Abhanga 3070
Using sacred vows as a transaction for worldly gain trades away something priceless, like a touchstone, for a worthless pebble, and such devotion is bought, not truly earned.
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 polemic against vratas performed for worldly gain. 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 diagnosis of vratas misused for worldly gain, trading a touchstone for a mere pebble.
मराठी: तुकारामांचा हा ऐहिक लाभासाठी व्रते करण्याविरुद्धचा अभंग आहे. नवरा घरी परतावा — अशा हेतूने ती स्त्री नवस करते. अशा स्त्रीकडे पुण्य कुठून असणार? — ती लोभासाठी व्रत खर्ची घालते. संतती वाढावी, घरात धनधान्य असावे अशी तिची इच्छा आहे. ती परिसाच्या बदल्यात एक गारगोटी मागते. पैसे देऊन तिने सोमवारचे व्रत विकत घेतले आहे, असे तुका म्हणतात. या अभंगातून हे स्पष्ट होते की ऐहिक लाभासाठी वापरलेले व्रत हे परिसाच्या बदल्यात नुसती गारगोटी मागण्यासारखे आहे.
Where this applies
- When you catch yourself praying or performing rituals mainly to get a specific worldly outcome
- When you notice someone treating faith like a vending machine, insert vow, receive favor
- When you're tempted to trade something precious and lasting for a quick, small worldly gain
- When you want to examine whether your spiritual practice is really devotion or disguised bargaining