Abhanga 4007
Blaming the divine for the consequences of your own actions, instead of honestly owning your conduct, shows there is no real sense of the divine in your heart at all.
The verse
पापी तो नाठवी आपुल्या संचिता । ठेवी भगवंता वरी बोल ॥१॥
भेईना करितां पापाचे डोंगर । दुर्जन पामर दुराचारी ॥ध्रु.॥
नाठवी तो खळ आपुली करणी । देवासी निंदोनि बोलतसे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे त्याच्या तोंडा लागो काटी । नाहीं जगजेठी जया चित्तीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Pāpī-doesn't-remember-sanchita — puts-blame-on-Bhagavanta. Doesn't-fear-piling-pāpa-mountains. Khaḷa-doesn't-remember-karaṇī — slanders-Deva. Tukā: kāṭi-in-mouth — no-Jagajēṭhi-in-chitta.
What it means
A 3-verse anti-blaming-Deva polemic. The sinner doesn't remember his own karma-store; he puts blame on Bhagavanta. He doesn't fear while piling mountains of sins — that wicked, base, ill-conducted one. The fool doesn't remember his own deeds; he speaks slandering Deva. Let a thorn prick his mouth — he has no Lord-of-the-world in his heart. The diagnostic: forgetting-own-sanchita while blaming-Bhagavanta — the classic externalization-of-fault.
For someone today
Tukaram calls out a very human dodge, blaming God for the consequences of your own actions. He describes the sinner who forgets everything he has stored up through his own past deeds and instead points a finger at the divine, piling up wrongdoing without any fear or hesitation. This kind of person will not even own his own conduct, choosing instead to slander the divine rather than look honestly at himself. Tukaram's judgment is sharp, someone who behaves like this has no real sense of the divine in his heart at all, no matter how loudly he complains.
मराठी: तुकाराम एका अगदी माणूसपणाच्या सवयीवर बोट ठेवतात, स्वतःच्या कृत्यांच्या परिणामांचे खापर देवावर फोडणे. ते अशा पाप्याचे वर्णन करतात जो स्वतःच्या पूर्वकर्मांनी साठवलेले सगळे विसरतो आणि त्याऐवजी परमेश्वराकडे बोट दाखवतो, कसलीही भीती न बाळगता पापांचे डोंगर रचत जातो. असा माणूस स्वतःच्या वागण्याची जबाबदारी घेत नाही, स्वतःकडे प्रामाणिकपणे पाहण्याऐवजी देवाची निंदा करत बसतो. तुकारामांचा निवाडा तीक्ष्ण आहे, असे वागणाऱ्याच्या मनात परमेश्वराबद्दल खरी जाणीवच नाही, कितीही तक्रार तो करत असला तरी.
Where this applies
- When you catch yourself blaming outside forces for problems your own choices created
- When someone complains about their misfortune while refusing to look honestly at their own conduct
- When you notice a pattern of piling up bad decisions without any fear of consequences
- When faith or belief becomes an excuse to avoid taking responsibility for yourself