संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4016 of 4582

Abhanga 4016

Saving-kunkuma — for-bōḍakā-dēvī.

The verse

कुंकवाची ठेवाठेवी । बोडकादेवी काशाला ॥१॥ दिवस गमा भरा पोट । कां गे नेटनेटावा ॥ध्रु.॥ दिमाख हा कोणां दावा । लटकी जीवा चरफड ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे झोंडगीं हो । फुंदा कां हो कोरडी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Saving-kunkuma — for-bōḍakā-dēvī. Fill-belly-day-passes — why-pretense. Vanity-shown-to-whom — empty-charpaḍa. Tukā: zōṇḍagī — why-dry-sniffle.

What it means

★ A 3-verse anti-fake-piety polemic. Saving the kunkuma — for a shaved-head deity? Just fill your belly while the day passes; why this forced-tidiness? This vanity — shown to whom? — the soul's fluttering is empty. Vagabond — why this dry sniffle?. The polemic likely targets fake-mourning or fake-asceticism display — saving-kunkuma for an idol that has no use for it; making theatrical mourning-sob in public for show.

For someone today

Tukārām: fake-piety-empty-soul-fluttering — dry-sniffle-for-show.

Where this applies

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