Abhanga 780
Tukaram calls out a specific kind of self-deception: someone who was already lazy, and then hears a guru's teaching, especially the lofty, non-dual idea that rules and prohibitions don't ultimately matter, and uses that teaching as an excuse to do nothing at all. They can't manage basic discipline or duty, and they dress up their avoidance as wisdom. Tuka doesn't spare them: he calls this person a donkey, someone who just runs after their own whims, mistaking self-indulgence for freedom.
The verse
आधीं च आळशी । वरी गुरूचा उपदेशी ॥१॥ मग त्या कैंची आडकाठी । विधिनिषेधाची भेटी ॥ध्रु.॥ नाचरवे धर्म । न करवे विधिकर्म ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ते गाढव । घेती मनासवें धांव ॥३॥
Literal translation
Ādhī-ci — āḷaśī — on-top — gurū-upadēśa. Then — āḍa-kāṭhī — vidhi-niṣēdha — bhēṭī. Cannot-do — dharma — vidhi-karma. Tuka says: gāḍhava — manā-savē dhāva.
मराठी: आधीं च आळशी — वरी गुरूचा उपदेशी. मग त्या कैंची आडकाठी — विधि-निषेधाची भेटी?. नाचरवे धर्म — न करवे विधि-कर्म. Tuka म्हणे: ते गाढव — घेती मनासवें धांव.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आधीं च आळशी | "ādhī-ci — āḷaśī" |
| वरी गुरूचा उपदेशी | "on-top — gurū-upadēśa" |
| मग त्या कैंची आडकाठी | "then — for-him — āḍa-kāṭhī" |
| विधिनिषेधाची भेटी | "vidhi-niṣēdha — bhēṭī" |
| नाचरवे धर्म | "cannot-do — dharma" |
| न करवे विधिकर्म | "cannot-do — vidhi-karma" |
| ते गाढव | "gāḍhava" |
| घेती मनासवें धांव | "manā-savē dhāva" |
What it means
A already-lazy-with-guru-upadeśa-no-fence-no-vidhi-no-dharma-gāḍhava-runs-after-mind abhang. Anti-lazy-bhakta-misuse register. Three claims:
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आधीं-आळशी — वरी-गुरू-उपदेश — कैंची-आडकाठी — vidhi-niṣēdha-भेटी? Already-lazy-with-guru-no-fence-claim. Already (one is) lazy; and on-top, (he gets) thegurū-upadēśa(the guru's teaching, often the advaiticaham-Brahmaorno-vidhi-niṣēdhadoctrine); then for him, where is theāḍa-kāṭhī(the fence, the boundary-stake)? —the encounter (bhēṭī) of vidhi-niṣēdha?.Already-lazy-now-the-guru's-teaching-removes-the-vidhi-fence. (Tuka warns: when the lazy-person hearsno-vidhi-niṣēdha, he uses-it-as-license.)
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नाचरवे-धर्म — न-करवे-vidhi-karma. No-dharma-no-vidhi-karma-claim. (He) cannot performdharma; cannot dovidhi-karma. No-action-at-all.
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Tuka: ते-गाढव — मनासवें-धांव. Gāḍhava-runs-after-mind-claim. Tuka says:that one is a gāḍhava (donkey, brute);runs (dhāva) after the manas (the mind, whim).Gāḍhava-mind-led.
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram calls out a specific kind of self-deception: someone who was already lazy, and then hears a guru's teaching, especially the lofty, non-dual idea that rules and prohibitions don't ultimately matter, and uses that teaching as an excuse to do nothing at all. They can't manage basic discipline or duty, and they dress up their avoidance as wisdom. Tuka doesn't spare them: he calls this person a donkey, someone who just runs after their own whims, mistaking self-indulgence for freedom.
मराठी: तुकाराम एका विशिष्ट प्रकारच्या आत्मवंचनेवर बोट ठेवतात. जो माणूस आधीच आळशी आहे, आणि नंतर गुरूकडून असा उपदेश ऐकतो, विशेषतः अद्वैताचा तो उच्च विचार की नियम आणि निषेध शेवटी काहीच मानत नाहीत, तो त्या उपदेशाचा वापर काहीही न करण्याचे निमित्त म्हणून करतो. त्याला साधे कर्तव्यही धड पार पाडता येत नाही, आणि तो आपल्या टाळाटाळीला ज्ञानाचा मुलामा चढवतो. तुका त्याला सोडत नाहीत: ते त्याला गाढव म्हणतात, जो फक्त स्वतःच्या मनाच्या लहरींमागे धावतो, स्वैराचाराला स्वातंत्र्य समजून.
Where this applies
- Already-lazy + guru. Misuse.
- Nodharmanovidhi-karma. Result.
- Gāḍhava after mind. Verdict.