Abhanga 3262
Religion twisted by belly and greed makes people honor whoever serves their interest instead of true saints, and blinds them to real dharma.
The verse
संतां नाहीं मान । देव मानी मुसलमान ॥१॥
ऐसे पोटाचे मारिले । देवा आशा विटंबिले ॥ध्रु.॥
घाली लोटांगण । वंदी नीचाचे चरण ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे धर्म । न कळे माजल्याचा भ्रम ॥३॥
Literal translation
Sants-no-māna; Deva-treated-as-musalmāna. Such-pōṭāñce-mārile; āśā-vitambila-Deva. Lōṭāngaṇa to-nīcha-charaṇa. Tukā: dharma not-known to-mājalyā-bhrama.
What it means
A striking 17th-c anti-corrupt-religious-establishment polemic. The-sants-are-disrespected, Hindu-Deva-is-treated-as-Muslim-pīr; people-bow-to-low-feet for-belly-and-greed; dharma-is-unknown-to-the-puffed-up-deluded.
The deva-mānī-musalmāna phrase is striking — similar to 3025 (Kānhōbā's Kali-prophecy mentioning dāvalapīra). 17th-c Maharashtra was under Mughal-influence and-Sufi-shrines-attracted-Hindu-devotees; Tukārām polemicizes-against-the-loss-of-sant-veneration.
For someone today
Tukārām's social-criticism: belly-and-greed pervert-religion.
Where this applies
- When you notice a community honoring whoever brings favors or money rather than genuine wisdom or holiness.
- When you catch yourself bowing to someone purely because it benefits you, not because you respect them.
- When religious devotion around you seems driven by what people can get out of it rather than sincere seeking.
- When you see people switch loyalties easily, following power rather than truth.