संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3922 of 4582

Abhanga 3922

Fully-shaved — black-cloth.

The verse

दाढी डोई मुंडी मुंडुनियां सर्व । पांघुरति बरवें वस्त्र काळें ॥१॥ उफराटी काठी घेऊनियां हातीं । उपदेश देती सर्वत्रासी॥२॥ चाळवुनी रांडा देउनियां भेष । तुका म्हणे त्यास यम दंडी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Fully-shaved — black-cloth. Upside-down-stick — upadeśa-to-all. Deceives-women-with-bhēṣa — Tukā: Yama-strikes.

What it means

★ Verse 5 of the 7-abhang anti-fake-renunciate cluster. They shave the beard, head, mustache completely; wear fine black cloth. Taking an upside-down stick in hand, they give upadeśa to everyone. They deceive women with the costume — Yama strikes them. The shaved-and-black-clad sannyāsi with upside-down-stick — likely a reference to a specific 17th-c. order. The accusation of deceiving women by costume is the harshest charge.

For someone today

Tukārām: shaved-head-black-cloth-fancy-stick-upadeśa-to-all — deceiving-women-by-the-costume → Yama-strikes.

Where this applies

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