Abhanga 75
This abhang is for the moment when you have been extending compassion to someone whose pattern matches Tukaram's portrait — and you have to face the possibility that the compassion is not reaching. The portrait is precise: harming others, lusting at others' doors, slandering, gossiping, faking discipline, and — the diagnostic — good itself becoming poison to them (kindness shown to them either deepens their grasp or curdles into resentment). Tukaram's claim: such people exist, and the bhakti tradition's compassion cannot touch them.
The verse
आहाकटा त्याचे करिती पितर । वंशीं दुराचार पुत्र जाला ॥१॥ गळे चि ना गर्भ नव्हे चि कां वांज । माता त्याची लाजलावा पापी ॥ध्रु. ॥ परपीडें परद्वारीं सावधान । सादर चि मन अभाग्याचें ॥२॥ न मळितां निंदा चाहडी उपवास । संग्रहाचे दोष सकळ ही ॥३॥ परउपकार पुण्य त्या वावडें । विषाचें तें कीडें दुग्धीं मरे ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे विटाळाचीच तो मूर्ति । दया क्षमा शांति नातळे त्या ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: His ancestors lament — an evil-natured son was born in the lineage. The fetus did not abort, the mother was not barren — this sinful one is his mother's shame. He is alert at others' pain, at others' doors; the unfortunate one's mind is attentive (only to vice). Slander, gossip, mock-fasting — without remarking, all sins gathered. Doing-good is poison to him — the poison-bug dies in milk. Tuka says: he is the very image of impurity; compassion, forgiveness, peace do not touch him.
मराठी: त्याचे पितर लामेंट करतात — कुळात दुराचारी पुत्र झाला. गर्भ गळला नाही, माता वांज झाली नाही — हा पापी मातेची लाज. परपीडेला, परद्वाराला सावधान; अभाग्याचं मन सादर (दोषाला). निंदा-चाहडी-उपवास — सर्व दोष संग्रहित. परउपकार त्याला विष; विष-कीडा दुधात मरतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात — तो विटाळाचीच मूर्ती; दया-क्षमा-शांती त्याला नातळ.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आहाकटा त्याचे करिती पितर | "the ancestors lament for him" |
| वंशीं दुराचार पुत्र जाला | "an evil-natured son was born in the lineage" |
| गळे चि ना गर्भ नव्हे चि कां वांज | "the fetus did not abort, the mother was not barren" |
| माता त्याची लाजलावा पापी | "the sinful one is the mother's shame" |
| परपीडें परद्वारीं सावधान | "alert at others'-pain, at others' doors" |
| सादर चि मन अभाग्याचें | "the unfortunate one's mind is attentive (to vice)" |
| न मळितां निंदा चाहडी उपवास | "without remarking — slander, gossip, fasting (mock-discipline)" |
| संग्रहाचे दोष सकळ ही | "all the sins are gathered" |
| परउपकार पुण्य त्या वावडें | "doing-good is poisonous to him" |
| विषाचें तें कीडें दुग्धीं मरे | "the poison-bug dies in milk" |
| विटाळाचीच तो मूर्ति | "he is the very image of विटाळ (impurity)" |
| दया क्षमा शांति नातळे त्या | "compassion, forgiveness, peace do not touch him" |
What it means
This is a worst-case portrait. Tukaram's compassion is wide but not infinite by his own account — दया क्षमा शांति नातळे त्या — compassion, forgiveness, peace do not touch him. The pattern: harming others, lusting at others' doors, slander-gossip-mock-discipline, doing-good poisons him (a bug who eats poison dies if given milk — the inversion is total). Tukaram is naming a category that even bhakti's compassion cannot reach. The portrait functions as warning to the listener (don't be this) and as honest acknowledgment (some people are). [T]
The gārbha-galena, vānja-nahī line is heartbreaking — the fetus did not abort, the mother was not barren — meaning: it would have been less sinful for the mother had she been infertile, than to have this one come to term. The standard for being-this-sinful is high. [T]
For someone today
This abhang is for the moment when you have been extending compassion to someone whose pattern matches Tukaram's portrait — and you have to face the possibility that the compassion is not reaching. The portrait is precise: harming others, lusting at others' doors, slandering, gossiping, faking discipline, and — the diagnostic — good itself becoming poison to them (kindness shown to them either deepens their grasp or curdles into resentment). Tukaram's claim: such people exist, and the bhakti tradition's compassion cannot touch them.
This is uncomfortable and easy to misuse (anyone can decide their enemy fits the portrait). The check: does good itself poison them? If kindness deepens their goodness — they are not in this category, they are just struggling. If kindness becomes new fuel for their wickedness — Tukaram's portrait may apply. The honest move is withdrawal, not vendetta. The portrait is a warning to step away, not a license to attack.
मराठी: ही ओवी अशा क्षणासाठी जेव्हा तुम्ही कुणाला करुणा देत राहिलात ज्यांचा pattern तुकारामांच्या portrait शी जुळतो — आणि तुम्हाला सामोरं यायचंय की करुणा पोहोचत नाही. portrait अचूक: इतरांना हानी, इतरांच्या दारात लुसू, निंदा, गप्पा, खोटी शिस्त, आणि — diagnostic — good ही त्यांना विष (त्यांच्याशी प्रेमळ वागणं त्यांची pakad वाढवतं किंवा resentment मध्ये curdle करतं). तुकारामांचा दावा: असे लोक असतात — आणि bhakti तंत्राची करुणा त्यांना पोहोचत नाही.
हे अस्वस्थ आणि गैरवापरायला सोपं (कोणीही ठरवू शकतो शत्रू portrait मध्ये बसतो). check: good त्यांना विष होतं का? दया त्यांची चांगुलपण वाढवते — ते या category त नाहीत, फक्त struggling. दया त्यांच्या वाईटाचं नवं इंधन बनते — तुकारामांचा portrait लागू असू शकतो. प्रामाणिक हालचाल withdrawal, vendetta नाही. portrait सरकायचा इशारा, हल्ल्याचा license नाही.
Where this applies
- Person genuinely harmful, kindness fueling more. विषाचें कीडें दुग्धीं मरे.
- Forgiveness extended and not reaching. Compassion has limits even in bhakti.
- You yourself doing one or two items. Recognize the gravity.