Abhanga 2776
The outward look of renunciation means nothing if it comes with anger, cursing, and intoxication, because that keeps a person distant from God, not closer.
The verse
लांब लांब जटा काय वाढवूनि । पावडें घेऊनि क्रोधें चाले ॥१॥
खायाचा वोळसा शिव्या दे जनाला । ऐशा तापशाला बोध कैंचा ॥ध्रु.॥
सेवी भांग अफू तमाखू उदंड । परि तो अखंड भ्रांतीमाजी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसा सर्वस्वें बुडाला । त्यासी अंतरला पांडुरंग ॥३॥
Literal translation
Lāmba lāmba jaṭā kāya vāḍhavūnī — long-long matted-locks (jaṭā), having grown — for what?; pāvaḍē ghēūnī krōdhē chāle — takingpāvaḍē(wooden-sandals, ascetic-footwear) andkrōdhē(in anger) walking. Khāyācā vōḷasā śivyā dē janālā — hungry mouth-search (vōḷasā = the eating-rush); gives curses (śivyā) to people; aiśā tāpaśālā bōdha kaiñcā — whatbōdha(teaching) for such atāpaśa(ascetic)? Sēvī bhānga afū tamākhū udaṇḍa — (he) consumesbhānga(cannabis-drink),afū(opium),tamākhū(tobacco) —udaṇḍa(in great quantity); parī tō akhaṇḍa bhrāntī-mājī — yet he isakhaṇḍa(continuously) inbhrānti(delusion). Tukā says: aiśā sarvasvē buḍālā — such (a one) has totally (insarvasva) drowned; tyāsī antaralā Pāṇḍuranga — Pāṇḍuranga isantaralā(distant, separated) from him.
What it means
A sharp anti-tapasvi-display polemic verse. Lāmba lāmba jaṭā kāya vāḍhavūnī — pāvaḍē ghēūnī krōdhē chāle — long-long matted-locks grown for what? — walking in anger with sandals. The opening attacks the ascetic-form: long-jaṭā (matted-hair of the renouncer) + pāvaḍē (wooden-sandals) + walking-in-anger. The form of the ascetic, but with krodha (anger) as the walking-state.
The dhrūpada: khāyāñcā vōḷasā śivyā dē janālā — aiśā tāpaśālā bōdha kaiñcā — hungry mouth-rushing — gives curses to people; to such a tāpaśa, what bōdha? Two-fold attack: hungry-mouth (looking for food) + cursing-people. Tāpaśa (the tapas-performer) — to such a one, what teaching can be given? He is beyond reach of bōdha.
The second verse extends: sēvī bhānga afū tamākhū udaṇḍa — parī tō akhaṇḍa bhrāntī-mājī — consumes bhang, opium, tobacco in great quantity — yet is continuously in delusion. The intoxicant-list is specific: bhānga (cannabis-drink), afū (opium), tamākhū (tobacco). The mock-claim: despite all these substances, the tāpaśa is in akhaṇḍa bhrānti — unbroken delusion. The intoxicants don't even produce real-elevation; just delusion.
The close: aiśā sarvasvē buḍālā — tyāsī antaralā Pāṇḍuranga — such a one has totally drowned — Pāṇḍuranga is distant from him. Sarvasvē buḍālā — drowned in everything-belonging-to-him (totally). Pāṇḍuranga antaralā — Pāṇḍuranga is distant. The verdict is severe.
This is one of Tukārām's sharpest anti-display polemics. Compare 2761's dambha-shop, false jñāna-dhyāna, 2729's jñāna-fort-not-reached-by-swaggering. Tukārām is consistent on this theme.
For someone today
A sharp warning about false-tapasvi-display. Long matted-locks grown for what? Walking in anger with sandals; hungry-mouth cursing people; consuming bhang, opium, tobacco in great quantity yet continuously in delusion. Such a one has totally drowned — Pāṇḍuranga is distant from him. The diagnostic-markers: form-of-renouncer + anger + cursing + intoxicants + continuous-delusion. Each marker matters. The bhakti-form requires substance — not just the outward look of renunciation.
मराठी: खोट्या तपस्वी देखाव्याविषयीचा एक कडक इशारा. लांब जटा वाढवून काय उपयोग? रागाने चालणं, वहाणा घालून; भुकेल्या तोंडाने लोकांना शिव्या देणं; भांग, अफू, तंबाखू भरपूर सेवन करूनही सतत भ्रमात असणं. असा माणूस पूर्णपणे बुडाला आहे — पांडुरंग त्याच्यापासून दूर आहे. निदान-चिन्हं अशी आहेत: संन्याशाचं रूप + राग + शिवीगाळ + नशा + सतत भ्रम. प्रत्येक चिन्ह महत्त्वाचं आहे. भक्तीच्या रूपाला खरा गाभा हवा — केवळ त्यागाचा दिखावा पुरेसा नाही.
Where this applies
- The canonical anti-tapasvi-display warning
- The diagnostic: renouncer-form + anger-cursing-intoxicants = false-tapas
- Distinguishing form-of-renunciation from substance-of-renunciation
- Pāṇḍuranga-distant as the consequence of total-drowning