संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1558 of 4582

Abhanga 1558

For today: saints have no relish for honor — but disgrace falls on the disgracer; don't go to that place if you're weak — your own loss happens; the bhāva-less have apprehension blocking the fitting action; don't go where the darshan-encounter causes you awkwardness.

When you'd avoid disgracing-saints by your own un-readiness — saints don't need honor but disgrace falls on disgracer; don't go where awkwardness arises

The verse

संतांसी तों नाहीं सन्मानाची चाड । परि पडे द्वाड अव्हेरितो ॥१॥ म्हणऊनि तया न वजावें ठाया । होतसे घात या दुर्बळाचा ॥ध्रु.॥ भावहीना आड येतसे आशंका । उचितासी चुका घालावया ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जया संकोच दर्शनें । तया ठाया जाणें अनुचित ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: To saints, no cāḍa for sanmāna — but dvāḍa falls on the avhērita. Therefore, don't go to that ṭhāya — happens ghāta of this durbaḷa. To bhāva-hīna, āśankā comes āḍ — to miss ucita. Tuka says: to whom darśana causes sankōca — going to that ṭhāya is anucita.

मराठी: संतांसी — तों — नाहीं — सन्मानाची — चाड; — परि — पडे — द्वाड — अव्हेरितो. म्हणऊनि — तया — न — वजावें — ठाया; — होतसे — घात — या — दुर्बळाचा. भाव-हीना — आड — येतसे — आशंका; — उचितासी — चुका — घालावया. Tukā म्हणे — जया — संकोच — दर्शनें; — तया — ठाया — जाणें — अनुचित.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
संतांसी तों नाहीं सन्मानाची चाड "to samtas — cāḍa (relish) — for sanmāna (honor) — there is none"
परि पडे द्वाड अव्हेरितो "butfallsdvāḍa (disgrace) — (one who) disregards (avhērita)"
म्हणऊनि तया न वजावें ठाया "therefore — to that ṭhāya (place) — should not go"
होतसे घात या दुर्बळाचा "happensghāta (loss) — of this durbaḷa (weak one)"
भावहीना आड येतसे आशंका "to bhāva-hīnaāśankā (apprehension) — comes in the way"
उचितासी चुका घालावया "to missucita (fitting)"
तुका म्हणे जया संकोच दर्शनें "Tuka says — to whom — darśana — (causes) sankōca (awkwardness)"
तया ठाया जाणें अनुचित "to that place — going — is anucita (improper)"

What it means

Saints-don't-need-honor-but-disgrace-falls-on-disgracer abhang. The opening: samtāmsī tōm nāhīm sanmānācī cāḍa — parī paḍē dvāḍa avhēritōto samtas — there is no cāḍa — for sanmāna (honor); — but — fallsdvāḍa (disgrace) — (on the one who) disregards/insults. Saints have no taste for honor; but disgrace falls on the disgracer. (Pithy formulation: the saint-not-needing but the disrespecter-pays-the-price*.)

The avoidance-counsel: mhaṇa'ūnī tayā na vajāvēm ṭhāyā — hōtasē ghāta yā durbaḷācātherefore — to that placeshould not go; — happensghāta (loss) — of this durbaḷa (= weak one). If your bhāva is weak, don't go where saints are — your own loss happens.

The bhāva-less-block: bhāva-hīnā āḍa yētasē āśankā — ucitāsī cukā ghālāvayāto the bhāva-lessāśankā (apprehension) — comes in the way; — to missucita (= the fitting / appropriate). Apprehension blocks the bhāva-less from doing what's fitting.

The closing: jayā sankōca darśanē — tayā ṭhāyā jāṇē anucitato whom — darśana — causes sankōca (= awkwardness / tension); — to that ṭhāya — going — is anucita (improper). If meeting-saints causes you awkwardness, don't go there. (= self-protective-counsel: avoid creating anucita-situation.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: saints have no relish for honor — but disgrace falls on the disgracer; don't go to that place if you're weak — your own loss happens; the bhāva-less have apprehension blocking the fitting action; don't go where the darshan-encounter causes you awkwardness.

Where this applies

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