Abhanga 117
This abhang authorizes leaving when leaving is the right move. The structural claim: some people are kumbhīpāka in body — proximity to them is its own torment, regardless of what specific harm they do. Modern reform-culture often demands engagement, dialogue, working-through with toxic people. Tukaram is plain: don't. Distance, silence, and even देशाचा त्याग (leaving the country / changing the city / leaving the workplace) are authorized. The cure is not better engagement; it is not-engaging. The rabid-dog image is precise — engaging a rabid dog gets you bitten; the dog is not reformed by your engagement.
The verse
दुर्जनाची गंधी विष्ठेचिया परी । देखोनियां दुरी व्हावें तया ॥१॥ अइका हो तुम्ही मात हे सज्जन । करूं संघष्टन नये बोलों ॥ध्रु.॥ दुर्जनाचे अंगीं अखंड विटाळ । वाणी रजस्वला स्रवे तैशी ॥२॥ दुर्जनाचें भय धरावें त्यापरी । पिसाळलेवरी धांवे श्वान ॥३॥ दुर्जनाचा भला नव्हे अंगसंग । बोलिलासे त्याग देशाचा त्या ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे किती सांगावें पृथक । अंग कुंभीपाक दुर्जनाचें ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: The depraved one's smell is like excrement; seeing him, become far from him. Listen, you good ones — do not engage him, do not speak with him. In the depraved's body, impurity is unbroken; his speech flows like menstrual blood. Hold fear of him as you would of a rabid dog. The depraved's bodily-company is not good — (scriptures) speak of abandoning the country (to escape him). Tuka says: how much can be said? — the depraved's body is kumbhīpāka.
मराठी: दुर्जनाची गंधी विष्ठेसारखी; पाहून दूर व्हावं. ऐका, सज्जनहो — संघर्ष करू नका, बोलू नका. दुर्जनाच्या अंगात अखंड विटाळ; वाणी रजस्वलेसारखी स्रवते. दुर्जनाची भीती धरा — पिसाळलेल्या कुत्र्यासारखी. दुर्जनाची अंगसंगति बरी नव्हे; देशाचा त्याग सांगितला आहे. तुकाराम म्हणतात — किती वेगळं सांगायचं? दुर्जनाचं अंग कुंभीपाक.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दुर्जनाची गंधी विष्ठेचिया परी | "the depraved one's smell is like excrement" |
| देखोनियां दुरी व्हावें तया | "seeing him, become far from him" |
| करूं संघष्टन नये बोलों | "do not engage in confrontation, do not speak (with him)" |
| दुर्जनाचे अंगीं अखंड विटाळ | "in the depraved's body — unbroken impurity" |
| वाणी रजस्वला स्रवे तैशी | "speech flows like menstrual blood" |
| पिसाळलेवरी धांवे श्वान | "as one runs from a rabid dog" |
| बोलिलासे त्याग देशाचा त्या | "(scriptures) speak of abandoning the country (to escape him)" |
| अंग कुंभीपाक दुर्जनाचें | "the depraved's body is kumbhīpāka (a hell)" |
What it means
The harshest avoid-toxic-person abhang Tukaram offers. Three escalating images: (1) excrement-smell — sensory aversion as the natural response; (2) rabid-dog — flee as you would from active danger; (3) kumbhīpāka (a hell) — proximity to such a person is a hell-realm. The structural prescription is uncompromising: do not confront, do not speak, leave the country if necessary. The menstrual-blood image for speech is precisely-disturbing; Tukaram is using ritual-impurity vocabulary to mark the contagion-quality of the depraved person's words. [T] [Tradition]
For someone today
This abhang authorizes leaving when leaving is the right move. The structural claim: some people are kumbhīpāka in body — proximity to them is its own torment, regardless of what specific harm they do. Modern reform-culture often demands engagement, dialogue, working-through with toxic people. Tukaram is plain: don't. Distance, silence, and even देशाचा त्याग (leaving the country / changing the city / leaving the workplace) are authorized. The cure is not better engagement; it is not-engaging. The rabid-dog image is precise — engaging a rabid dog gets you bitten; the dog is not reformed by your engagement.
मराठी: ही ओवी सोडणं योग्य असेल तेव्हा सोडायची परवानगी देते. रचनात्मक दावा: काही लोक शरीराने कुंभीपाक — त्यांच्या जवळ राहणं स्वतःचंच torment, ते specific काय हानी करतात त्याकडे दुर्लक्ष. आधुनिक reform-संस्कृती toxic लोकांशी engagement, dialogue, working-through मागते. तुकाराम स्पष्ट: नका. अंतर, मूकपणा, अगदी देशाचा त्याग authorized. उपाय better engagement नाही — न-engagement. पिसाळलेला कुत्रा image अचूक — पिसाळलेल्या कुत्र्याशी engagement केल्यास चावा बसतो; कुत्रा तुमच्या engagement ने reform होत नाही.
Where this applies
- Proximity to kumbhīpāka pattern. Cost of remaining is its own hell.
- Changing country / city is the only honest move. Authorized.
- Told to engage-and-reform a rabid-dog. Don't.