Abhanga 325
This abhang names the anti-essentialist jāti claim:
The verse
गहूं एकजाती । परी त्या पाधाणी नासिती ॥१॥ वर्म जाणावें तें सार । कोठें काय थोडें फार ॥ध्रु.॥ कमाईच्या सारें । जाति दाविती प्रकार ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मोल । गुणा मिथ्या फिके बोल ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Wheat (is) eka-jāti — but the pādhāṇī — ruin (it). Know the varma — the sāra — where, what, little or great. By the sāra of kamāī — the jāti shows the prakāra. Tuka says: mola for guṇa — mithyā fīkē-bola.
मराठी: गहूं एकजाती — परी त्या पाधाणी नासिती. वर्म जाणावें तें सार — कोठें काय थोडें फार. कमाईच्या सारें — जाति दाविती प्रकार. तुकाराम म्हणतां — मोल — गुणा — मिथ्या फिके बोल.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| गहूं एकजाती | "wheat (is) eka-jāti (one-class)" |
| परी त्या पाधाणी नासिती | "but the pādhāṇī (stone-mixed-ones) — ruin (it)" |
| वर्म जाणावें तें सार | "know the varma — the sāra**" |
| कोठें काय थोडें फार | "where, what, little or great" |
| कमाईच्या सारें | "by the sāra of kamāī (cultivation / effort)" |
| जाति दाविती प्रकार | "the jāti shows the prakāra**" |
| मोल गुणा मिथ्या फिके बोल | "mola (price) for guṇa — mithyā fīkē-bola**" |
What it means
A short anti-essentialist jāti abhang. Three claims:
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गहूं एकजाती — परी त्या पाधाणी नासिती — wheat is one jāti — but pādhāṇī ruin it. The opening-image. Wheat is one-class (= one-essence as grain). But the pādhāṇī (those that have stones-mixed-in) — ruin (the harvest / the use). Same source, different result by impurity-mixing. (Compare 288's jewels and stones from one quarry.)
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वर्म जाणावें तें सार — कोठें काय थोडें फार — know the varma, the sāra — where, what, little or great. Discrimination requires varma-knowledge. Where the wheat is, where the pādhāṇī is, how much, in what quantity. Quantitative-and-qualitative discrimination required.
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कमाईच्या सारें — जाति दाविती प्रकार — by the sāra of kamāī — the jāti shows the prakāra. The radical claim. By the kamāī (cultivation / effort / labor), the jāti shows its prakāra (varieties / shapes). Reading: the kamāī (effort, what is done) determines what prakāra the jāti shows. Jāti is not fixed-essence-by-birth; jāti shows its prakāra by what is cultivated. (This is anti-essentialist: the same jāti can show as wheat or as pādhāṇī by what is cultivated.)
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तुका म्हणे मोल — गुणा — मिथ्या फिके बोल — mola for guṇa — mithyā fīkē-bola. The closing-claim. Mola (value / price) is for guṇa (quality) — not for mithyā fīkē-bola (false-insipid-words). Real-quality has value; insipid-words don't. (Compare 289's bahu-tomḍē vācāḷa = root of laṭikēm; same critique.)
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the anti-essentialist jāti claim:
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Wheat is one source, but pādhāṇī can ruin it. Gahūm eka-jāti — pādhāṇī nāśitī. Same-essence at the source does not guarantee uniform-result. The mixing-of-impurity ruins the harvest. (This is both anti-essentialist and recognition-of-corruption: the source is one, but the result differs by what gets mixed in.)
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Discrimination requires varma-knowledge: where, what, how much. Varma jāṇāvē tē sāra — kōṭhē kāya thōḍē fāra. Quantitative-and-qualitative discrimination. Don't assume uniform-quality from same-source; check where, what, how much.
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The jāti shows its prakāra by kamāī. Kamāīcyā sārē — jāti dāvitī prakāra. This is the radical-claim. Jāti is not a birth-fixed identity; jāti is what shows-up by cultivation. Same jāti can show as wheat or as pādhāṇī by what is cultivated. (Compare 258's anti-purity-of-origin — anyone can be saved by anutāpa-with-hari-smaraṇa; same anti-essentialist spirit applied to jāti.)
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Mola for guṇa, not for mithyā fīkē-bola. Real-quality has value; insipid-words don't. The value-axis is guṇa, not external-form-or-words.
For today: don't assume uniform-quality from same-source; check the where-what-how-much; recognize that jāti shows its prakāra by kamāī (not by birth-essence alone); value guṇa, not fīkē-bola.
This abhang is important for understanding Tukaram's jāti-frame: anti-essentialist. The same human-jāti can show as bhakta or as adhama by kamāī. (Compare 245's upadeśa-from-any-hand; 258's anti-purity-of-origin; 320's kuṇabī-saved-from-dambha.)
मराठी: ही ओवी anti-essentialist jāti claim नाव सांगते:
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गहू एक source, पण pādhāṇī ruin करू शकतं. गहूं एकजाती — पाधाणी नासिती. Source ला same-essence uniform-result guarantee करत नाही. Impurity-mixing harvest ruin करते.
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Discrimination ला varma-knowledge: कुठे, काय, किती. वर्म जाणावें तें सार — कोठें काय थोडें फार. Quantitative-and-qualitative discrimination. Same-source-ने uniform-quality समजू नका; कुठे, काय, किती check करा.
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Kamāī ने jāti आपलं prakāra दाखवते. कमाईच्या सारें — जाति दाविती प्रकार. Radical-claim. Jāti birth-fixed identity नाही; jāti cultivation ने show-up होतं. Same jāti wheat किंवा pādhāṇī म्हणून show होऊ शकतं cultivation ने.
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मोल guṇa साठी, mithyā fīkē-bola साठी नाही. Real-quality ला value; insipid-words ला नाही. Value-axis guṇa, external-form-or-words नाही.
आज: Same-source-ने uniform-quality गृहीत धरू नका; कुठे-काय-किती check करा; jāti आपलं prakāra kamāī ने दाखवते (फक्त birth-essence ने नाही) ओळखा; guṇa value करा, fīkē-bola नाही.
ही ओवी Tukaram च्या jāti-frame समजायला महत्त्वाची: anti-essentialist. Same human-jāti bhakta किंवा adhama म्हणून show होऊ शकतं kamāī ने.
Where this applies
- One source, pādhāṇī can ruin. Same-essence ≠ uniform-result.
- Varma-knowledge: where, what, how much. Discrimination required.
- Jāti shows prakāra by kamāī. Anti-essentialist.
- Mola for guṇa, not for fīkē-bola. Value-axis is quality.