Abhanga 4467
Devotion is proven by conduct, not display: without compassion and dharma behind it, no recitation, worship, or circumambulation reaches God.
The verse
नाहीं संतांशीं शरण । काय वाचोनि पुराण ॥१॥
म्हणे विठ्ठलाचा दास । देखोनी परनारीस हांसे ॥ध्रु.॥
करिती विठोबाची भक्ति । दयाधर्म नाहीं चित्ती ॥२॥
तेथें नाहीं माझा देव। व्यर्थ श्रमवी हा जीव ॥३॥
अंगीं नाहीं क्षमा दया । म्हणती भेट पंढरीराया ॥४॥
नाहीं धर्माची वासना । काय करोनि प्रदक्षिणा ॥५॥
ऐसें नव्हे भक्तिवर्म । तेथें नाहीं माझा राम ॥६॥
नये कृपा कांहीं केल्या । नये घाम जीव गेल्या ॥७॥
जैसी खड्गाची धार । विठ्ठलचरणीं तुका शूर ॥८॥
Literal translation
No-sant-refuge — what-purāṇa-recitation. Viṭhṭhal-dāsa-but-laughs-at-paranāri. Viṭhōbā-bhakti-but-no-dayā-dharma. There-my-Deva-not — vyartha-jīva-toils. No-kṣamā-dayā — yet-says-Paṇḍharī-rāyā-meet. No-dharma-vāsanā — what-pradakṣiṇā. Not-bhakti-varma — no-Rāma. Krpā-not-by-anything — not-by-death-from-sweat. Like-khaḍga-edge — Tukā-śūra-at-Viṭhṭhal-feet.
What it means
A 8-verse anti-fake-bhakti diagnostic. Without refuge in sants — what is the use of reciting purāṇas? Calls himself Viṭhṭhal's servant — yet sees another's wife and laughs knowingly. They do Viṭhōbā's worship — but no compassion and dharma in the mind. There my Deva is not — this soul toils in vain. No forgiveness and compassion in the body — yet says 'meet me, Paṇḍharī-rāyā'. No desire for dharma — what is the use of circumambulation? Such display is not the essence-of-bhakti — there my Rāma is not. Grace does not come by anything done — does not come even if the soul leaves from extreme sweat. Like the edge of a sword — so Tukā is brave-warrior at Viṭhṭhal's feet. The diagnostic-list (5-failures): (a) no-sant-refuge — (b) calls-self-Viṭhṭhal-dāsa-but-paranāri-laughs — (c) bhakti-but-no-dayā-dharma — (d) no-kṣamā-yet-asks-darśana — (e) no-dharma-vāsanā-yet-circumambulates. Therefore: krpā does not come by mere outer-actions — not even by extreme-bodily-asceticism that ends in death. The closing Tukā śūra at Viṭhṭhal's feet like a sword's edge — fierce-commitment to-non-fake-bhakti. Pair with 4292 (bole-taisā-chāle), 2962 (anti-fake-guru), 4191 (anti-rote artha-vihīna-pāṭha).
For someone today
Calling yourself a devotee means nothing if your daily conduct contradicts it. Tukaram lists the tells: you laugh knowingly at another's wife, you feel no compassion, you circle the temple without any desire for dharma. Grace does not come from outward effort, he says; it comes when your commitment is as fierce and undivided as a sword's edge.
मराठी: स्वतःला भक्त म्हणवून घेण्याला अर्थ नाही, जर रोजचं वागणं त्याच्या उलट असेल. तुकाराम खुणा सांगतात: परस्त्रीकडे पाहून हसणं, मनात दया नसणं, धर्माची इच्छा नसताना प्रदक्षिणा घालणं. कृपा बाह्य कष्टांनी येत नाही — ती तलवारीच्या धारेसारख्या अखंड निष्ठेनेच येते.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's anti-fake-bhakti 5-fold-diagnostic + sword-edge fierce-commitment canonical