Abhanga 1428
A true guru is known by refusing service from students, by teaching that actually bears fruit, and by genuine indifference to bodily comfort.
The verse
शिष्यांची जो नेघे सेवा । मानी देवासारिखें ॥१॥ त्याचा फळे उपदेश । आणिकां दोष उफराटे ॥ध्रु.॥ त्याचें खरें ब्रम्हज्ञान । उदासीन देहभावीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सत्य सांगें । योत रागें येती ते ॥३॥
Literal translation
The (guru) who does not take śiṣyas' sēvā — count like Deva. His upadēśa bears fruit — others' dōṣa get upended. His Brahma-jñāna is kharēm — udāsīna in dēha-bhāva. Tuka says: I tell the satya — they will come in rāga.
मराठी: शिष्यांची — जो — नेघे — सेवा; — मानी — देवासारिखें. त्याचा — फळे — उपदेश; — आणिकां — दोष — उफराटे. त्याचें — खरें — ब्रम्हज्ञान; — उदासीन — देहभावीं. Tukā म्हणे — सत्य — सांगें; — योत — रागें — येती — ते.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| शिष्यांची जो नेघे सेवा | "of śiṣyas — who (jō) — does not take (nēghē) — sēvā" |
| मानी देवासारिखें | "count (mānī) — like Deva (Devā-sārikhēm)" |
| त्याचा फळे उपदेश | "his upadēśa — bears fruit (phaḷē)" |
| आणिकां दोष उफराटे | "(of) others (āṇikām) — dōṣa (faults) — upharāṭē (= reverse / get upended)" |
| त्याचें खरें ब्रम्हज्ञान | "his Brahma-jñāna — is kharēm (true)" |
| उदासीन देहभावीं | "udāsīna (= indifferent / disengaged) — in dēha-bhāva (body-state)" |
| तुका म्हणे सत्य सांगें | "Tuka says — I tell satya" |
| योत रागें येती ते | "those (te) — will come (yētī) — yōta (= as such, intensifier) — in rāga (anger)" |
What it means
True-guru-doesn't-take-disciple-service abhang. A devastating guru-test. The opening: śiṣyāñcī jō nēghē sēvā — mānī Devā-sārikhēm — the (guru) who does not takesēvā(service) fromśiṣyas — countlike Deva. The negative-criterion: a real guru does NOT extract service from disciples; if a guru refuses śiṣya-sēvā, count him as Deva. (Inverse of the usual guru-as-deserver-of-sēvā trope; Tuka turns it inside out.)
The fruit-test: tyācā phaḷē upadēśa — āṇikām dōṣa upharāṭē — hisupadēśa—bears fruit(phaḷē); —others'—dōṣa(faults) —upharāṭē(= get upended / reverse). His upadēśa actually gives results; — meanwhile, the others' faults get exposed-by-reversal. (= the real-guru's-upadēśa-works, the fake-gurus'-defects-stand-out-in-contrast.)
The Brahma-jñāna-criterion: tyācēm kharēm Brahma-jñāna — udāsīna dēha-bhāvīm — hisBrahma-jñāna— iskharēm(true); —udāsīna(= indifferent / disengaged) — in thedēha-bhāva(body-state). The kharā-Brahma-jñānī's mark: udāsīna in dēha-bhāva — indifferent toward the body-state (not body-honoring, not body-pampering, not body-fearing). (= the true-jñāna-test is body-indifference, not speech-fluency.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē satya sāngēm — yōta rāgēm yētī tē — Tuka says — I tell thesatya; — they will come inrāga(anger). I'm telling the truth — those who fail this test will come at me in anger. (Same-genre as 1404's anti-fake-renouncer — the truth provokes the fakes to anger.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: the guru who refuses śiṣya-service is Deva; his upadēśa bears fruit; his Brahma-jñāna is true (he is udāsīna in body-state); telling this truth angers the fakes.
Where this applies
- When you are choosing a teacher, mentor, or guide and want a real way to test their sincerity
- When a teacher or leader asks too much personal service or deference from those who follow them
- When you notice someone's advice actually produces results, unlike the empty talk of others around them
- When you speak an uncomfortable truth about a fraud and brace yourself for their anger