Abhanga 293

Neither a close blood bond nor an attractive appearance makes something safe, and pride mixed with real knowledge is the most dangerous and invisible trap of all.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A bad-company-and-pride abhang. Three claims:

1. मायबापें जरी सर्पीण बोका — त्यांचे संगें सुखा न पवे बाळ — if parents are sarpiṇī-bōkā — child gets no sukha. The bad-company-image. Even parents (= the closest-natural-bond) — if they are sarpiṇī-bōkā (predator-types) — the child gets no sukha in their company. The natural-bond does not protect against bad-company. (Sarpiṇī — female-serpent; bōkā — tom-cat — both predator-images. The point: some natural-bond-relations are predatory, not nurturing.)

2. चंदनाचा शूळ सोनियाची बेडी — सुख नेदी फोडी प्राण नाशी — sandalwood-trident, gold-shackle — give no sukha; break the prāṇa. Two decorated-prison images: a trident made of sandalwood (= the weapon is from a sweet-substance, but it is still a weapon); a shackle made of gold (= the binding is by valuable-substance, but it is still a binding). Decoration-of-the-prison does not make it not-prison; it still gives no sukha and destroys the prāṇa.

3. तुका म्हणे नरकीं घाली अभिमान — जरी होय ज्ञान गर्व ताठा — abhimāna sends to naraka — even if there is jñāna, garva-tāṭha drowns. The closing-warning. Abhimāna sends to naraka. Even ifjñānais present, garva-tāṭha (pride-stiffness) drowns. The jñāna does not protect against the abhimāna; the abhimāna with-jñāna sinks together. (Compare 244 abhimāna-substitution is julūma; 254 brahma-niṣṭha-with-bhūta-matsara has the brahma-jñāna stolen.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names three traps that look good on the surface but keep you from real peace and safety. Even a parent can be predatory rather than nurturing — a close blood bond doesn't guarantee you'll find happiness in someone's company, so notice when the relationship itself is harmful, however natural it seems. A trident carved from fragrant sandalwood still pierces, and a shackle made of gold still binds — a prison dressed up in something precious is still a prison, so don't mistake decoration for freedom. And the most dangerous trap of all is pride mixed with real knowledge: even genuine wisdom can pull you down if it comes wrapped in arrogance, because that kind of pride is invisible to the person who has it. Watch for all three — harmful company disguised by closeness, confinement disguised by beauty, and ignorance disguised as wisdom.

मराठी: ही ओवी वरवर चांगल्या वाटणाऱ्या पण खऱ्या सुखापासून आणि सुरक्षिततेपासून दूर नेणाऱ्या तीन सापळ्यांबद्दल सांगते. आई-वडीलसुद्धा माया करणारे नसून शिकारी स्वभावाचे असू शकतात — रक्ताचं नातं असलं तरी त्या नात्यात सुख मिळेलच असं नाही, त्यामुळे नातं कितीही जवळचं वाटलं तरी ते खरंच अपायकारक आहे का हे ओळखा. सुगंधी चंदनाचा त्रिशूळ असला तरी तो टोचतोच, आणि सोन्याची बेडी असली तरी ती बांधतेच — मौल्यवान वस्तूने सजवलेला तुरुंग हा तुरुंगच राहतो, त्यामुळे सजावटीला स्वातंत्र्य समजू नका. आणि सर्वात मोठा आणि अदृश्य सापळा म्हणजे ज्ञानासोबत येणारा गर्व — खरं ज्ञान असूनही त्यासोबत अहंकार असेल तर तेही तुम्हाला बुडवू शकतं, कारण असा गर्व स्वतःलाच दिसत नाही. या तिन्ही सापळ्यांकडे लक्ष ठेवा — जवळिकीच्या वेषातली अपायकारक सोबत, सौंदर्याच्या वेषातलं बंधन, आणि शहाणपणाच्या वेषातला अहंकार.

Where this applies

• Natural-bond doesn't guarantee good-company. Even parents may be predators.
• Decorated-prison is still prison. Sandalwood-trident, gold-shackle.
• Jñānawithgarva-tāṭha drowns. Most-invisible trap.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374 — Rather than scattering devotion among many lesser deities who demand offerings, Tukaram sa
• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2387 — Accept whatever life brings with reverence, and place the burden on God rather than carryi
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is