Abhanga 3070
Gōhō yāvā gāvā — husband should come (back) to the village; aise navasa karī āvā — making such a navasa, the āvā.
The verse
गोहो यावा गांवा । ऐसे नवस करी आवा ॥१॥
कैचें पुण्य तया गांठी । व्रतें वेची लोभासाटीं ॥ध्रु.॥
वाढावें संतान । गृहीं व्हावें धनधान्य ॥२॥
मागे गारगोटी । परिसाचीये साटोवाटी ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे मोल । देउन घेतला सोमवल ॥४॥
Literal translation
Gōhō yāvā gāvā — husband should come (back) to the village; aise navasa karī āvā — making such a navasa, the āvā. Kaichē puṇya tayā gāṇṭhī — how can puṇya be in her gāṇṭhī; vrate vechī lōbhāsāṭīm — spends vrata for lōbha. Vāḍhāve samtāna — should grow santāna; grhīm hvāve dhana-dhānya — should be dhana-dhānya in (the) house. Māge gāragōṭī — (she) asks for a pebble; parisāñciye sāṭōvāṭī — in trade for a pāris. Tukā mhaṇe mōla — Tukā says: price; deuna ghetalā Somavala — paying, she has bought the Somavala.
What it means
★ A canonical anti-vrata-for-worldly-gains polemic by Tukārām.
The argument: 1. A woman makes-a-navasa (vow) for husband-come-home, growing-progeny, getting-dhana-dhānya in-house 2. Such-spending-of-vrata is for-lōbha (greed) — no-puṇya can-result-from-such-greed 3. ★ The striking-image: she asks-for-a-pebble in-trade for-a-pāris (touchstone) — the pāris turns-iron-to-gold-by-touch; she-asks-for-a-mere-pebble-instead 4. (She has) paid-money and-bought-the-Somavala (Monday-vrata) — bought, not-earned
★ The argument is foundational: vrata for-worldly-gains is mercenary; it asks-for-pebble in-place-of-pāris (Lord-bhakti); the resulting-good is bought, not-bhakti-given. Compare-Tukārām's-3055 (anti-Gāyatrī-sellers, daughter-sellers, Name-beggars) and-3074 (anti-monetized-kīrtana).
The pāris-vs-gāragōṭī (touchstone-vs-pebble) image is canonical in-Vārkarī-imagery. Tukārām uses-it-elsewhere to-contrast bhakti-vs-worldly-aims.
For someone today
Tukārām's anti-vrata-for-worldly-gains polemic. Husband should come home — making such a vow, (the) woman. How can puṇya be in such a one's possession? — She spends vrata for greed. (She wishes:) should grow progeny; should have wealth-and-grain in (the) house. (She) asks for a pebble in trade for a touchstone. Paying price, she has bought the Monday-vrata. The verse permits the canonical diagnostic of-vrata-misused-for-worldly-gains and the pebble-for-touchstone exchange.
Where this applies
- ★ Canonical anti-vrata-for-worldly-gains polemic
- Pebble-in-trade-for-touchstone canonical-exchange-image
- Bought-not-earned — mercantile-religion critique
- Companion to 3055, 3074