संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4239 of 4582

Abhanga 4239

Tukārām's don't-take-dāna-of-covetous; sells-ritual-merit; dāmbhika-goes-to-naraka-self-willed canonical anti-ritual-merit-sale

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-economythose who sell their ritual-merit are dāmbhika and self-condemn to naraka.

For someone today

Tukārām: don't-take-gifts-from-the-covetous; don't-be-a-priest-who-sells-japa-tapa-for-others — that's-hypocrisy.

Where this applies

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