāra; performing-rituals is mere kāma — not the word Rāma-Rāma; killing in kṣatra-dharma is not niṣkāma karma; Tuka says — the saints have prepared the ready-made (path).
The verse
कथा प्रावर्ण । नव्हे भिक्षेचें तें अन्न ॥१॥ करीं यापरी स्वहित । विचारूनि धर्म नीत ॥ध्रु.॥ देऊळ नव्हे घर । प्रपंच परउपकार ॥२॥ विधिसेवन काम । नव्हे शब्द रामराम ॥३॥ हत्या क्षत्रधर्म । नव्हे निष्काम तें कर्म ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे संतीं । करूनि ठेविली आइती ॥५॥
Literal translation
Kathā (is) not a prāvarṇa — not bhikṣā-food. Do thus your sva-hita — considering dharma-nīta. The temple (is) not a house — the prapañca (is for) para-upakāra. Performing-rituals (is mere) kāma — not the word Rāma-Rāma. Killing (in) kṣatra-dharma — (is) not niṣkāma karma. Tuka says: the saints have prepared the ready-made (path).
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कथा प्रावर्ण | "kathā — (is) not a prāvarṇa (= shawl-of-protection)" |
| नव्हे भिक्षेचें तें अन्न | "not — bhikṣā-food" |
| करीं यापरी स्वहित | "do thus — the sva-hita" |
| विचारूनि धर्म नीत | "considering — dharma-nīta" |
| देऊळ नव्हे घर | "the temple — (is) not a house" |
| प्रपंच परउपकार | "the prapañca — (is for) para-upakāra" |
| विधिसेवन काम | "performing-rituals — (is mere) kāma" |
| नव्हे शब्द रामराम | "(is) not — the word Rāma-Rāma" |
| हत्या क्षत्रधर्म | "killing — (in) kṣatra-dharma" |
| नव्हे निष्काम तें कर्म | "(is) not — niṣkāma karma" |
| तुका म्हणे संतीं | "Tuka says — the saints" |
| करूनि ठेविली आइती | "have prepared — the ā'itī (= the ready-made)" |
What it means
Definitional-discrimination of spiritual-life abhang. A series of definitional-correctives: don't-confuse X with Y.
Distinction 1 — Kathā: kathā prāvarṇa navhē bhikṣēcē tē anna — kathā is not a prāvarṇa, not bhikṣā-food. Prāvarṇa = shawl-of-protection / a wrap-around garment (= something to wrap-yourself-in for warmth); bhikṣēcē anna = bhikṣā-food. Hari-kathā is-not for self-warmth, not for begging-livelihood. (= not for personal-comfort or alms.)
Frame-instruction: karī yāparī sva-hita — vicārūni dharma nīta — do thus your sva-hita — considering dharma-nīti.
Distinction 2 — Temple-vs-House + prapañca-purpose: dē'ūḷa navhē ghara — prapañca para-upakāra — the temple is not a house — the prapañca is for para-upakāra. The temple is-not-a-residence (= don't make-it-a-home); the prapañca (= worldly-life) is-for-para-upakāra (= service-of-others).
Distinction 3 — Ritual-vs-Name: vidhi-sēvana kāma — navhē śabda Rāma-Rāma — performing-rituals is (mere) kāma — not the word Rāma-Rāma. Vidhi-sēvana = the performance-of-prescribed-rituals; kāma = (motivated) action. Ritual-performance is-self-interested-action, not the (uncalculated) Rāma-Nāma.
Distinction 4 — Killing-in-kṣatra-dharma vs niṣkāma: hatyā kṣatra-dharma — navhē niṣkāma tē karma — killing in kṣatra-dharma is not niṣkāma karma. The kṣatra-dharma's-prescribed-killing is not-niṣkāma (= even prescribed-violence is karma-binding). Striking-anti-Bhagavad-Gītā-defense — Tuka challenges-the-Gītā-rationalization that-kṣatra-killing-can-be-niṣkāma.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē santī — karūni ṭhēvilī ā'itī — Tuka says: the saints have prepared the ready-made (path). Ā'itī = the ready-made, prepared. The saints have-already-prepared-the-clear-path; just-follow it; don't get-confused-by-other-paths.
This abhang is one of Tuka's sharpest definitional-discrimination abhangs — each verse cuts-away a confused-conception of bhakti. The anti-kṣatra-dharma-niṣkāma claim is theologically-bold (Tuka rarely engages-Gītā-doctrines, but here he-distinguishes himself).
[T]
For someone today
For today: kathā is not a shawl-of-protection — not bhikṣā-food; do thus your sva-hita — considering dharma-nīti; the temple is not a house — the prapañca is for para-upakāra; performing-rituals is mere kāma — not the word Rāma-Rāma; killing in kṣatra-dharma is not niṣkāma karma; Tuka says — the saints have prepared the ready-made (path).
Where this applies
- When you go to religious talks or kirtans mainly to feel comforted rather than to be changed
- When you treat your home and family life as something to hoard for yourself instead of a place to help others
- When you find yourself performing rituals out of habit or personal gain rather than real devotion
- When you justify harmful actions by calling them your duty