Abhanga 218

This short abhang names three distinctions:

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A short instruction-execution abhang. Three claims:

1. वोळलीचा दोहूं पान्हा — मज कान्हा सांगितला — Kānha told me about the milking of the just-calved cow. The vōḷaḷī — a cow that has just calved — has fragile, special milk; the milking requires delicacy. Krishna himself gave the instruction about how to do this milking. The bhakta is receiving expert instruction for a delicate task.

2. घ्या जि हेंगे क्षीर हातीं — निगुतीनें वाढावें — take the milk in hand — serve with carefulness. Nigutī — care, precision, attentive-delicacy — is the required-quality for the vōḷaḷī-milk. The handling is delicate; the serving is delicate.

3. सांगितलें केलें काम — नव्हे धर्म सत्याचा — what was told was done — (but) it is not the dharma of truth itself. Two readings:

4. Doing-what-was-told is not the same as the dharma of truth. Carrying out instructions is one thing; the deeper truth-of-righteousness is another. The act and the truth are not identical.

5. The act of obedience is not the truth-itself but a trace of it. The dharma-satya lies behind the executed-instruction.

6. नवें जुनें ऐसें कोणें सोसावें — new-or-old — who can bear which? The closing-question. Some can bear the new (the just-calved cow's milk, the new instruction); others can bear the old (the established-supply, the worn-tradition). The equanimity-of-bearing-both is rare. Who can bear which?

[T]

For someone today

This short abhang names three distinctions:

1. Delicate tasks need careful instruction. Nigutīnē vāḍhāvē. When the situation is vōḷaḷī-like — just-calved, fragile, special — the handling requires expert instruction and care. Don't approach the delicate with the rough-grip. Get the instruction first; then handle with care.

2. Doing what was told is not the same as righteousness itself. Sāngitalē kelē kāma — navhē dharma satyāchā. Important distinction. Compliance is not truth. The act of carrying out the instruction is one trace of the truth-of-righteousness; the truth itself is deeper. Don't confuse the traces with the truth.

3. New-or-old, who can bear which? Navēm junēm — aisē koṇē sosāvē? The honest-question. Some are better at bearing the new (the just-calved, the unprecedented, the surprise-supply); others are better at the old (the worn-tradition, the routine-resource). The ability to bear both with equal ease is rare. Don't pretend to bear both equally; honestly recognize what you can bear.

For today: when handling something delicate, get careful instruction and handle with nigutī. Don't confuse compliance with truth-itself. Honestly recognize whether you bear the new or the old — both are real talents.

मराठी: ही छोटी ओवी तीन गोष्टींतला फरक सांगते.

1. नाजूक कामांना काळजीपूर्वक सूचना लागते. परिस्थिती नुकत्याच व्यायलेल्या गाईसारखी — नाजूक, विशेष — असेल, तर तिचं हाताळणं तज्ज्ञाच्या सूचनेने आणि काळजीने व्हावं लागतं. नाजूक गोष्टीला रांगड्या हाताने हाताळू नका. आधी सूचना घ्या; मग काळजीपूर्वक हाताळा.

2. जे सांगितलं ते करणं म्हणजे सत्याचा धर्मच असतो असं नाही. सांगितलेलं काम करणं म्हणजे आज्ञापालन; सत्य वेगळं आहे. आज्ञापालन हे सत्याच्या धर्माची फक्त एक खूण आहे; खरं सत्य त्याहून खोल आहे. खुणा आणि सत्य यांची गल्लत करू नका.

3. नवं-जुनं — कोण कोणतं सोसेल? हा प्रामाणिक प्रश्न आहे. काहीजण नवं सोसण्यात सक्षम असतात (नुकतंच घडलेलं, अनपेक्षित, अचानक मिळालेलं); काहीजण जुनं सोसण्यात सक्षम असतात (जुनी परंपरा, नेहमीची तरतूद). दोन्ही सारख्याच सहजतेने सोसण्याची क्षमता दुर्मिळ आहे. दोन्ही सारखंच सोसतो असा आव आणू नका; तुम्ही खरंच काय सोसू शकता हे प्रामाणिकपणे ओळखा.

आज एवढंच — कोणतीही नाजूक गोष्ट हाताळताना काळजीपूर्वक सूचना घ्या आणि तितक्याच काळजीने हाताळा. आज्ञापालनाला सत्य समजू नका. तुम्ही नवं सोसता की जुनं, हे प्रामाणिकपणे ओळखा — दोन्ही खरी क्षमता आहेत.

Where this applies

• Delicate tasks need nigutī. Care + instruction.
• Compliance is not truth-itself. Don't confuse the trace with the truth.
• New-or-old — who bears which? Honest self-recognition.

Related verses

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