संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4001 of 4582

Abhanga 4001

Mouth-brahma-jñāna — kills-jana's-māna.

The verse

मुखें सांगे ब्रम्हज्ञान । जन लोकाची कापितो मान ॥१॥ ज्ञान सांगतो जनासी । नाहीं अनुभव आपणासी ॥ध्रु.॥ कथा करितो देवाची । अंतरीं आशा बहु लोभाची ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तो चि वेडा । त्याचें हाणूनि थोबाड फोडा ॥३॥

Literal translation

Mouth-brahma-jñāna — kills-jana's-māna. Tells-jñāna-no-anubhava. Deva-kathā — antara-lōbha-āśā. Tukā: he-is-mad — break-his-thōbāḍa.

What it means

★ A 3-verse anti-hypocrite-jñānī polemic. He says brahma-jñāna by mouth, but cuts the honor of the common people. He tells jñāna to others — but has no experience himself. He does Deva's kathā — but inwardly is full of greed. He is mad — strike and break his face. The harshness — break-his-face — is Tukārām's strongest physical-polemic against false-jñānīs. Pair with 3800 (anti-śabda-jñānī jaḷō), 3873 (anti-mercenary-kathākāra).

For someone today

Tukārām: the-mouth-talker-with-no-anubhava-who-cuts-others'-honor — break-his-face.

Where this applies

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