Abhanga 4189
The verse
निंदक तो परउपकारी । काय वणूप त्याची थोरी । जे रजकाहुनि भले परि । सर्व गुणें आगळा ॥१॥
नेघे मोल धुतो फुका । पाप वरच्यावरि देखा । करी साधका । शुद्ध सरते तिहीं लोकीं ॥ध्रु.॥
मुखसंवदणी सांगते । अवघें सांटविलें तेथें । जिव्हा साबण निरुतें । दोष काढी जन्माचे ॥२॥
तया ठाव यमपुरीं । वास करणें अघोरीं । त्यासी दंडण करी । तुका म्हणे न्हाणी ते ॥३॥
Literal translation
Nindaka-is-para-upakārī — what-thōri to-describe. Better-than-rajaka — all-guṇa-extra. No-fee — washes-free. Pāpa-visible-on-top — makes-sādhaka-shuddha-3-worlds. Mukha-samvadaṇī-stores-all — jihvā-is-soap removes-janma-doṣa. His-place-Yamapurī-aghōra — Tukā-punishes-in-n'hāṇī.
What it means
★★ THE canonical 3-verse nindaka-praise text. The fault-finder is a benefactor-of-others; what greatness can I describe of him? Better than a washerman, with all qualities extra. Takes no fee, washes for free; the sin is visible on top so he can get at it. He makes the sādhaka pure and respected in the three worlds. His snout-mouth tells (all) — everything stored there; his tongue is truly the soap that removes birth's defects. (But) his place is in Yamapurī, his stay in the terrible hells — Tukā says, he gives him punishment in this very washing-place. The conceit: the nindaka-washerman-of-the-sādhaka does a real upakāra — by his criticism, the sādhaka's pāpa surfaces and is washed away by the nindaka's tongue-as-soap. But the closing twist is severe: the washerman himself collects all the doṣa in his mouth and so goes to Yamapurī. Pair with 4135 (anti-empty-kīrtana).
For someone today
Tukārām: the-fault-finder-does-you-a-free-service-by-naming-your-flaws-and-washing-them; but-he-collects-all-the-dirt-in-his-mouth-and-goes-to-hell.
Where this applies
- ★★ Tukārām's THE nindaka-as-paropakārī-washerman canonical