Abhanga 2371
English: The washerman-barber from former-birth — they keep that caste.
The verse
जन्मांतरिंचा परिट न्हावी । जात ठेवी त्यानें तें ॥१॥ वाखर जैसा चरचरी । तोंड करी संव दणी ॥ध्रु.॥ पूर्व जन्म शिखासूत्र । मळ मूत्र अंतरीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे करिती निंदा । धुवटधंदा पुढिलांचा ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: The washerman-barber from former-birth — they keep that caste. Like the resin-sticker — makes the mouth full of flavor. ★ Former-birth's tuft-and-sacred-thread — filth-and-urine within ★. Tuka says: those who blame — do the washerman's-trade of others' [dirt].
What it means
★ THE ANTI-CASTE-MARKER ABHANG ★.
The former-birth-occupation: janmāntarīñchā pariṭa nhāvī — jāta ṭhēvī tyānē tēm — the washerman-barber from former-birth — they keep that caste. Pariṭa = washerman. Nhāvī = barber. Those-from-the-washerman-or-barber-caste of-former-birth — they-keep-that-caste.
The resin-flavor: vākhara jaisā characharī — tōṇḍa karī samva daṇī — like the resin-sticker — makes the mouth full of flavor. Like-the-resin-sticker (vākhara) which-makes-the-mouth-full.
★ THE FAMOUS LINE ★: pūrva janma śikhā-sūtra — maḷa-mūtra antarīm — ★ former-birth's tuft-and-sacred-thread — filth-and-urine within ★. Śikhā = tuft of-hair (Brahmin caste-marker). Sūtra = sacred-thread (Brahmin caste-marker). Maḷa-mūtra = filth-and-urine. ★ The śikhā-and-sūtra (caste-markers) from-former-birth — filth-and-urine-within. ★ A direct-polemic against Brahmin-caste-pride: external-caste-markers carried-from-prior-birth are-just-bodily-filth, not-spiritual-status.
The closing — blamers-as-washermen: Tukā mhaṇē karitī nindā — dhuvaṭa-dhandā puḍhilāñchā — Tuka says: those who blame — do the washerman's-trade of others' [dirt]. Dhuvaṭa-dhandā = washing-trade. Those-who-blame-others are-doing the-washerman's-trade of-others'-dirt.
Tukārām's anti-caste-position: Like other-bhakti-saints, Tukārām (himself born to-the-Kuṇabī-cultivator-caste) rejected Brahmin-caste-pride. The śikhā-sūtra (Brahmin sacred-markers) are-just-bodily-filth, not-marks-of-spiritual-attainment.
[T]
For someone today
For today: former-birth's caste-trade carried-over; ★ former-birth's tuft-and-sacred-thread — filth-and-urine within ★; those who blame — wash others' dirt.
Where this applies
- Former-birth-caste-trade-carried.* Janmāntarīñchā-pariṭa-nhāvī-jāta-ṭhēvī.
- Śikhā-sūtra-from-prior-birth-is-filth-within. Pūrva-janma-śikhā-sūtra-maḷa-mūtra-antarīm.
- Blamers-do-washerman's-trade-of-others'-dirt.* Karitī-nindā-dhuvaṭa-dhandā-puḍhilāñchā.