Abhanga 2772
Boastful talk and religious display only last until they meet the real thing, which exposes them for what they are.
The verse
तोंवरि तोंवरि जंबुक करि गर्जना । जंव त्या पंचानना देखिलें नाहीं ॥१॥
तोंवरि तोवरिं सिंधु करि गर्जना । जंव त्या अगिस्तब्राम्हणा देखिलें नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥
तोंवरि तोंवरि वैराग्याच्या गोष्टी । जंव सुंदर वनिता दृष्टी पडिली नाहीं ॥२॥
तोंवरि तोंवरि शूरत्वाच्या गोष्टी । जंव परमाईंचा पुत्र दृष्टी देखिला नाहीं ॥३॥
तोंवरि तोंवरि माळामुद्रांचीं भूषणें । जंव तुक्याचें दर्शन जालें नाहीं ॥४॥
Literal translation
Tōmvarī tōmvarī jambukā karī garjanā — until-until thejambuka(jackal) roars; jamva tyā pañchānanā dekhilē nāhīm — until he has not seen thepañchānana(five-faced one, lion). Tōmvarī tōvarim sindhu karī garjanā — until-until thesindhu(ocean) roars; jamva tyā agastya-brāhmaṇā dekhilē nāhīm — until he has not seen theagastya-brāhmaṇa(Agastya, who drank the ocean dry). Tōmvarī tōmvarī vairāgyāñcyā gōṣṭī — until-until vairāgya-talk; jamva sundara vanitā drṣṭī paḍilī nāhīm — until a beautiful woman has not fallen into sight. Tōmvarī tōmvarī śūratvāñcyā gōṣṭī — until-until warrior-talk; jamva paramāīñcā putra drṣṭī dekhilā nāhīm — until Paramāī's son has not been seen by sight. Tōmvarī tōmvarī māḷā-mudrāñcīm bhūṣaṇē — until-until themāḷā-mudrā(rosary-mudra-marks) ornaments (are worn for show); jamva tukyāñce darśana jālē nāhīm — untilTukya's darśanahas not happened.
What it means
This abhang, preserved in the Tukārām-section of the Sakal Sant Gatha, is NOT Tukārām's own composition. The closing-line jamva tukyāñce darśana jālē nāhīm (until Tukya's darśana has not happened) is in the third-person about Tukārām himself. This is likely a disciple-praise-abhang by Niḷōbā (Tukārām's most-famous disciple, c. 1640-1709) or another contemporary-Vārkarī. The Sakal Sant Gatha tradition's editorial-practice includes such third-party praise-abhangs in the Tukārām-section.
The structure is a 5-fold tōmvarī-tōmvarī (until-until) comparison:
- Jackal-roars-until-lion-is-seen — the lesser-noise stops when the greater-substance appears
- Ocean-roars-until-Agastya-is-seen — Agastya famously drank the ocean (a Purāṇic story); the ocean's roar is impressive until one remembers Agastya could drink it dry
- Vairāgya-talk-continues-until-a-beautiful-woman-is-seen — the test of talked-renunciation is the actual-encounter with beauty
- Warrior-talk-continues-until-Paramāī's-son-is-seen — Paramāī's son is presumably a famous-warrior (perhaps an oral-tradition figure); pretender-warriors fall-silent in his presence
- Climax: māḷā-mudrā-ornaments are mere-show until Tukya's darśana happens — the religious-display-of-tulasī-rosaries-and-mudra-marks is exposed-as-show by Tukārām's darśana
The placement of Tukārām's darśana in the fifth-and-climactic position elevates him to the substance-against-which-religious-pretenders-are-tested. This is high-praise from the disciple-tradition.
The māḷā-mudrā-ornament-critique is Tukārām's own constant theme (see 2761's dambha-shop, 2630's narastuti-kathā-vikrā, 2734's dambha-not-Hari-kīrtana) — but here the disciple-poet uses it to praise Tukārām himself as the substance against which all religious-show falls-flat.
For someone today
This verse works like a chain of proverbs: a jackal only roars boldly until it meets a lion, and the ocean only roars until it meets Agastya, the sage who once drank it dry. In the same way, someone's talk of renunciation lasts only until a beautiful woman walks by, and someone's talk of courage lasts only until they stand before a real warrior. The verse ends by placing Tukaram in that same position, saying that the outward religious ornaments people wear for show, rosaries and sacred marks, are exposed as empty the moment you actually meet him. It is a reminder that talk and display are cheap until they are tested against something real.
मराठी: ही ओवी म्हणींच्या साखळीसारखी आहे. कोल्हा सिंहाला भेटेपर्यंतच गर्जना करतो, आणि समुद्र अगस्ती ऋषींना भेटेपर्यंतच गर्जना करतो, ज्यांनी एकदा तो पिऊन टाकला होता. त्याचप्रमाणे वैराग्याच्या गप्पा सुंदर स्त्री समोर येईपर्यंतच टिकतात, आणि शौर्याच्या गप्पा खऱ्या वीराला भेटेपर्यंतच टिकतात. शेवटी ही ओवी तुकारामांनाही त्याच स्थानी ठेवते — माळा आणि मुद्रांसारखे दिखाऊ धार्मिक अलंकार तुकारामांचं दर्शन होताच पोकळ ठरतात. गप्पा आणि देखावा स्वस्त असतात, जोपर्यंत ते खऱ्या गोष्टीसमोर तपासले जात नाहीत.
Where this applies
- The tōmvarī-tōmvarī test-by-substance pattern
- Rare-historical-evidence of Tukārām's contemporary-reputation
- The talked-vs-encountered substance test for one's own religion-display
- Niḷōbā-style disciple-praise tradition