Abhanga 1703
Laziness is a bad trade that costs you your own capital, so hold on to real effort instead of squandering the same chance others are using well.
The verse
मुदलामध्यें पडे तोटा । ऐसा खोटा उदीम ॥१॥ आणिकांची कां लाज नाहीं । आळसा जिहीं तजिलें ॥ध्रु.॥ एके सांते सरिखीं वित्ते । हानि हित वेगळालीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हित धरा । नव्हे पुरा गांवढाळ ॥३॥
Literal translation
Loss falls in the principal — such bad business. Why no shame toward others — who have abandoned laziness? At one market, equal currency — loss-and-gain separately. Tuka says: hold the hita — don't be a worse rural-rustic.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मुदलामध्यें पडे तोटा | "in the principal — falls loss" |
| ऐसा खोटा उदीम | "such bad — udīma (business)" |
| आणिकांची कां लाज नाहीं | "of others — why no shame" |
| आळसा जिहीं तजिलें | "those — who abandoned laziness" |
| एके सांते सरिखीं वित्ते | "at one market — equal currency" |
| हानि हित वेगळालीं | "loss-and-gain — separately" |
| तुका म्हणे हित धरा | "Tuka says — hold hita" |
| नव्हे पुरा गांवढाळ | "don't be — worse rural-rustic" |
What it means
Anti-laziness-business-loss abhang. Third of 3-abhang anti-self-deception cluster (1701, 1702, 1703).
The principal-loss: mudalā-madhyē paḍē tōṭā — aisā khōṭā udīma — loss falls in the principal — such bad business. Mudala = the principal-capital invested in trade; tōṭā = loss. Such bad-business that even-the-principal is lost.
The shame-by-comparison: āṇikāñcī kām lāja nāhīm — āḷasā jihīm tajilēm — why no shame toward others — who have abandoned laziness? (= don't you feel ashamed seeing-others who have-given-up-laziness and prospered?)
The same-market: ēkē sāntē sarikhīm vittē — hāni hita vēgaḷālīm — at one market, equal currency — loss-and-gain separately. Sāntē = market, fair. Same-market, same-currency, but the result-of-trade is loss-or-gain depending-on-the-trader.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē hita dharā — navhē purā gāmvaḍhāḷa — Tuka says: hold the hita — don't be a worse rural-rustic. Gāmvaḍhāḷa = the rustic-bumpkin / village-fool; purā = complete, full. Hold the good — don't be a worse-than-rural-rustic.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the loss falls right into your own capital — that's how bad this business is. Why aren't you ashamed, seeing others who have given up their laziness and moved ahead? At the very same market, with the very same currency, one trader gains and another loses — it depends on the trader, not the market. Tuka says: hold on to what's good for you, and don't end up worse than the village fool.
मराठी: आजसाठी: तोटा थेट तुझ्या मुद्दलातच होतो — इतका हा वाईट व्यापार आहे. आळस सोडून पुढे गेलेल्या इतरांना पाहून तुला लाज कशी वाटत नाही? त्याच बाजारात, त्याच चलनाने, एकाला नफा होतो आणि दुसऱ्याला तोटा — हे बाजारावर नव्हे तर व्यापाऱ्यावर अवलंबून असते. तुका म्हणतो: जे चांगले आहे ते धरून ठेव, आणि गावढळ मूर्खापेक्षाही वाईट होऊ नकोस.
Where this applies
- When you keep putting off effort and realize you are losing more than just potential gains, you are losing ground you already had
- When you see people around you who worked hard and moved ahead, and you feel a quiet embarrassment but no urge to change
- When you and someone else have had the exact same opportunity, yet they gained from it and you did not
- When you are tempted to coast instead of holding on to the practice or habit that actually benefits you