Abhanga 2866
Claims of spiritual realization prove nothing, Tukārām says, because genuine inner change reveals itself instantly, the way taste must be tasted and gold is proven only on the touchstone.
The verse
जालों म्हणती त्याचें मज वाटे आश्चर्य । ऐका नव्हे धीर वचन माझें ॥१॥
शिजलिया अन्ना ग्वाही दांत हात । जिव्हेसी चाखत न कळे कैसें ॥ध्रु.॥
तापलिया तेली बावन चंदन । बुंद एक क्षण शीतळ करी ॥२॥
पारखी तो जाणे अंतरींचा भेद । मूढजना छंद लावण्यांचा ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे कसीं निवडे आपण । शुद्ध मंद हीन जैसें तैसें ॥४॥
Literal translation
Jālōm mhaṇatī tyāñce maja vāṭe āścharya — those who sayjālōm(I-have-become — Deva-realized) — to-me it-feelsāścharya(astonishing); aikā navhe dhīra vachana mājhe — listen — my words are notdhīra(firm-restrained). Śijaliyā annā gvāhī dāmta hāta — forśijaliyā anna(cooked food) — teeth and hands aregvāhī(witnesses); jivhesī chākhata na kaḷe kaisē — but to the tongue, without tasting, how can (it) be known? Tāpaliyā telī bāvana chandana — ontāpaliyā tela(heated oil) — abāvana chandana(sandal of fine-grade,bāvana= 52, a fine-sort); bunda eka kṣaṇa śītaḷa karī — abunda(bud, drop) in onekṣaṇa(moment) — makes (it)śītaḷa(cool). Pārakhī tō jāṇe antarīñcā bheda — thepārakhī(tester, examiner, assayer) knows the innerbheda(distinction); mūḍha-janā chanda lāvaṇyāñcā — themūḍha-jana(foolish folk) are addicted tolāvaṇya(mere-beauty, outer-attractiveness). Tukā says: kasī nivaḍe āpaṇa — in thekasī(touchstone), one is separated-out by one's-self; śuddha manda hīna jaise taise — śuddha (pure), manda (middling), hīna (low) — as one is.
What it means
A canonical 4-verse realization-test verse. The verse uses practical-testing-images to demand-real-evidence-of-realization.
Verse 1 — astonishment at claims: Jālōm mhaṇatī tyāñce maja vāṭe āścharya — aikā navhe dhīra vachana mājhe — those who say "I have become (Deva)" — I'm astonished — listen — my words are not unsteady (i.e., this is firm-warning). The opening surprise + warning.
Verse 2 — cooked-food test: Śijaliyā annā gvāhī dāmta hāta — jivhesī chākhata na kaḷe kaisē — for cooked food — teeth-and-hands (touch-and-press) are witnesses — but to the tongue, without tasting, how can (it) be known? The image: you can test rice-with-hands-and-teeth to feel-the-softness; but-to-actually-know-the-taste, you-must-taste-it. The application: talking-about-realization is not realization; only-tasting-it gives knowing.
Verse 3 — hot-oil-sandal test: Tāpaliyā telī bāvana chandana — bunda eka kṣaṇa śītaḷa karī — on hot oil — a (fine-grade) sandal-drop — in one moment makes (it) cool. The image: if-you-put a-drop-of-fine-sandal-on-heated-oil, it-cools-the-oil instantly. The application: if-the-realization-is-genuine, even-one-moment-of-its-presence brings the cooling. The genuine-realization shows-itself-quickly.
Verse 4 — the pārakhī: Pārakhī tō jāṇe antarīñcā bheda — mūḍha-janā chanda lāvaṇyāñcā — the pārakhī (tester) knows the inner bheda — the foolish are addicted to mere-beauty. The pārakhī — the gold-tester, assayer. He knows-inner-truth. The mūḍha-jana are addicted to outer-lāvaṇya — taken-in-by-surface-appearance.
Close — touchstone: Tukā mhaṇe kasī nivaḍe āpaṇa — śuddha manda hīna jaise taise — Tukā: in the touchstone, one is separated-out by one's-self — pure, middling, low — as one is. The kasī (touchstone) — the standard-test for gold-purity. Nivaḍe āpaṇa — separates-out by-itself, on-its-own. The verse asserts: the touchstone shows-the-true-grade; you-can't-fake-it.
For someone today
This is Tuka's practical guide to testing claims of spiritual realization. He admits it astonishes him when people announce, I have become one with God, and he warns his listeners plainly not to be fooled by such talk. He offers concrete examples: you can press cooked rice between your fingers and teeth to check if it's soft, but you can never know how it truly tastes without actually tasting it. A single drop of fine sandalwood dropped onto hot oil cools it instantly, real change shows itself right away, without delay or argument. A skilled gold-tester can see the true quality hidden inside a piece of metal, while ordinary people get fooled by mere outward shine and beauty. Tuka closes with the image of the touchstone: when gold is tested against it, its true grade shows itself on its own, pure, middling, or low, exactly as it really is. The lesson is simple: don't trust anyone's claims about their own realization, including your own; look instead for what actually shows itself in results.
मराठी: हा तुकाराम महाराजांचा आत्मसाक्षात्काराच्या दाव्यांची पारख करण्याचा व्यावहारिक धडा आहे. 'मी परमेश्वराशी एकरूप झालो' असे म्हणणाऱ्यांचे मला आश्चर्य वाटते, असे ते स्पष्टपणे कबूल करतात — आणि श्रोत्यांना सावध करतात की अशा बोलण्याने फसू नका. ते ठोस उदाहरणे देतात — शिजलेला भात बोटांनी आणि दातांनी दाबून तो मऊ आहे की नाही हे कळू शकते, पण त्याची खरी चव कळण्यासाठी तो प्रत्यक्ष चाखावाच लागतो. तापलेल्या तेलावर टाकलेला उत्तम चंदनाचा एक थेंब क्षणार्धात ते तेल थंड करतो — खरा बदल तात्काळ, विनाविलंब स्वतःच दिसून येतो. एक कुशल सोनार धातूच्या आत लपलेली खरी प्रत ओळखू शकतो, तर सामान्य माणसे केवळ बाह्य झळाळीला भुलतात. तुकाराम महाराज कसोटीच्या दगडाचे उदाहरण देऊन समारोप करतात — सोने कसाला घासले की त्याची खरी प्रत आपोआप उघड होते — शुद्ध, मध्यम किंवा हलकी, जशी असेल तशी. धडा साधा आहे — कोणाच्याही, अगदी स्वतःच्याही, साक्षात्काराच्या दाव्यावर विश्वास ठेवू नका; प्रत्यक्ष परिणामांतूनच सत्य शोधा.
Where this applies
- When someone loudly proclaims their own spiritual attainment or enlightenment.
- When you're tempted to judge a person's inner depth by their eloquent talk or outward polish.
- When you want to know whether your own practice is genuine or just performance.
- When you're choosing a teacher or guide and need to look past charisma to real substance.