Abhanga 3924
Sectarian marks and a wandering holy costume prove nothing; without real devotion, Tukaram says, God is simply not there.
The verse
लावूनियां मुद्रा बांधोनियां कंठीं । हिंडे पोटासाटीं देशोदेशीं ॥१॥
नेसोनि कोपीन शुभ्रवर्ण जाण । पहाती पक्वान्न क्षेत्रींचें तें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसे मावेचे मइंद । त्यापाशीं गोविंद नाहीं नाहीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Mudrā-rosary-neck — roams-deśōdēśīm-belly. Kōpīna-śubhra-varṇa — wants-pakvānna-at-kṣētra. Tukā: māvēchē-maind — no-Govinda-with-them.
What it means
Closing verse 7 of the 7-abhang anti-fake-renunciate cluster. Wearing sectarian-mark and rosary, he roams country-to-country for his belly. Wearing the loincloth in white-appearance, he watches for fine festival-food at the kṣetra. Such are the deceptive-clever-ones — with them, there is no Govinda — none.
For someone today
Closing his catalog of fake renunciates, Tukaram describes one more type: a man wearing a sectarian mark and rosary, dressed all in white, who wanders from place to place watching for the next festival feast. Every outward sign says holy man, but Tukaram states plainly that God is not with people like this, not at all. The point of this whole series is simple: costumes, marks, and rituals prove nothing about a person's inner life. Only real devotion, not appearance, brings someone close to God.
मराठी: बनावट संन्याशांच्या यादीचा शेवट करताना तुकाराम आणखी एक प्रकार सांगतात: पंथाचे चिन्ह आणि माळ घातलेला, पांढऱ्या वस्त्रात फिरणारा माणूस, जो पुढच्या यात्रेतील मिष्टान्नाची वाट पाहत गावोगाव भटकतो. बाह्यतः सगळी चिन्हे साधुत्वाची असतात, पण तुकाराम स्पष्ट सांगतात की अशा लोकांजवळ देव अजिबात नसतो. या संपूर्ण मालिकेचा मुद्दा साधा आहे: वेष, चिन्हे आणि विधी माणसाच्या आंतरिक स्थितीबद्दल काहीच सिद्ध करत नाहीत. केवळ खरी भक्तीच, बाह्य रूप नव्हे, माणसाला देवाजवळ नेते.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's mudrā-conman-type — closing of 7-abhang cluster (3918-3924)