Abhanga 2261

Scrubbing the body clean means nothing if the mind stays full of dishonesty, anger, and craving, since real purity is an inner freedom from those, not a ritual.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Outside-washing-useless-mind-dirty-within + be-separate-from-kāma-krōdha-true-sōmvaḷā abhang.

The opening — inner-dirt-over-outer-washing: kāya dhōvilē bāhērī mana maḷalē antarīm — gādalē janma-varī asatya-kāṭē kāṭalē — what's the use of washing outside — the mind is dirtied within — filthy by life-after-life — pierced by thorns of asatya. What's-the-use of-outer-washing when-the-mind is-dirtied-within? Filthy-by-life-after-life; pierced-by-thorns-of-asatya. Tukārām's-signature critique of ritual-purity divorced from inner-purity.

The abandon-dambha: sāṇḍī vyāpāra dambhāchā śuddha karīm rē mana vāchā — tujhiyā chittīcā tūm cha gvāhī āpulā — abandon the trade of dambha — purify mind and speech — of your own chitta, you yourself are witness. Dambha = hypocrisy, ostentation. Abandon-the-trade-of-dambha; purify-mind-and-speech; you-yourself-are-the-witness-of-your-own-chitta.

The pure-earth contrast: pāpa-puṇya-viṭāḷa dēhīm bharitām na vichārisī kāmhīm — kāya chāchapasī mahī jī akhaṇḍa sōmvaḷī — pāpa-puṇya-viṭāḷa filling the body — you don't consider — what do you grope after — the earth is always pure. Mahī = earth. Akhaṇḍa sōmvaḷī = always pure, unbroken-pure. The body is-being-filled with-pāpa-puṇya-viṭāḷa (= the ritual-impurity-of-merit-and-demerit-mixing); you-don't-consider-this; what-do-you-grope-after when the-earth-itself is-always-pure? (= the obsession-with-ritual-impurity is-misplaced; the earth-is-pure, but-the-mind-is-impure-with-pāpa-puṇya-attachments.)

The true-sōmvaḷā: kāma-krōdhā vēgaḷā aisā hō'ī kām sōmvaḷā — Tukā mhaṇē kaḷā guṇḍuna ṭhēvīm kusarī — separate from kāma-krōdha — be such a sōmvaḷā — Tukā says — wrap and store the kaḷā, the skill. Sōmvaḷā = one who maintains ritual purity. Be-separate-from kāma-krōdha — be-such-a-sōmvaḷā (= true ritual-purity is-this); Tukā says — wrap-and-store the-kaḷā/kusarī (= the-(ritual-)skill, the artifice — store it as no-longer-needed).

Tukārām reverses the meaning of sōmvaḷā: instead of ritual-bath-purity, true-sōmvaḷā is-being-separate-from-kāma-krōdha. The ritual-art (kaḷā, kusarī) is to-be-wrapped-and-put-away.

[T]

For someone today

For today: what's the use of washing outside — mind dirtied within; abandon dambha-trade — purify mind-speech — you're own witness; pāpa-puṇya-viṭāḷa fills body — earth is always pure; be separate from kāma-krōdha — be such a sōmvaḷā — Tukā says — wrap and store the skill.

Where this applies

• When you go through religious motions but know your inner attitude has not actually changed
• When you judge yourself or others by outward cleanliness while ignoring real cruelty or dishonesty
• When you catch yourself performing virtue for an audience instead of actually being honest
• When anger or craving keeps controlling you no matter how carefully you follow external rules

Related verses

• Abhanga 3795 — Let everything else burn away — cleverness, reputation, cold reasoning, even the body — an
• Abhanga 3918 — Tukaram says wearing the outward signs of renunciation means nothing if you still crave fi
• Abhanga 4273 — If your time, money, and attention flow easily to everything except God and genuine goodne
• Abhanga 4387 — Some things are sacred precisely because they cannot be sold, and turning devotion into a