Abhanga 3872
Tukārām: betraying-your-rescuer is the worst sin; slandering-Hari-dāsas is naraka for your ancestors.
The verse
दोराच्या आधारें पर्वत चढला । पाउलासाटीं केला अपघात ॥१॥
अष्टोत्तरदशें व्याधि ज्य वैद्यें दवडुनी । तो वैद्य मारूनि उत्तीर्ण जाला ॥ध्रु.॥
नव मास माया वाइलें उदरीं । ते माता चौबारीं नग्न केली ॥२॥
गायत्रीचें क्षीर पिळुनी घेऊनी । उपवासी बांधोनी ताडन करी ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे दासां निंदी त्याचें तोंड । पहातां नरककुंड पूर्वजांसी ॥४॥
Literal translation
Rope-helped-up-mountain — for-one-step-caused-mishap. 108-vyādhi-cleared-by-vaidya — kills-vaidya-uttīrṇa. Mother-9-months-bore — stripped-her-on-chaubārī. Drank-Gāyatrī-milk — bound-her-fasting-beat. Tukā: nindā-dāsas — naraka-for-ancestors.
What it means
★ A 4-image anti-ingratitude polemic. He climbed the mountain holding (another's) rope — and for one step's-misstep, he caused (the rescuer) harm. The doctor who cleared his 108 diseases — that very doctor he killed, claiming to be free-of-debt. The mother who bore him 9 months in her womb — that mother he stripped naked at the cross-roads. After drinking Gāyatrī's milk, he bound her fasting and beat her. Tukā says: one who slanders the dāsas — to see his face is hell-pit for his ancestors. Four escalating images of ingratitude — physical-rescuer, medical-rescuer, biological-mother, sacred-text-as-mother — each rescuer betrayed. The nindā-of-dāsas equates to the worst ingratitude of all.
For someone today
Tukārām: betraying-your-rescuer is the worst sin; slandering-Hari-dāsas is naraka for your ancestors.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's anti-ingratitude four-image polemic canonical
- nindā-of-dāsas → naraka-for-pūrvajas doctrine