संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4170 of 4582

Abhanga 4170

Laṭikyāche āmvataṇe jevaliyā sācha — kāya tyā viśvāsa to chi kharā — having-feasted on a false-invitation as-if-real — what trust — is that true.

Tukārām's anti-mata-vādī polemic — pretend-feast, acrobat, water-horses canonical

The verse

लटिक्याचें आंवतणें जेविलिया साच । काय त्या विश्वास तो चि खरा ॥१॥ कोल्हांटिणी लागे आकाशीं खेळत । ते काय पावत अमरपद ॥ध्रु.॥ जळमंडपयाचे घोडे राउत नाचती । ते काय तडवती युद्धालागीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तैसें मतवादीयांचें जिणें । दिसे लाजिरवाणें बोलतां चि ॥३॥

Literal translation

Laṭikyāche āmvataṇe jevaliyā sācha — kāya tyā viśvāsa to chi kharāhaving-feasted on a false-invitation as-if-real — what trust — is that true. Kōlhāṇṭiṇī lāge ākāśīm kheḷata — te kāya pāvata amarapadathe acrobat-woman leaps in the sky playing — does she attain immortal-station. Jaḷa-maṇḍapayāche ghōḍe rāuta nāchatī — te kāya taḍavatī yuddhālāgīmthe water-pavilion's horses-and-riders dance — do they charge for battle. Tukā mhaṇe taise matavādīyāñche jiṇe — dise lājiravāṇe bōlatām chiTukā says: such is the life of opinion-mongers — looks shame-faced in their very speaking.

What it means

A 3-verse anti-mata-vādī polemic. Feasting-on-a-pretend-invitation isn't-real-eating; an-acrobat's-sky-leaps aren't-immortality; water-puppet-horses-and-riders aren't-warhorses-for-battle; the-life-of-mere-opinion-holders is-shame-faced-in-the-very-speaking. The water-pavilion (jaḷa-maṇḍapa) image references festive water-play-scenes with painted horses.

For someone today

Tukārām says: pretend-doings get-pretend-results; mere-opinions-without-anubhava are-shame-faced-the-moment-they-speak.

Where this applies