संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3831 of 4582

Abhanga 3831

Tukārām's upadeśa-useless-for-khaḷa; vāsanā-chāṇḍāḷa; sanchita-on-fire; only-empty-baḍabaḍa canonical anti-khaḷa polemic

The verse

उपदेश किती करावा खळासी । नावडे तयासी बरें कांहीं ॥१॥ शुद्ध कां वासना नव्हे चांडाळाची । होळी संचिताची केली तेणें ॥ध्रु.॥ नाहीं भाव मनीं नाइके वचन । आपला आपण उणें घेतों ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे त्यासी काय व्याली रांड । करी बडबड रिती दिसे ॥३॥

Literal translation

Upadeśa — how-much-for-khaḷa — doesn't-like-anything-good. Vāsanā-not-śuddha — chāṇḍāḷa — sanchita-on-fire. No-bhāva-doesn't-hear-vachan — diminishes-self. Tukā: what-rāṇḍa-bore-him — only-baḍabaḍa-rītī.

What it means

A 3-verse anti-khaḷa polemic. How much upadeśa for the wicked? — he doesn't like anything good. Is his desire not pure — a chāṇḍāḷa's — he has set fire to his own karma-store. No bhāva in mind, he won't hear the teaching — he diminishes himself. What kind of woman bore him! — he just chatters, looking empty. The closing line karī baḍabaḍa rītī disē (he-chatters-but-looks-empty) is a sharp diagnosis — the khaḷa's-mouth-is-full-and-his-substance-is-empty.

For someone today

Tukārām: upadeśa-is-wasted-on-khaḷa — vāsanā-not-pure-makes-bonfire-of-karma-store.

Where this applies

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