Abhanga 2860

A canonical anti-ritualism Simhastha-pilgrimage polemic. The Simhastha came — barbers and priests had a windfall. Inside, sins by the millions — outside, shaving just the head and beard. What was shaved grew back — what has changed? Tell-me-quickly. What is the sign of pāpa leaving? — the avaguṇa didn't change. Without bhakti-bhāva — all (is) strain. The verse provides a clear test for genuine-pāpa-removal: did the avaguṇa change? If not, no pāpa was removed — only the barbers and priests profited. The bhakti-claim: without bhakti-bhāva, all-pilgrimage-ritual is wasted-effort. This is Tukārām's anti-ritualism reformist-protest — directed not at pilgrimage-itself, but at pilgrimage-without-bhāva.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A canonical Simhastha-pilgrimage anti-ritualism verse. The Simhastha is the great-Kumbha-Mela-style pilgrimage at Nāsika (and other tīrthas), occurring every-12-years when Jupiter is in Leo (Simha). The parvaṇī (festival) — at this time, crowds-of-pilgrims arrive, head-shaving is performed, bath-in-the-Godāvarī (or Triveṇī), with priestly-ritual-pomp.

Ālī Simhastha-parvaṇī — nhāvyā bhaṭā jālī dhaṇī — Simhastha came — barbers and priests had a windfall. The opening-economic-observation: the Simhastha is a money-making-time for barbers (who shave heads) and priests (who do the rituals).

Antarī pāpāñcyā kōḍī — varivari bōḍī ḍōī dāḍhī — inside, pāpa by the millions — outside, shaves head and beard. The diagnostic: the pilgrim's-inside is millions-of-sins; the outside-shaving doesn't touch them.

Bōḍilē te nighāle — kāya pālaṭale sānga vahile — what was shaved grew back — what has changed? tell-quickly. The rhetorical-question: the hair grows back; what has actually-changed?

Pāpa gelyāñcī kāya khūṇa — nāhī pālaṭale avaguṇa — what is the sign of pāpa-leaving? — the avaguṇa didn't change. The diagnostic-of-genuine-pāpa-removal: change-in-avaguṇa. If the faults didn't change, no pāpa was removed.

The close: bhakti-bhāve viṇa — Tukā mhaṇe avaghā sīṇa — without bhakti-bhāva — all (is) strain (wasted-effort). The bhakti-foundational claim: without bhakti-bhāva, all-ritual-pilgrimage is wasted-effort.

For someone today

A canonical anti-ritualism Simhastha-pilgrimage polemic. The Simhastha came — barbers and priests had a windfall. Inside, sins by the millions — outside, shaving just the head and beard. What was shaved grew back — what has changed? Tell-me-quickly. What is the sign of pāpa leaving? — the avaguṇa didn't change. Without bhakti-bhāva — all (is) strain. The verse provides a clear test for genuine-pāpa-removal: did the avaguṇa change? If not, no pāpa was removed — only the barbers and priests profited. The bhakti-claim: without bhakti-bhāva, all-pilgrimage-ritual is wasted-effort. This is Tukārām's anti-ritualism reformist-protest — directed not at pilgrimage-itself, but at pilgrimage-without-bhāva.

Where this applies

• The canonical Simhastha-pilgrimage anti-ritualism polemic
• Recognizing outer-head-shaving doesn't remove inner-pāpa
• Pilgrimage-and-priests-make-money; bhakta's-discrimination-test
• The change-in-avaguṇa as sign-of-genuine-pāpa-removal diagnostic

Related verses

• Abhanga 2459
• Abhanga 2471
• Abhanga 4482
• Abhanga 2469 — English: Naturally attaining Bhagavanta — but vikalpas distance — why don't they hold the