संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3555 of 4582

Abhanga 3555

Brahma-jñānāñcī bharōvarī — of brahma-jñāna's bharōvarī (excess); puḍhilā sānge āpaṇa na karī — tells others, doesn't do himself.

Companion to 3029 (anti-poetic-rhetoric), 2962 (anti-fake-guru)

The verse

ब्रम्हज्ञानाची भरोवरी । पुढिला सांगे आपण न करी ॥१॥ थू थू त्याच्या तोंडावरी । व्यर्थ सिणवी वैखरी ॥ध्रु.॥ कथा करी वरिवरी । प्रेम नसे चि अंतरीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कवित्व करी । मान वस्तु हे आदरी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Brahma-jñānāñcī bharōvarīof brahma-jñāna's bharōvarī (excess); puḍhilā sānge āpaṇa na karītells others, doesn't do himself. Thū thū tyāñcyā tōṇḍāvarīthū thū on his face; vyartha siṇavī vaikharītires vaikharī in vain. Kathā karī varivarīdoes kathā on the surface; prema nase chi antarīmprema is not in antara. Tukā mhaṇe kavitva karīTukā says: does kavitva; māna vastu he ādarītakes māna-vastu as the (chief) (thing-he-)honors.

What it means

★ A 3-verse anti-fake-Brahma-jñānī polemic. The-one-who-overflows-with-brahma-jñāna talks-(it)-but-doesn't-live-it — spit-on-his-face. His-kathā is superficial; no-prema-in-the-heart. He-writes-kavitva-only-for-public-honor.

For someone today

Tukārām's diagnostic: talk-without-walk → spit-on-the-face; kavitva-for-honor is the worst-substitute.

Where this applies

Related verses