Abhanga 2113
Like a daughter-in-law hiding her wrongdoing behind a shamed face, such a person does anything in secret while acting respectable in front of others. Shame on that false show of holiness, it comes from a mind that keeps defiling itself. He recites his mantras only to make others fall under his spell, not to reach God. Tuka says: right where he stands, he is exposed and stripped bare, and no real good comes of it.
The verse
काळतोंडा सुना । भलतें चोरुनि करी जना ॥१॥ धिग त्याचें साधुपण । विटाळुनि वर्ते मन ॥ध्रु.॥ मंत्र ऐसे घोकी । वश व्हावें जेणें लोकीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे थीत । नागवला नव्हे हित ॥३॥
Literal translation
Blackened-face daughter-in-law — secretly does anything before people. Fie on his sādhu-pose — defiles, the mind moves. Chants such mantras — by which the world should fall-under-his-spell. Tuka says: thīta — stripped — not for hita.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काळतोंडा सुना | "blackened-face daughter-in-law" |
| भलतें चोरुनि करी जना | "secretly does anything before people" |
| धिग त्याचें साधुपण | "fie on his sādhu-pose" |
| विटाळुनि वर्ते मन | "defiles, the mind moves" |
| मंत्र ऐसे घोकी | "chants such mantras" |
| वश व्हावें जेणें लोकीं | "by which the world should fall-under-his-spell" |
| तुका म्हणे थीत | "Tuka says — thīta (in-his-place)" |
| नागवला नव्हे हित | "stripped — not for hita" |
What it means
False-sādhu-blackened-face + mantras-for-control-not-hita abhang.
The opening figure: kāḷa-tōṇḍā sunā — bhalatē chōruni karī janā — blackened-face daughter-in-law — secretly does anything before people. Kāḷa-tōṇḍā sunā = the daughter-in-law with blackened-face (= a-shamed-daughter-in-law caught in misconduct). Tukārām's recurring-figure for the false-bhakta: outwardly-respectable, inwardly-defiled. Doing anything-secretly while-appearing-public.
The sādhu-pose: dhig tyāchē sādhu-paṇa — viṭāḷuni vartē mana — fie on his sādhu-pose — defiles, the mind moves. Fie-on-the-sādhu-pose; the mind-moves-defiled (viṭāḷuni = polluting-as-it-goes).
The mantras-for-control: mantra aisē ghōkī — vaśa hvāvē jēṇē lōkīm — chants such mantras — by which the world should fall-under-his-spell. He-chants-mantras for-controlling-people (vaśa = fall-under-spell), not-for-Lord-realization. Magic-for-power, not bhakti.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē thīta — nāgavalā navhē hita — Tuka says: thīta — stripped — not for hita. Thīta = in-place, where-he-stands. Right-where-he-stands he-is-stripped (nāgavalā = stripped-naked); not-for-hita (= no-good-comes).
[T]
For someone today
Like a daughter-in-law hiding her wrongdoing behind a shamed face, such a person does anything in secret while acting respectable in front of others. Shame on that false show of holiness, it comes from a mind that keeps defiling itself. He recites his mantras only to make others fall under his spell, not to reach God. Tuka says: right where he stands, he is exposed and stripped bare, and no real good comes of it.
मराठी: काळे तोंड झालेल्या सुनेप्रमाणे, हा माणूस लोकांसमोर चांगुलपणाचा आव आणत गुप्तपणे वाटेल ते करतो. त्याच्या साधुपणाला धिक्कार असो, कारण त्याचं मन सतत विटाळत वागतं. तो मंत्र घोकतो ते लोकांना आपल्या मोहात अडकवण्यासाठी, देवाला भेटण्यासाठी नाही. तुका म्हणतो, तो जिथल्या तिथे उघडा पडतो, त्यातून त्याचं काहीही हित होत नाही.
Where this applies
- When someone keeps up a respectable, pious front in public while doing dishonest things in private.
- When a person uses chants, rituals, or spiritual talk mainly to gain influence over others rather than to seek God.
- When you notice your own devotion is aimed at being admired or obeyed rather than sincere.
- When a teacher or guru figure's inner life doesn't match the holy reputation they've built.