संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3198 of 4582

Abhanga 3198

Chanting used as an excuse for inattention and service done out of greed are empty performances, and hidden pride will eventually be exposed.

When you catch yourself going through spiritual motions without real attention behind them.

When you notice someone performing devotion outwardly while their true motive is self-interest.

When you question whether a good deed you are doing is really about helping or about looking good.

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

Tukaram calls out a fake kind of spirituality, where people use chanting as an excuse to nod off and forget themselves rather than truly focus. He compares such empty devotional performance to an actor putting on a costume, it looks like worship from the outside but has no real substance underneath. He also names service done only out of greed or hidden self-interest, asking bluntly where God is supposed to be in that. He warns that anyone whose heart is really driven by pride and showing off will eventually be exposed for what they truly are.

मराठी: तुकाराम खोट्या अध्यात्माचा पर्दाफाश करतात, जिथे लोक खरे लक्ष केंद्रित करण्याऐवजी जप हे झोपण्याचे किंवा स्वतःला विसरण्याचे निमित्त बनवतात. अशा पोकळ भक्तीच्या देखाव्याची तुलना ते नटाने वेशांतर करण्याशी करतात, बाहेरून ती पूजा वाटते पण आतून त्यात काहीच खरे नसते. ते लोभासाठी किंवा लपलेल्या स्वार्थासाठी केलेल्या सेवेचाही उल्लेख करतात, आणि थेट विचारतात की त्यात देव कुठे उरतो. ते इशारा देतात की ज्याच्या मनात खरोखर अहंकार आणि दिखावा भरलेला आहे त्याचा पर्दाफाश शेवटी होणारच.

Where this applies

Anti-fake-japa polemic
Bahurūpī sōnga-sampādaṇī canonical-image