Abhanga 1748
A true teacher, like a good doctor, must speak the bitter truth even when it hurts the listener, because comfortable lies only deepen the sickness of attachment.
The verse
बोलविसी माझें मुख । परी या जना वाटे दुःख ॥१॥ जया जयाची आवडी । तया लागीं तें चरफडी ॥ध्रु.॥ कठीण देतां काढा । जल्पे रोगी मेळवी दाढा ॥२॥ खाऊं नये तें चि मागे । निवारितां रडों लागे ॥३॥ वैद्या भीड काय । अतित्याईं जीवें जाय ॥४॥ नये भिडा सांगों आन । पथ्य औषधाकारण ॥५॥ धन माया पुत्र दारा । हे तों आवडी नरका थारा ॥६॥ तुका म्हणे यांत । आवडे ते करा मात ॥७॥
Literal translation
You make my mouth speak — but to these people sorrow appears. Whatever one loves — for that they throb. Giving bitter cure — the sick babbles, joins jaw. Asks for what-shouldn't-be-eaten — cries when prevented. What shame to vaidya — extreme illness can take life. Don't tell otherwise out-of-shame — for pathya-and-medicine's sake. Dhana, māyā, putra, dārā — these longings (are) narka-bound place. Tuka says: among these, what pleases (you) — make speech.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| बोलविसी माझें मुख | "you make my mouth speak" |
| परी या जना वाटे दुःख | "but to these people sorrow appears" |
| जया जयाची आवडी | "whatever (one) loves" |
| तया लागीं तें चरफडी | "for that — they throb (caraphaḍa)" |
| कठीण देतां काढा | "giving bitter cure" |
| जल्पे रोगी मेळवी दाढा | "sick babbles, joins jaw" |
| खाऊं नये तें चि मागे | "asks for what-shouldn't-be-eaten" |
| निवारितां रडों लागे | "cries when prevented" |
| वैद्या भीड काय | "what shame to vaidya" |
| अतित्याईं जीवें जाय | "extreme-illness can take life" |
| नये भिडा सांगों आन | "don't tell different-thing out-of-shame" |
| पथ्य औषधाकारण | "for-pathya-and-medicine's sake" |
| धन माया पुत्र दारा | "dhana, māyā, putra, dārā" |
| हे तों आवडी नरका थारा | "these longings — narka-bound place" |
| तुका म्हणे यांत | "Tuka says — among these" |
| आवडे ते करा मात | "what pleases (you) — (of that) make speech" |
What it means
Vaidya-pathya-bitter-cure-analogy + dhana-māyā-putra-dāra-narka-bound abhang. A 7-verse defense of bitter-spiritual-truth using the vaidya-pathya analogy.
The opening: bōlavisī mājhēm mukha — parī yā janā vāṭē duḥkha — you make my mouth speak — but to these people sorrow appears. The Lord makes Tukaram speak truth; people resent it.
The throb-for-what-loved: jayā jayācī āvaḍī — tayā lāgī tēm caraphaḍī — whatever one loves, they throb for that. People don't want to hear truth-against-their-attachments.
The vaidya-pathya analogy:
- kaṭhīṇa dētām kāḍhā — jalpē rōgī mēḷavī dāḍhā — giving bitter cure (kāḍhā = decoction) — the sick babbles, joins jaw (= scowls).
- khā'ūm nayē tēm chi māgē — nivāritām raḍōm lāgē — asks for what shouldn't be eaten — cries when prevented.
- vaidyā bhīḍa kāya — atityā'īm jīvē jāya — what shame to vaidya — extreme-illness can take life.
- na yē bhiḍā sāngōm āna — pathya auṣadhā-kāraṇa — don't tell otherwise out of shame — for pathya-medicine's sake. (= the doctor must tell-the-bitter-truth even at cost-of-pleasing-the-patient.)
The closing: dhana māyā putra dārā — hē tōm āvaḍī narakā thārā / Tukā mhaṇē yāmta — āvaḍē tē karā māta — dhana, māyā, putra, dārā — these longings, narka-bound place; Tuka says — among these, what pleases (you), say of that. The standard four-narka-bound-attachments: wealth, illusion-attachment, son, wife. Choose among these to listen-to / love — they all lead to narka.
[T]
For someone today
For today: you make my mouth speak the truth, but it brings these people pain to hear it. Whatever someone loves, they flinch when that very thing is challenged, and they refuse to hear the truth about it. Give a sick person bitter medicine and they'll grumble and clench their jaw; forbid them the food that will harm them and they'll cry like a child. Should the doctor feel ashamed of that? No — extreme illness can take a life, so for the sake of the patient's health, the doctor must not soften the truth. Wealth, illusion, children, and family — these attachments are what bind us to suffering; Tuka says: of all these, speak whatever truth is needed, regardless of what pleases.
मराठी: आजसाठी: तू माझ्या मुखातून सत्य बोलवतोस, पण हे ऐकून लोकांना दुःख होते. ज्याला जी गोष्ट प्रिय असते, त्याविषयीचे सत्य ऐकताच तो चरफडतो आणि ते ऐकायला नकार देतो. आजारी माणसाला कडू औषध दिले की तो कुरकुरतो आणि दात आवळतो; जे खाऊ नये ते मागतो आणि नाकारले की लहान मुलासारखा रडतो. यात वैद्याने लाजावे का? नाही — अतिशय आजारपणात जीव जाऊ शकतो, म्हणून औषध आणि पथ्याच्या भल्यासाठी वैद्याने सत्य लपवू नये. धन, माया, पुत्र आणि पत्नी — या आसक्तीच आपल्याला दुःखाच्या खाईत नेतात; तुका म्हणतो: यांतले जे आवडेल त्याविषयी खरे तेच बोला.
Where this applies
- When someone tells you a hard truth about your attachments and your first reaction is anger or hurt rather than reflection
- When you resist good advice the way a sick person refuses bitter medicine and asks for food that will only harm them
- When you're the one who has to tell someone something they don't want to hear, and you're tempted to soften it out of politeness
- When you notice how much of your daily craving and suffering centers on money, family attachment, or the people closest to you