Abhanga 2366
What is genuine and what is fake can only be told apart by the sincerity of feeling behind it, not by outward appearance.
The verse
विकल तेथें विका । माती नांव ठेवूनि बुका ॥१॥ हा तो निवाड्याचा ठाव । खर्या खोट्या निवडी भाव ॥ध्रु.॥ गर्हवारे हा विधि । पोट वाढविलें चिंधीं ॥२॥ लावूं जाणे विल्हे। तुका साच आणिक कल्हे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Sell where there's a buyer — naming mud as bukā [sandalwood-paste]. This is the place-of-test — true and false separated by bhāva. The [false]pregnancy-rite — belly enlarged with rags. Those who know how to plant the row — Tukā is real, others are kalhē [sham/noise].
What it means
MUD-AS-BUKĀ + FALSE-PREGNANCY ABHANG. Fifth of Sālōmālō-anti-plagiarist cluster (2363-2370).
The mud-as-sandalwood: vikala tēthē vikā — mātī nāmva ṭhēvūni bukā — sell where there's a buyer — naming mud as bukā. Bukā = sandalwood-paste, perfumed-powder. Sell-where-there's-a-buyer; naming-mud as-bukā (= passing-off worthless-thing as-valuable).
THE BHĀVA-TEST: hā tō nivāḍyāchā ṭhāva — kharyā khōṭyā nivaḍī bhāva — this is the place-of-test — true and false separated by bhāva. Nivāḍa = test, judgment. Bhāva = inner-feeling, devotional-quality. This is-the-place-of-test; bhāva separates true-from-false. The bhakta's-inner-bhāva is-the-authentic-test of-poetry, not external-form.
The false-pregnancy: garhavārē hā vidhi — pōṭa vāḍhavilē chindhīm — the [false]pregnancy-rite — belly enlarged with rags. Garhavāra = pregnancy. Chindhī = rags. The false-pregnancy-rite — belly-enlarged-with-rags (= padded-false-fullness).
THE CLOSING: lāvūm jāṇē vilhē — Tukā sācha āṇika kalhē — those who know how to plant the row — Tukā is real, others are kalhē (sham/noise). Vilhē = seed-row, planting-row. Kalhē = empty-noise, sham. Those-who-know-how-to-plant-the-seed-row (= cultivate genuine-bhakti); Tukā is-real (sācha), others-are-kalhē (mere-noise).
[T]
For someone today
For today: mud sold as bukā; bhāva separates true from false ; false pregnancy with rag-padded belly; Tukā is real, others are sham .
Where this applies
- When you are evaluating whether someone's devotion or claim is genuine or just performance
- When a product or person is dressed up to look more valuable than it really is
- When you are comparing your own sincere effort to someone else's showy imitation
- When you have to judge character by feeling and intention rather than outward polish