Abhanga 4339
Tukārām cautions: external show drowns paramārtha; the real bridegroom (Lord) waits while the world parades wedding-show.
The verse
उधानु काटीवरि चोपडुची आस । नवरा राजस मिरवतसे ॥१॥
जिव्हाळ्याचा काठी उबाळ्याच्या मोटा । नवरा चोहटा मिरवतसे ॥ध्रु.॥
तुळसीची माळ नवरीचे कंठीं । नोवरा वैकुंठीं वाट पाहे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसी नोवर्याची कथा । परमार्थ वृथा बुडविला ॥३॥
Literal translation
Udhānu kāṭīvari chōpaḍuchī āsa — navarā rajasa miravatase: the chōpaḍū's hope on the festive-stick — the rajasa bridegroom paraded. Jivhāḷyāchā kāṭhī ubāḷyāchyā mōṭā — navarā chōhaṭā miravatase: the kāṭhī of jivhāḷā, mōṭā of ubāḷā — bridegroom paraded at chōhaṭā (crossroads). Tuḷasīchī māḷa navarīche kaṇṭhīm — nōvarā vaikuṇṭhīm vāṭa pāhe: tuḷasī-māḷa at bride's neck — the (real) bridegroom waits at Vaikuṇṭha. Tukā mhaṇe aisī nōvaryāchī kathā — paramārtha vrthā buḍavilā: Tukā says: such is the bridegroom's story — paramārtha drowned in vanity.
What it means
A 4-verse wedding-allegory polemic — uses the image of a village wedding-procession with chōpaḍū-show, jivhāḷā-pole, mōṭās-of-ubāḷā, parading the rajasa bridegroom at the crossroads, the tuḷasī-māḷa around the bride — but the real bridegroom (Hari) waits at Vaikuṇṭha — and paramārtha is drowned in vain.
For someone today
Tukārām cautions: external show drowns paramārtha; the real bridegroom (Lord) waits while the world parades wedding-show.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's wedding-allegory polemic on external-show vs paramārtha
- Critique of hollow ritualism