Abhanga 3104
Tukārām's anti-corrupt-judge polemic. Placing intent on greed — (he) renders false judgment-and-justice. His ancestors (will) fall — in naraka they (will) become worms. The sin of a-crore cow-killings will attach to him without doubt. (As to) one who eats fish in (the holy) month — (he) gives defilement-water to (his) ancestors. Such-a-one (will be) tortured by yama with-(special)-effort. The verse permits the canonical anti-corrupt-judge polemic with 17th-c context.
The verse
लोभावरी ठेवुनि हेत । करी असत्य न्याय नीत ॥१॥
त्याच्या पूर्वजां पतन । नरकीं किडे होती जाण ॥ध्रु.॥
कोटिगोहत्यापातक । त्यासी घडेल निष्टंक ॥२॥
मासां श्रवे जे सुंदरा । पाजी विटाळ पितरां ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसियासी । यम गांजील सायासी ॥४॥
Literal translation
Lōbhāvarī ṭhevuni heta — placing intent on lōbha; karī asatya nyāya nīta — renders asatya nyāya-nīti. Tyāñcyā pūrvajām patana — his ancestors fall; narakīm kiḍe hōtī jāṇa — become worms in naraka. Kōṭi-gōhatyā-pātaka — crore-cow-killings-of-pātaka; tyāsī ghaḍela niṣṭanka — will attach to him without doubt. Māsām śrave je sumdarā — one who eats fish (in?) the sumdarā (month?); pājī viṭāḷa pitarām — gives viṭāḷa-water to pitrs. Tukā mhaṇe aisiyāsī — Tukā says: such-a-one; yama gāmjīla sāyāsī — yama (will) torture with-effort.
What it means
A 4-verse anti-asatya-judge polemic by Tukārām, using sharp 17th-c language.
The polemic targets: one-who-places-intent-on-greed gives-false-judgment-and-justice; his-ancestors-fall and-become-worms-in-naraka; crore-cow-killings-worth-of-sin attaches; fish-eating-in-holy-time gives-defilement-water-to-pitrs; yama-tortures-with-effort.
★ The Marathi-region 17th-c context: kōṭi-gōhatyā-pātaka (a-crore-cow-killings-of-sin) is the canonical-most-extreme pātaka-measure; fish-on-sumdarā-month refers-to-month-when-fish-eating is-traditionally-prohibited.
For someone today
Tukārām's anti-corrupt-judge polemic. Placing intent on greed — (he) renders false judgment-and-justice. His ancestors (will) fall — in naraka they (will) become worms. The sin of a-crore cow-killings will attach to him without doubt. (As to) one who eats fish in (the holy) month — (he) gives defilement-water to (his) ancestors. Such-a-one (will be) tortured by yama with-(special)-effort. The verse permits the canonical anti-corrupt-judge polemic with 17th-c context.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's anti-corrupt-judge-prosecutor polemic
- 17th-c language; bound-to-time
- Kōṭi-gōhatyā-pātaka canonical-measure