संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 218 of 4582

Abhanga 218

This short abhang names three distinctions:

When you've been told a careful instruction — and you have to recognize the instruction-execution register
When what-was-told-being-done is not righteousness-of-truth itself — and you have to recognize this distinction
When new-or-old, who can bear which — and you accept the equanimity question

The verse

वोळलीचा दोहूं पान्हा । मज कान्हा सांगितला ॥१॥ घ्या जि हेंगे क्षीर हातीं । निगुतीनें वाढावें ॥ध्रु.॥ सांगितलें केलें काम । नव्हे धर्म सत्याचा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नवें जुनें । ऐसें कोणें सोसावें॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Kānha told me about the milking of the just-calved cow. Take the milk in (your) hand — serve with nigutī (carefulness). What was told was done — (it) is not the dharma of truth (= righteousness of truth itself). Tuka says: new-or-old — who can bear which?

मराठी: वोळलीचा दोहूं पान्हा — मज कान्हा सांगितला. घ्या जि हेंगे क्षीर हातीं — निगुतीनें वाढावें. सांगितलें केलें काम — नव्हे धर्म सत्याचा. तुकाराम म्हणतात — नवें जुनें — ऐसें कोणें सोसावें?

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
वोळलीचा दोहूं पान्हा "the milking-of-the-vōḷaḷī (just-calved cow)'s milk-flow"
मज कान्हा सांगितला "Kānha told (it) to me"
घ्या जि हेंगे क्षीर हातीं "take the kṣīra (milk) in (your) hand"
निगुतीनें वाढावें "serve with nigutī (carefulness)"
सांगितलें केलें काम "what was told was done"
नव्हे धर्म सत्याचा "(but) it is not the dharma of truth (= righteousness of truth itself)"
नवें जुनें ऐसें कोणें सोसावें "new-or-old — who can bear which?"

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 equanimity-of-bearing-both 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 distinctions नाव सांगते:

  1. Delicate कामांना careful instruction लागते. निगुतीनें वाढावें. Situation vōḷaḷī-सारखं — just-calved, fragile, special — handling ला expert instruction आणि care लागते. Delicate ला रफ-grip ने approach करू नका. आधी instruction घ्या; मग care ने handle करा.

  2. जे सांगितलं ते केलं — righteousness-itself* नाही. सांगितलें केलें काम — नव्हे धर्म सत्याचा. महत्त्वाचं distinction. Compliance truth नाही. Instruction-carry-out करणं truth-of-righteousness चा एक trace; truth itself deeper*. Traces आणि truth confuse करू नका.

  3. नवं-जुनं — कोण कोणतं सोसेल? नवें जुनें — ऐसें कोणें सोसावें? Honest-question. काही नवं सोसण्यात चांगले (just-calved, unprecedented, surprise-supply); काही जुनं सोसण्यात (worn-tradition, routine-resource) चांगले. दोन्ही सोसण्याची equanimity दुर्मिळ. दोन्ही equally सोसतो असा देखावा करू नका; काय सोसता honestly ओळखा.

आज: delicate काही handle करताना — careful instruction घ्या आणि निगुतीनें handle करा. Compliance ला truth-itself समजू नका. नवं की जुनं सोसता honestly ओळखा — दोन्ही real-talents.

Where this applies

Bhakti instruction-execution niguti-carefulness new-or-old-bearing

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