संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1703 of 4582

Abhanga 1703

English: Loss falls in the principal — such bad business.

When you'd shame the lazy by business-comparison — loss-in-principal-bad-business; same-market-different-result; hold-hita-don't-be-rustic

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

English: 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 principalfalls loss"
ऐसा खोटा उदीम "such badudīma (business)"
आणिकांची कां लाज नाहीं "of otherswhy no shame"
आळसा जिहीं तजिलें "thosewho abandoned laziness"
एके सांते सरिखीं वित्ते "at one marketequal currency"
हानि हित वेगळालीं "loss-and-gainseparately"
तुका म्हणे हित धरा "Tuka says — hold hita"
नव्हे पुरा गांवढाळ "don't beworse 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 udīmaloss 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 tajilēmwhy 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 vēgaḷālīmat 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 gāmvaḍhāḷaTuka 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 in the principal-capital — such a bad business; why have you no shame toward those others who have abandoned laziness?; at one and the same market, with equal currency — loss and gain happen separately (depending on the trader); Tuka says — hold the good — don't be a worse-than-village-rustic.

Where this applies

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