संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3198 of 4582

Abhanga 3198

Japa-as-pretext for-jhōpa, deha-visaru falling.

Tukārām's anti-fake-japa-and-bhajana polemic

The verse

जपाचें निमत्ति झोपेचा पसरु । देहाचा विसरू पाडूनियां ॥१॥ ऐसीं तीं भजनें अमंगळवाणी । सोंगसंपादणी बहुरूप्याची ॥ध्रु.॥ सेवेविशीं केलें लोभाचिये आसे । तया कोठें असे उरला देव ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मानदंभ जया चित्तीं । तयाची फजीती करूं आम्ही ॥३॥

Literal translation

Japa-as-pretext for-jhōpa, deha-visaru falling. Such-bhajanas amangaḷavāṇī — bahurūpyā's sōnga-sampādaṇī. Sevā for-lōbha-āśā — where-Deva-remains? Tukā: those-with māna-dambha — we-expose-(their)-phajitī.

What it means

A 3-verse anti-fake-japa polemic. Sleep-disguised-as-japa; bhajanas-as-actor's-costume; sevā-corrupted-by-greed. Closing: we expose pride-and-show.

For someone today

Tukārām's stripping-of-fake-spirituality. Sleep-as-japa; greed-as-sevā — where's the Deva?

Where this applies

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