Abhanga 3056
Something is wrong when you feel ashamed of seeking out wisdom or holiness but feel no shame indulging in what actually corrupts you.
The verse
साधूच्या दर्शना लाजसी गव्हारा । वेश्येचिया घरा पुष्पें नेसी ॥१॥
वेश्या दासी मुरळी जगाची वोंवळी । ते तुज सोंवळी वाटे कैशी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आतां लाज धरीं बुच्या । टांचराच्या कुच्या मारा वेगीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Sādhūñcyā darśanā lājasī gavhārā — (you are) ashamed of sādhu-darśana, gavhārā; veśyeñciyā gharā puṣpe nesī — (you) carry flowers to the veśyā's house. Veśyā dāsī muraḷī jagāñcī vōmvaḷī — veśyā, dāsī, muraḷī are the world's vōmvaḷī (defilement); te tuja sōmvaḷī vāṭe kaisī — how to you they seem sōmvaḷī (pure). Tukā mhaṇe ātām lāja dharīm buchyā — Tukā says: hold (some) lāja now, buchyā; ṭāmcharāñcyā kuchyā mārā vegīm — beat the worthless-ones quickly.
What it means
A continuation of-the-anti-distorted-priorities cluster by Tukārām.
The contrast: Ashamed-of-sādhu-darśana but flowers-to-veśyā-house. The diagnostic: veśyā/dāsī/muraḷī are the world's-defilement, yet-the-corrupt-householder sees-them-as-pure. Closing: hold-shame, you-worthless-one.
The verse engages 17th-c social-categories that-must-be-read historically. Muraḷī refers-to a-temple-attendant who-was-often a-form-of-religious-prostitute (deva-dāsī tradition); Tukārām's-target is those-who-treat-religious-spaces-as-libertine-spaces while-shunning-actual-bhakti.
The verse is part-of the-anti-distorted-priorities-cluster (3052/3053/3056/3057). All-four-texts share-the-structure of-specific-paired-contrasts: the-corrupt-householder honors-status/sensual-pleasure but-not-actual-sant-or-bhakti.
For someone today
Tukaram calls out someone who feels embarrassed to be seen visiting a sadhu, a wise and holy person, yet feels no hesitation showing up at a place of vice. He points out plainly that such places corrupt the world, so how is it that they seem pure and acceptable to this person while genuine holiness feels shameful? He ends with a sharp rebuke, telling the person to feel real shame now and to break free quickly from this worthless double standard. The lesson is to notice when your sense of shame has gotten backwards, when you hide the good habits and openly indulge the bad ones.
मराठी: तुकाराम अशा माणसाला फटकारतात जो साधूचे दर्शन घेताना लाजतो, पण वाईट संगतीच्या ठिकाणी जाताना त्याला काहीच लाज वाटत नाही. अशी ठिकाणे जगाला भ्रष्ट करतात हे उघड असूनही त्या माणसाला ती शुद्ध वाटतात आणि खरी पवित्रता मात्र लाजिरवाणी वाटते, असे तुकाराम स्पष्टपणे विचारतात. शेवटी तुकाराम कठोर शब्दांत सांगतात की आता खरी लाज बाळग आणि या दुटप्पी वृत्तीतून लवकर बाहेर पड. यातून शिकवण अशी की आपली लाज कुठे वाटते हे उलटे झाले आहे का हे तपासून पाहावे, चांगल्या सवयी लपवल्या जातात आणि वाईट सवयी उघडपणे जोपासल्या जातात हे लक्षात घ्यावे.
Where this applies
- Anti-distorted-priorities cluster (with 3052/3053/3057)
- Veśyā-considered-pure, sādhu-considered-shameful inverted-priorities
- 17th-c social-categories — must-be-read historically
- Hold-shame, buchyā sharp-closing-rebuke