Abhanga 4239
Do not accept gifts from a covetous person, and do not turn sacred practice into a paid service for others, since selling one's devotion is hypocrisy that leads to one's own downfall.
The verse
घेऊं नये तैसें दान । ज्याचें धन अभिळाषी ॥१॥
तो ही येथें कामा नये । नर्का जाय म्हणोनि ॥ध्रु.॥
विकी स्नानसंध्या जप । करी तप पुढिलांचें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे दांभिक तो । नर्का जातो स्वइच्छा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Don't-take-such-dāna — abhiḷāṣī-of-dhana. He-comes-no-use — goes-to-naraka. Sells-snāna-sandhyā-japa — does-tapa-for-next-(rewarder). Tukā: dāmbhika — naraka-self-willed.
What it means
A 3-verse anti-ritual-merit-sale text. Don't take such a gift — from one who covets another's wealth. He himself comes to no use; he goes to hell. He sells (his) bath, evening-prayer, japa; he does austerities for the next-(client-who-pays). Tukā says: he's a hypocrite; he goes to hell by his own will. Direct critique of professional-pujārī-economy — those who sell their ritual-merit are dāmbhika and self-condemn to naraka.
For someone today
Tukaram tells you plainly not to accept gifts from someone who is covetous and greedy for wealth, because such a person is of no real spiritual use to anyone and is heading toward ruin. He then turns his criticism to religious professionals who sell their bathing rituals, prayers, and meditation, performing spiritual practice as a paid service for whoever pays them next rather than out of sincere devotion. Tukaram calls this out sharply as hypocrisy, saying such a person walks into his own downfall by his own choice. The lesson is a warning against turning sacred practice into a transaction, and against accepting favors from people whose generosity is really disguised greed.
मराठी: तुकाराम स्पष्टपणे सांगतात की धनाच्या हव्यासाने पछाडलेल्या लोभी माणसाकडून भेट स्वीकारू नये, कारण अशी व्यक्ती कोणाच्याही खऱ्या अर्थाने उपयोगी नसते आणि स्वतःच्या नाशाकडे चालली असते. मग ते धार्मिक व्यवसाय करणाऱ्या पुजाऱ्यांवर टीका करतात जे स्नान, संध्या, जप यांसारख्या आपल्या साधनेला विकतात, आणि खऱ्या भक्तीऐवजी पैसे देणाऱ्या पुढच्या गिऱ्हाईकासाठी साधना करतात. तुकाराम याला थेट ढोंगीपणा म्हणतात आणि सांगतात की अशी व्यक्ती स्वतःच्या इच्छेने स्वतःच्या पतनाकडे जाते. पवित्र साधनेला व्यापारात बदलू नये आणि ज्यांची उदारता प्रत्यक्षात लपलेला लोभ आहे अशा लोकांकडून उपकार स्वीकारू नये हा इशारा हाच यातील बोध आहे.
Where this applies
- When someone offers you a gift or favor that comes from greed or hidden motives
- When spiritual or religious practice starts to feel like a paid service rather than sincere devotion
- When you are tempted to perform good deeds only because someone is paying for them
- When you notice a person's outward piety does not match their real, self-serving intentions