Abhanga 3132
Tukaram teaches that arguing philosophy wastes the little time we have, while sincere heartfelt devotion brings real joy and showing off piety only exposes emptiness instead of hiding it.
The verse
काय तो विवाद असो भेदाभेद । साधा परमानंद एका भावें ॥१॥
निघोनि आयुष्य जातें हातोहात । विचारीं पां हित लवलाहीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे भावभक्ति हे कारण । नागवी भूषण दंभ तो चि ॥३॥
Literal translation
Kāya tō vivāda asō bhedābheda — what of this vivāda — let it be — bhedābheda; sādhā paramānanda ekā bhāve — achieve paramānanda by one bhāva. Nighōnī āyuṣya jāte hātōhāta — āyuṣya is going-out hand-to-hand; vichārīm pām hita lavalāhīm — consider (your) hita quickly. Tukā mhaṇe bhāva-bhakti he kāraṇa — Tukā says: bhāva-bhakti is the kāraṇa; nāgavī bhūṣaṇa dambha tō chi — the dambha is the only naked bhūṣaṇa.
What it means
A 3-verse claim by Tukārām.
The argument: Let-the-bhedābheda-debate-be; achieve-paramānanda by-one-bhāva. Life-is-passing hand-to-hand; consider-hita-quickly. Bhāva-bhakti is-the-kāraṇa; dambha (ostentation) is-the-only-naked-bhūṣaṇa (exposed-ornament).
The closing-image is striking: dambha is-a-naked-bhūṣaṇa — ostentation-is-an-ornament-that-exposes-rather-than-adorns.
For someone today
Tukārām's let-the-vivāda-be claim. What of this debate — let it be — about distinction-non-distinction. Achieve paramānanda by one bhāva. Life is going out hand-to-hand; consider (your) good quickly. Bhāva-bhakti is the cause; ostentation is the only naked ornament. The verse permits the bhakti-redirection from philosophical-vivāda to-bhāva-paramānanda.
Where this applies
- When you find yourself arguing about religious philosophy instead of actually living a devoted life
- When you keep delaying what you know is genuinely good for you because you're caught up in side debates
- When you notice yourself performing piety for others to see rather than feeling it inside
- When you sense time slipping away hand to hand and still haven't decided what truly matters