Abhanga 3794
The verse
करी आणिकांचा अपमान । खळ छळवादी ब्राम्हण। तया देतां दान । नरका जाती उभयतां ॥१॥
तैसें जालें दोघांजणां । मागतिया यजमाना । जाळियेलें वनां । आपणासहित कांचणी ॥ध्रु.॥
घडितां दगडाची नाव । मोल क्लेश गेले वाव । तरता नाहीं ठाव । बुडवी तारूं तरतीया ॥२॥
चोरा दिधला सांटा । तेणें मारियेल्या वाटा । तुका म्हणे ताठा । हें तंव दोघे नाडती ॥३॥
Literal translation
Insulter-khaḷa-chaḷavādī-brāhmaṇa — giving-dāna — both-to-naraka. Like-the-two — yajamāna-burned-in-forest-with-kānchaṇī. Stone-boat-built — mōla-klēśa-wasted — sinks-the-passenger. Gave-treasure-to-thief — beaten-on-road. Tukā: pride — both-suffer.
What it means
★ A 3-verse anti-dāna-to-unworthy social-ethics text. One who insults others, a wicked-quarrelsome brāhmaṇa — giving him dāna sends both to naraka. Just so it happened to the two — the very yajamāna who asked was burned in the forest along with his gold. (It is like) building a stone-boat: money and effort wasted, no place from which to cross, and the raft sinks the passenger. Giving a treasure to a thief — he beats (you) on the road. Pride — both (giver and receiver) suffer. Three vivid images, including a folk-tale reference (the two burned in the forest with their gold). The doctrine — dāna goes to pātra (worthy receiver); giving to a khaḷa harms both.
For someone today
Tukārām: don't-give-dāna-to-the-corrupt — both-go-to-naraka; stone-boat-sinks-the-passenger.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's anti-dāna-to-corrupt-brāhmaṇa; both-go-to-naraka canonical
- Stone-boat / gave-treasure-to-thief images
- Pair with 3074 (anti-monetized-kīrtana)