Abhanga 3055
Gāyatrī vikōna pōṭa je jāḷitī — those who sell Gāyatrī to burn (their) belly; tayā hōya gati yama-lōkīm — their gati is in yama-loka.
The verse
गायत्री विकोन पोट जे जाळिती । तया होय गति यमलोकीं ॥१॥
कन्येचा जे नर करिती विकरा । ते जाती अघोरा नरकपाता ॥ध्रु.॥
नाम गाऊनियां द्रव्य जे मागती । नेणों तयां गति कैसी होय ॥२॥
आमुचा सांगाती आहे तो श्रीहरि । न लगे दुराचारी तुका म्हणे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Gāyatrī vikōna pōṭa je jāḷitī — those who sell Gāyatrī to burn (their) belly; tayā hōya gati yama-lōkīm — their gati is in yama-loka. Kanyeñcā je nara karitī vikarā — men who do sale of (their) kanyā; te jātī aghōrā naraka-pātā — they go to aghora-naraka-pāta. Nāma gāūnīyām dravya je māgatī — those who sing the Name and beg for money; neṇōm tayām gati kaisī hōya — I don't know what their gati will be. Āmuchā sāngātī āhe tō Śrīhari — our companion is Śrīhari; na lage durāchārī Tukā mhaṇe — Tukā says: we don't need durāchārī.
What it means
A canonical 3-verse anti-misuse-of-sacred polemic by Tukārām.
3 named-corruptions: 1. Gāyatrī-sellers (selling-the-mantra-for-livelihood) → yama-loka 2. Daughter-sellers (selling-girls-in-marriage-for-money) → aghora-naraka-pāta 3. Name-singers who-beg-for-money → unknown-gati
★ The 3rd-target is most-pointed — those-who-sing-Name and-beg-for-money — likely-referring to-pseudo-kīrtana-singers of-Tukārām's-time who-used-bhakti-as-profession. Tukārām doesn't-know-their-gati — a wry-rhetorical-pause.
The closing-claim: Our-companion-is-Śrīhari; we-don't-need-durāchārī — Tukārām's-distance from-the-named-corruptions.
The verse pairs-with-Kānhōbā's-3025 (Kali-prophecy with-daughter-selling reference) and-Tukārām's-own-2962 (anti-fake-guru).
For someone today
Tukārām's anti-misuse-of-sacred polemic. Those who sell the Gāyatrī to fill (their) belly — their gati is in yama-loka. Men who do sale of (their) daughter — they go to aghora-naraka-pāta. Those who sing the Name and beg for money — I don't know what their gati will be. Our companion is Śrīhari — we don't need evil-conduct. The verse permits the canonical diagnostic of misuse-of-sacred-for-money.
Where this applies
- ★ Canonical anti-misuse-of-sacred polemic
- 3 named-corruptions: Gāyatrī-selling, daughter-selling, Name-begging
- Our-sāngātī-Śrīhari — no-need-of-durāchārī closing
- Companion to 2962, 3025