Abhanga 3052
Tukārām's anti-distorted-priorities polemic. (He) does not think of Deva's clothes even in svapna — but he sends his wife a fine saree. The thought of cow-protection does not even come — but he grooms his horse with his own body. He runs himself to wash the children's mess — but he does not say let me wash the dvija's pāya. Spit on his face — he goes to yama-loka to undergo. The verse permits the diagnostic of distorted-priorities in-householder-life.
The verse
देवाचिया वस्त्रा स्वप्नीं ही नाठवी । स्त्रियेसी पाठवी उंच साडी ॥१॥
गाईंचें पाळण नये चि विचारा । अश्वासी खरारा करी अंगें ॥ध्रु.॥
लेकराची रास स्वयें धांवें क्षाळूं । न म्हणे प्रक्षाळूं द्विजपायां ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे त्याच्या तोंडावरि थुंका । जातो यमलोका भोगावया ॥३॥
Literal translation
Devāñciyā vastrā svapnīm hī nāṭhavī — (he) doesn't think of Deva's clothes even in svapna; strīyeṣī pāṭhavī umcha sāḍī — (he) sends (his) wife uñcha-sāḍī (fine-saree). Gāīmñce pāḷaṇa naye chi vichārā — cow-protection doesn't even come to thought; aśvāṣī kharārā karī ange — (he) grooms the horse with (his own) anga. Lekarāñcī rāsa svaye dhāve kṣāḷūm — runs himself to wash children's rāsa (mess); na mhaṇe prakṣāḷūm dvija-pāyām — but doesn't say let me wash dvija's pāya. Tukā mhaṇe tyāñcyā tōṇḍāvari thunkā — Tukā says: spit on his face; jātō yama-lōkā bhōgāvayā — he goes to yama-loka to bhōga.
What it means
A striking 3-verse anti-distorted-priorities polemic by Tukārām.
The 3 specific-contrasts: 1. Doesn't-think-Deva-clothes in-dream / sends-wife-fine-saree — status-spending-over-Deva-care 2. Doesn't-protect-cow / grooms-horse-with-own-hand — utility-animal-care-over-sacred-animal-protection 3. Washes-children's-mess himself / won't-wash-dvija's-feet — family-attention-over-religious-service
Closing-curse: spit-on-his-face — going-to-yama-loka.
This is part of an anti-distorted-priorities cluster (3052/3053/3056/3057) — Tukārām observes-specific-householder-hypocrisies of-the-17th-c-Deccan-bhakti-milieu. Householders-spend-effort-on-status-things while-neglecting-bhakti-and-sant-care.
The verse must-be-read in-context: in-the-Vārkarī-bhakti-tradition, Deva-care (vastra, ālankāra, pūjā), gau-rakṣaṇa (cow-protection), dvija-sevā (washing-feet of-respected-figures) are valued-acts. The polemic-targets those-who-perform-bhakti-as-show while neglecting-these-acts.
For someone today
Tukārām's anti-distorted-priorities polemic. (He) does not think of Deva's clothes even in svapna — but he sends his wife a fine saree. The thought of cow-protection does not even come — but he grooms his horse with his own body. He runs himself to wash the children's mess — but he does not say let me wash the dvija's pāya. Spit on his face — he goes to yama-loka to undergo. The verse permits the diagnostic of distorted-priorities in-householder-life.
Where this applies
- ★ Anti-distorted-priorities cluster — read with 3053, 3056, 3057
- 17th-c householder-criticism: status-care over-Deva-care
- 3 specific-contrasts: vastra/wife-sari, cow/horse, children/dvija
- Spit-on-face — yama-loka-bound