संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1749 of 4582

Abhanga 1749

For today: the faithful-wife has joy in her mind hearing of fidelity; the loose-woman is pierced by hearing of unfaithfulness — let the inner-secret burn, let fire come — purity is good in the world; the conduct-following-tradition has joy; the unrestrained has sorrow; the brave has joy in body; the weak meets death on the occasion; pure gold shines in fire; the inferior runs and takes-on other colors; Tuka says — that very is the diamond — fully proven only by the heavy blow.

When you'd extol purity-shines-in-test — pati-vratā-vs-cindaḷa; ācāra-śīla-vs-anargaḷā; brave-vs-gāṇḍhavyā; gold-in-fire-shines; diamond-by-heavy-blow

The verse

पतिव्रते आनंद मनीं । सिंदळ खोंचे व्यभिचारवचनीं ॥१॥ जळो वर्म लागो आगी । शुद्धपण भलें जगीं ॥ध्रु.॥ सुख पुराणीं आचारशीळा । दुःख वाटे अनर्गळा ॥२॥ शूरा उल्हास अंगीं । गांढव्या मरण ते प्रसंगीं ॥३॥ शुद्ध सोनें उजळे अगि । हीन काळें धांवे रंगीं ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे तो चि हिरा । घनघायें निवडे पुरा ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: Pati-vratā — ānanda in mind; cindaḷa — pierced by vyabhicāra-vacana. Let the secret burn, let fire come — śuddha-paṇa is good in world. Sukha to purāṇa-ācāra-śīla — duḥkha to anargaḷā. Ulhāsa to brave in body — death-on-occasion to gāṇḍhavyā. Pure gold shines in fire — inferior runs in (other) colors. Tuka says: that very is the diamond — fully proven by heavy-blow.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
पतिव्रते आनंद मनीं "pati-vratāānanda in mind"
सिंदळ खोंचे व्यभिचारवचनीं "cindaḷapiercedby vyabhicāra-vacana"
जळो वर्म लागो आगी "let secret burnlet fire come"
शुद्धपण भलें जगीं "śuddha-paṇagood in world"
सुख पुराणीं आचारशीळा "sukha to purāṇa-ācāra-śīla"
दुःख वाटे अनर्गळा "duḥkha to anargaḷā"
शूरा उल्हास अंगीं "to braveulhāsa in body"
गांढव्या मरण ते प्रसंगीं "to gāṇḍhavyādeath-on-occasion"
शुद्ध सोनें उजळे अगि "pure goldshines in fire"
हीन काळें धांवे रंगीं "inferiorrunsin (other) colors"
तुका म्हणे तो चि हिरा "Tuka says — that very is the diamond"
घनघायें निवडे पुरा "by heavy-blowfully proven"

What it means

Dialectical-pair-list-purity-shines-in-test abhang. A 5-verse cluster of dialectical-pairs showing real-quality-revealed-under-test.

Pair 1: pati-vratā / cindaḷathe faithful-wife has ānanda in mind hearing of pati-vratā-talk; the loose-woman is pierced by hearing-of-vyabhicāra-talk (= her own conduct). Conduct determines reaction-to-words.

Principle: jaḷō varma lāgō āgī — śuddha-paṇa bhalēm jagīmlet the (inner-)secret burn, let fire come — śuddha-paṇa is good in world. Even-if-tested-by-fire, purity-is-good.

Pair 2: purāṇa-ācāra-śīla / anargaḷāthe conduct-following-tradition has sukha; the unrestrained has duḥkha.

Pair 3: brave / gāṇḍhavyāthe brave have ulhāsa in body; the weak meet death-on-occasion.

Pair 4: pure gold / inferiorpure gold shines in fire; inferior takes-on-other-colors (= shows-its-impurity).

Closing: Tukā mhaṇē tō chi hīrā — ghana-ghāyē nivaḍē purāTuka says: that very is the diamond — fully proven by heavy-blow. The diamond is recognized by surviving the heavy-blow (= the test of breaking other-stones).

[T]

For someone today

For today: the faithful-wife has joy in her mind hearing of fidelity; the loose-woman is pierced by hearing of unfaithfulness — let the inner-secret burn, let fire come — purity is good in the world; the conduct-following-tradition has joy; the unrestrained has sorrow; the brave has joy in body; the weak meets death on the occasion; pure gold shines in fire; the inferior runs and takes-on other colors; Tuka says — that very is the diamond — fully proven only by the heavy blow.

Where this applies

Related verses