Abhanga 3045
Tukārām's dāna-discrimination text. Give anna to all creatures — but with vessel-substance consideration. Plant the seed where the cause is yielding. Doing puṇya (can) become pāpa — (you) fed a snake by giving milk; doing aghora-japa, (you) bought duḥkha with money. Examining bhūmī, it is not all the same — sandy, poor, black, excellent, other, middling, low. Therefore, by viveka, do something good. The tasteless — doesn't give taste to the sweet-dish. The verse permits practical-discrimination in-dāna without-rejecting-generosity.
The verse
सर्वा भूतीं द्यावें अन्न । द्रव्य पात्र विचारोन । उपतिष्ठे कारण । तेथें बीज पेरीजे ॥१॥
पुण्य करितां होय पाप । दुग्ध पाजोनि पोशिला साप । करोनि अघोर जप । दुःख विकत घेतलें ॥ध्रु.॥
भूमी पाहातां नाहीं वेगळी । माळ बरड एक काळी । उत्तम निराळी । मध्यम कनिष्ठ ॥२॥
म्हणोनि विवेकें । कांहीं करणें निकें । तुका म्हणे फिकें । रुची नेदी मिष्टान्न ॥३॥
Literal translation
Sarvā bhūtīm dyāve anna — give anna to all bhūtas; dravya pātra vichārōna — with vessel-substance consideration; upatiṣṭhē kāraṇa — where the cause is yielding; tethe bīja perīje — plant the bīja there. Puṇya karitām hōya pāpa — doing puṇya — (it) becomes pāpa; dugdha pājōnī pōśilā sāpa — (you) fed (and grew) a snake by giving milk; karōnī aghōra japa — doing aghora-japa; duḥkha vikata ghētale — (you) bought duḥkha (with) money. Bhūmī pāhātām nāhī vegaḷī — examining bhūmī, it is not all the same; māḷa baraḍa eka kāḷī — māḷa, baraḍa, kāḷī; uttama nirāḷī — uttama, nirāḷī; madhyama kaniṣṭha — madhyama, kaniṣṭha. Mhaṇōnī vivekē — therefore by viveka; kāmhī karaṇe nike — do something nike (good); Tukā mhaṇe phike — Tukā says: the phika (tasteless); ruchi nedī miṣṭānna — doesn't give ruchi to miṣṭānna.
What it means
A ★ canonical dāna-discrimination text by Tukārām.
The argument: 1. Anna should-be-given to-all-creatures — but with-pātra-vichāra (consideration-of-vessel) 2. The bīja should-be-planted where-the-kāraṇa-yields 3. ★ Puṇya can-become-pāpa — striking image: milk-fed-the-snake (which-then-bit-back); doing-aghora-japa = bought-duḥkha-with-money 4. Bhūmī has-7-types (sandy/poor/black/excellent/other/middling/low) — not-all-soil-is-the-same 5. Therefore, viveka (discriminating-wisdom) should-guide-conduct 6. Closing image: phika (tasteless-thing) doesn't-give-ruchi (taste) to the miṣṭānna (sweet-dish) — the-wrong-ingredient ruins-the-good-dish
★ The position is striking and-balances Tukārām's-other-dāna-texts. While elsewhere (e.g., 2629 santa-udāra-udāra, the ananta-bhāṇḍāra-bag-never-empty) Tukārām celebrates-unconditional-generosity of-the-sants, here he-makes-the-practical-point: for-ordinary-householders, dāna-discrimination is-essential; giving-milk-to-a-snake makes-the-puṇya-pāpa.
The verse permits practical-discrimination-in-dāna without-rejecting-the-ideal-of-generosity.
For someone today
Tukārām's dāna-discrimination text. Give anna to all creatures — but with vessel-substance consideration. Plant the seed where the cause is yielding. Doing puṇya (can) become pāpa — (you) fed a snake by giving milk; doing aghora-japa, (you) bought duḥkha with money. Examining bhūmī, it is not all the same — sandy, poor, black, excellent, other, middling, low. Therefore, by viveka, do something good. The tasteless — doesn't give taste to the sweet-dish. The verse permits practical-discrimination in-dāna without-rejecting-generosity.
Where this applies
- ★ Canonical dāna-discrimination text
- Puṇya-can-become-pāpa if-given-without-pātra-vichāra
- Milk-fed-the-snake striking-image
- 7-types-of-bhūmī — not-all-soil-the-same
- Balance-text to 2629 (santa-udāra-udāra)