Abhanga 2506
When truth becomes scarce and faith turns into empty display, ritual performed without real feeling is just endless circling, like a blindfolded bullock walking an oil press.
The verse
आपल्या च स्फुंदे । जेथें तेथें घेती छंदें ॥१॥ पडिला सत्याचा दुष्काळ । बहु फार जाली घोळ ॥ध्रु.॥ विश्वासाचे माठ । त्याचे कपाळीं तें नाट ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे घाणा । मूढा तीर्थी प्रदिक्षणा ॥३॥
Literal translation
In own sobs — everywhere take in their mood. Truth-famine has fallen — much confusion. Those with viśvāsa-pots — their forehead the nāṭa-mark. Tuka says: like grindstone — fool's tīrtha-circumambulation.
What it means
THE TRUTH-FAMINE + ANTI-TĪRTHA-CIRCUMAMBULATION ABHANG.
THE CELEBRATED LINE: paḍilā satyāchā duṣkāḷa — bahu phāra jālī ghōḷa — truth-famine has fallen — much confusion. A truth-famine (satyāchā duṣkāḷa) has-fallen; great-confusion (ghōḷa). The metaphor of-famine for-the-spiritual-state of-Kali-yuga. Compare 2451'skalimadhyē dāsa Tukā jātō lōkām sāngata.
The grindstone-tīrtha: Tukā mhaṇē ghāṇā — mūḍhā tīrthī pradikṣaṇā — like grindstone — fool's tīrtha-circumambulation. Ghāṇā = grindstone, oil-press wheel. Like-an-oil-press-bullock walking-in-endless-circles — the fool's-tīrtha-pradakṣiṇā. External-pradakṣiṇā without-bhāva is-just-the-treadmill-of-oil-press-bullock.
[T]
For someone today
For today: truth-famine has fallen; fool's-tīrtha-pradakṣiṇā is just grindstone-bullock-treadmill.
Where this applies
- When you notice people adopting whatever spiritual trend is popular instead of following their own honest conviction.
- When you feel surrounded by so much confusion and dishonesty that plain truth seems hard to find anywhere.
- When you see someone wearing the outward signs of devotion while their inner faith feels hollow.
- When you go through religious rituals or routines out of habit without any real feeling behind them.