संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3907 of 4582

Abhanga 3907

The verse

जगीं ब्रम्हक्रिया खिस्तीचा व्यापार । हिंडे घरोघर चांडाळाचे ॥१॥ आंतेजा खिचडी घेताती मागून । गाळिप्रधानि मायबहिणी ॥ध्रु.॥ उत्तमकुळीं जन्म क्रिया अमंगळ । बुडविलें कुळ उभयतां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ऐसी कलयुगाची चाली । स्वाथॉ बुडविलीं आचरणें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Brahma-kriyā-mask — Khistīcha-vyāpāra — wanders-chāṇḍāḷa-house-to-house. Takes-āntēja-khichaḍī — abuses-māya-bahaṇī. Uttama-kuḷī — kriyā-amangaḷa — ruined-both-kula. Tukā: Kali-yuga-chālī — svārtha-buḍavalē-āchaṇa.

What it means

★ A 3-verse anti-corrupt-brāhmaṇa polemic (paired with 3906). In the world he wears the mask of brāhmaṇa-conduct — but his business is of strife; he wanders house-to-house of the chāṇḍāḷas. He takes the untouchable's khichaḍī (cooked food) trailing after them — but speaks abuse to his own mother-sister. Born in a noble clan, his acts are inauspicious — he has ruined both clans. Such is the Kali-yuga way — self-interest has drowned all proper-conduct. The specific accusations: (a) public ritual-purity, but eating from untouchables when money is involved; (b) abusing his own female relatives. Compare 3906 (companion), 3072 (anti-distorted-priorities cluster).

For someone today

Tukārām: brāhmaṇa-by-mask-but-takes-untouchable-food-when-money-is-paid; abuses-his-own-mother-sister — self-interest-drowns-proper-conduct.

Where this applies

Related verses