Abhanga 131
I spoke for your benefit — forgive me. The path-shower should not be sulked at; over-sweetness destroys life. The neem was given for the inner disease — coddling lets the worm eat. The seeing-eyed know what is beneficial; the blind fall in the well.
The verse
बोललों तें कांहीं तुमचिया हिता । वचन नेणतां क्षमा कीजे ॥१॥ वाट दावी तया न लगे रुसावें । अतित्याई जीवें नाश पावे ॥ध्रु.॥ निंब दिला रोग तुटाया अंतरीं । पोभाळितां वरि आंत चरे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हित देखण्यासि कळे । पडती आंधळे कूपा माजी ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: What I have spoken was for your benefit — if my speech is unknown / rough, forgive me. The path-shower should not be sulked at; over-sweetness destroys life. Neem was given to break the inner disease; if (instead) coddled on top, the worm eats inside. Tuka says: the seeing-eyed know what is beneficial — the blind fall into the well.
मराठी: मी जे बोललो ते तुमच्या हितासाठी; नेणीव वचन क्षमा करा. वाट दाखवणाऱ्यावर रुसू नका; अतित्याईने जीव नाश पावतो. निंब आत-रोग तोडायला दिला; वर पोभाळल्याने आत चरतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात — डोळ्यांना दिसणारांना हित कळतं; आंधळे कूपात पडतात.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| बोललों तें कांहीं तुमचिया हिता | "what I have spoken — for your benefit" |
| वचन नेणतां क्षमा कीजे | "if my (rough) speech is unknown — forgive (it)" |
| वाट दावी तया न लगे रुसावें | "the one who shows the path — should not be sulked at" |
| अतित्याई जीवें नाश पावे | "ati-tyāī (over-sweet / over-coddled) life is destroyed" |
| निंब दिला रोग तुटाया अंतरीं | "neem (bitter) was given to break the inner disease" |
| पोभाळितां वरि आंत चरे | "(if) coddled on top — the inside is eaten" |
| हित देखण्यासि कळे | "the seeing-eyed know what is beneficial" |
| पडती आंधळे कूपा माजी | "the blind fall in the well" |
What it means
A bitter-medicine abhang. The निंब (neem) image is precise — Marathi/Indian medicine tradition uses neem internally for various diseases; it is bitter. The bitter taste is the medicine's sign. पोभाळणे (coddling, smothering with sweetness) defeats the medicine: आंत चरे — the worm eats inside. The structural claim: over-sweet treatment of a real condition allows the underlying disease to consume from within. The closing image — पडती आंधळे कूपा माजी — the blind fall in the well — names the cost of not recognizing what is beneficial: the seeing-eyed avoid the well; the blind don't. [T]
For someone today
This abhang authorizes bitter-medicine as kindness. Modern emotional culture often confuses kindness with coddling — endorsing whatever the other person's mood demands. Tukaram's principle: अतित्याई जीवें नाश पावे — over-coddling destroys life. The neem — bitter, sharp, true — is the actual medicine. The path-shower whose words sting is not to be sulked at; the sulking is the symptom of the disease the neem was given for. The application is two-sided: when you receive bitter counsel, examine whether the bitterness is neem; when you give it, ensure it is neem and not your own resentment.
मराठी: ही ओवी bitter-medicine ला kindness म्हणून authorize करते. आधुनिक emotional संस्कृती बहुधा kindness आणि पोभाळणं गोंधळते — दुसऱ्याच्या मूडनुसार होकार. तुकारामांचं तत्त्व: अतित्याई जीवें नाश पावे. निंब — कडू, तीक्ष्ण, खरं — हीच खरी औषध. वाट दाखवणारा ज्याच्या शब्दांनी झणझणतं — त्याच्यावर रुसू नका; रुसणं हेच rogasymptom — neem ज्यासाठी दिलं. lागू दोन-बाजूचं: तुम्हाला कडू counsel मिळाल्यास — कडूपणा neem आहे का तपासा; तुम्ही देताना — ते neem आहे का तुमच्या स्वतःच्या resentment चा प्रवाह आहे — खात्री करा.
Where this applies
- Coddling allowing disease to grow. Recognize neem-prescription.
- Bitter counsel rejected because it stings. Was for benefit.
- Giving difficult counsel. Honour neem-not-coddling.