Abhanga 3354
Vāghāñcā kāḷabhūta dise vāghaaisā — the tiger-painting looks like tiger; parī nāhī daśā sāch angīm — but no daśā truly in body.
The verse
वाघाचा काळभूत दिसे वाघाऐसा । परी नाहीं दशा साच अंगीं ॥१॥
बाहेरील रंग निवडी कसोटी । संघष्टणें भेटी आपेआप ॥ध्रु.॥
सिकविलें तैसें नाचावें माकडें । न चले त्यापुढें युक्ति कांहीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे करी लटिक्याचा सांटा । फजित तो खोटा शीघ्र होय ॥३॥
Literal translation
Vāghāñcā kāḷabhūta dise vāghaaisā — the tiger-painting looks like tiger; parī nāhī daśā sāch angīm — but no daśā truly in body. Bāherila ranga nivaḍī kasōṭī — outer color is tested by touchstone; samghaṣṭaṇe bheṭī āpe-āpa — rubbing reveals automatically. Sikavile taise nāchāve mākaḍe — monkey dances as taught; na chale tyāpuḍhe yukti kāmhī — no yukti works before that. Tukā mhaṇe karī laṭikyāñcā sāmṭā — Tukā says: makes a false trade; phajita tō khōṭā śīghra hōya — fajita of falseness quickly happens.
What it means
A 3-verse anti-fake imagery: tiger-painting-without-life, touchstone-rubbing, monkey-dance — all-images-of-mere-appearance lacking substance.
For someone today
Tukārām: outer-color-tested-by-rubbing; falseness-quickly-exposed.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's tiger-painting; monkey-dance anti-fake-imagery