Abhanga 4309
The verse
काय बा करिशी सोवळें ओवळें । मन नाहीं निर्मळ वाउगें चि ॥१॥
काय बा करीसी पुस्तकांची मोट । घोकितां हृदयस्फोट हाता नये ॥ध्रु.॥
काय बा करीसी टाळ आणि मृदंग । जेथें पांडुरंग रंगला नाहीं ॥२॥
काय बा करीसी ज्ञानाचिया गोष्टी । करणी नाहीं पोटीं बोलण्याची ॥३॥
काय बा करीसी दंभलौकिकातें । हित नाहीं मातें तुका म्हणे ॥४॥
Literal translation
What-good-sōvaḷa-no-nirmaḷa-mana. What-good-book-stack — no-hrdaya-sphōṭa. What-good-tāḷa-mrdanga — no-Pāṇḍuranga-coloured. What-good-jñāna-talk — no-action-in-pōṭa. Tukā: what-good-dambha-laukika — no-hita-for-me.
What it means
★★ THE canonical 5-verse anti-display polemic. What good, son, of ritual-purity-and-impurity, with the mind not pure — it's just vain. What good, son, of a stack of books — if when reciting, the heart-bursting-open doesn't come. What good, son, of cymbal-and-drum — where Pāṇḍuranga isn't coloured-in. What good, son, of knowledge-talks — if the action behind the speech isn't in your belly. What good, son, of display-for-the-world — Tukā says: no good for me (in such). 5 anti-display targets: (1) sōvaḷa-without-pure-mana; (2) books-without-hrdaya-sphōṭa; (3) tāḷa-mrdanga-without-Pāṇḍuranga; (4) jñāna-talk-without-action; (5) dambha-laukika-without-hita. Pair with 4287 (some-blame-some-praise — hook-at-Viṭhṭhal), 4292 (bole-taisā-chāle), 4253 (anti-fake-mahanti).
For someone today
Tukārām: purity-rituals-books-music-knowledge-talks-public-display-all-useless-if-mind-isn't-clean-and-Pāṇḍuranga-isn't-coloured-into-the-scene.
Where this applies
- ★★ Tukārām's THE 5-anti-display polemic canonical foundational