Abhanga 4085
Any spiritual practice driven by hidden desire, whether devotion, worship, action, or knowledge, loses its real meaning and becomes empty.
The verse
अज्ञानाची भक्ती इच्छिती संपत्ती । तयाचिये मती बोध कैंचा ॥१॥
अज्ञानाची पूजा कामिक भावना । तयाचिया ध्याना देव कैंचा ॥ध्रु.॥
अज्ञानाचें कर्म फळीं ठेवी मन । निष्काम साधन तया कैंचें ॥२॥
अज्ञानाचें ज्ञान विषयावरी ध्यान । ब्रम्ह सनातन तया कैंचें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे जळो ऐसियांचे तोंड । अज्ञानाचें बंड वाढविती ॥४॥
Literal translation
Ajñāna-bhakti-sampatti — no-bodha. Ajñāna-pūjā-kāmika — no-Deva-dhyāna. Ajñāna-karma-mind-on-fruit — no-niṣkāma. Ajñāna-jñāna-viṣaya-dhyāna — no-brahma. Tukā: burn-faces — ajñāna-bandh-spreads.
What it means
A 4-fold ajñāna-polemic. The ignorant one's bhakti: he desires wealth. What understanding is there in that mind? The ignorant one's pūjā: with desire-driven feeling. What Deva can be in that meditation? The ignorant one's karma: with mind on the fruit. What desireless practice is there for him? The ignorant one's jñāna: meditation on sense-objects. What eternal Brahman is there for him? Burn the faces of such — they spread the mess of ajñāna. The four classical disciplines all corrupted by desire — bhakti/pūjā/karma/jñāna each ruined by kāma in the doer. This is a foundational anti-corruption diagnostic.
For someone today
Tukaram points out that any spiritual practice, whether it's devotion, worship, action, or knowledge, becomes hollow the moment it is driven by hidden desire. Devotion that secretly wants wealth isn't real understanding. Worship shaped by craving isn't really reaching God. Actions done while fixated on their reward aren't truly selfless. And so-called wisdom that keeps circling back to sense pleasures never touches anything eternal. The lesson is to look honestly at your own motives, because the outward form of a good practice can hide a very self-interested heart.
मराठी: तुकाराम सांगतात की भक्ती, पूजा, कर्म किंवा ज्ञान कोणतीही साधना असो, जर ती लपलेल्या इच्छेने प्रेरित असेल तर ती पोकळ ठरते. जी भक्ती गुप्तपणे संपत्ती इच्छिते ती खरी समज नव्हे. जी पूजा वासनेने घडते ती खरोखर देवापर्यंत पोहोचत नाही. जे कर्म फळाच्या अपेक्षेने केले जाते ते खरे निरपेक्ष कर्म नसते. आणि जे तथाकथित ज्ञान सतत विषयसुखांभोवती फिरत राहते ते कधीच शाश्वत गोष्टीला स्पर्श करत नाही. यातून शिकायचे हे की स्वतःच्या हेतूंकडे प्रामाणिकपणे बघावे, कारण चांगल्या साधनेच्या बाह्यरूपाआड मोठा स्वार्थी हेतू लपलेला असू शकतो.
Where this applies
- When you notice your prayer or devotion is really just a wish list for what you want to gain
- When you do a good deed but realize you are secretly fixated on being rewarded or praised for it
- When you claim to be seeking wisdom but keep circling back to the same desires and distractions
- When you want to check whether your spiritual practice is genuine or just self-interest in disguise