Abhanga 1776
You can tell good character from bad by whether someone's words are true, their feeling is real, they actually help others, and they respect what deserves respect.
The verse
सज्जन तो शब्द सत्य जो मानी । छळी दुर्जन आणिकांसी ॥१॥ एक गुण तो केला दोंठायीं । ज्याचा त्यास पाहीं जैसा तैसा ॥ध्रु.॥ भाविक शब्द बोले वाणीचा । लटिका वाचा वाचाळ तो ॥२॥ परउपकार घडे तो भला । नाठ्याळ तया दया नाहीं ॥३॥ जाणीवंत तो पायरी जाणे । अधम तो नेणे खुंट जैसा ॥४॥ हित तें अनहित केलें कैसें । तुका म्हणे पिसें लागलें यास ॥५॥
Literal translation
The sajjana holds the word as truth — the durjana mocks others. One-quality, placed in two — to each as he is. The bhāvika speaks the word of the vāṇī — lying-vacuous-speech is that vācāḷa. Para-upakāra occurs in him — that one is the bhalā — the nāṭhyāḷa has no compassion. The jāṇīvanta knows the gradation — the adhama doesn't know, like a stake. The hita made into anhita — how? Tuka says: madness has caught him.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सज्जन तो शब्द सत्य जो मानी | "the sajjana — the one who — holds the word as truth" |
| छळी दुर्जन आणिकांसी | "mocks / oppresses — the durjana — others" |
| एक गुण तो केला दोंठायीं | "one-quality — was placed — in two-places" |
| ज्याचा त्यास पाहीं जैसा तैसा | "to-each-his-own — as he is" |
| भाविक शब्द बोले वाणीचा | "the bhāvika — speaks the word — of the vāṇī" |
| लटिका वाचा वाचाळ तो | "lying-vacuous-speech — vācāḷa (= chatterbox) is that" |
| परउपकार घडे तो भला | "para-upakāra — occurs — that one is the bhalā (= the good)" |
| नाठ्याळ तया दया नाहीं | "the nāṭhyāḷa (= the wicked-stiff) — to him — no compassion" |
| जाणीवंत तो पायरी जाणे | "the jāṇīvanta (knowing-one) — knows the gradation (pāyarī)" |
| अधम तो नेणे खुंट जैसा | "the adhama — doesn't know — like a stake (khuṇṭa)" |
| हित तें अनहित केलें कैसें | "the hita — into anhita — how-was-it-made?" |
| तुका म्हणे पिसें लागलें यास | "Tuka says — piśē (madness) — has caught — him" |
What it means
Sajjana-vs-durjana-taxonomy abhang. A systematic, parallel-construction social-typology: four pairs of contrasted character-types, with diagnosis at the end.
Pair 1 — sajjana / durjana: sajjana tō śabda satya jō mānī — chaḷī durjana āṇikānsī — the sajjana holds the word as truth — the durjana mocks others. Sajjana takes the word seriously (= acts on what is said as if it were true); durjana uses words to mock-others. Speech-as-truth-vs-speech-as-mockery.
Frame: ēka guṇa tō kēlā dōm-ṭhāyīm — jyācā tyāsa pāhīm jaisā taisā — one-quality, placed in two — to each as he is. The same human-quality (= speech) manifests differently in different recipients — each gets-from-it-what-his-nature-is-prepared-for.
Pair 2 — bhāvika / laṭikā-vācā: bhāvika śabda bōlē vāṇīcā — laṭikā vācā vācāḷa tō — the bhāvika speaks the word of the vāṇī — the lying-vacuous-speech is the vācāḷa. Bhāvika = one with bhāva (devotional-feeling); vāṇīcā = of-the-vāṇī (= the inner-speech-faculty / Sarasvatī); laṭikā vācā = false / hollow speech; vācāḷa = chatterbox. Bhāvika-speech-from-the-source vs. hollow-chatterbox-speech.
Pair 3 — bhalā / nāṭhyāḷa: para-upakāra ghaḍē tō bhalā — nāṭhyāḷa tayā dayā nāhīm — para-upakāra occurs in him — that one is the bhalā; the nāṭhyāḷa has no compassion. Para-upakāra = the doing-of-others'-good; bhalā = good (man); nāṭhyāḷa = the wicked-stiff (= one without softness); dayā = compassion. Bhalā-marked-by-para-upakāra-and-dayā vs. nāṭhyāḷa-without-dayā.
Pair 4 — jāṇīvanta / adhama: jāṇīvanta tō pāyarī jāṇē — adhama tō nēṇē khuṇṭa jaisā — the jāṇīvanta knows the gradation — the adhama doesn't know, like a stake. Pāyarī = step, rung (= the gradation of social-and-spiritual-rank); khuṇṭa = a stake / pillar (= unmoving, dumb). The-knowing-one-respects-the-gradation; the-adhama-is-like-a-stake (= insensible, fixed).
Closing diagnosis: hita tēm anahita kēlēm kaisēm — Tukā mhaṇē pisēm lāgalēm yāsa — the hita made into anhita — how? Tuka says: madness has caught him. The durjana / vācāḷa / nāṭhyāḷa / adhama all together demonstrate the human-capacity to take what-is-good-for-them and turn-it-into-its-opposite; the only diagnosis: piśē (madness) has caught him. (= the durjana's behavior is itself a form of madness.)
This abhang is a classic-example of Tuka's social-typology-abhangs: parallel-construction, folk-clarity, clinical-diagnosis. Plain-speaking ethics for everyday-life.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the sajjana holds the word as truth — the durjana mocks others; one-quality split into two receivers — to each as he is; the bhāvika speaks the word of the vāṇī — lying-hollow-speech is the chatterbox; para-upakāra occurs in him — that one is good — the nāṭhyāḷa has no compassion; the jāṇīvanta knows the gradation — the adhama is like a stake; Tuka says — when the hita is made anhita — madness has caught him.
Where this applies
- When you are trying to figure out whether someone's kind words are genuine or just mockery in disguise
- When you meet someone who talks a lot but whose words never lead to real action or help
- When you want a simple way to judge character by whether someone actually helps others
- When you notice yourself turning something good for you into something that harms you, and wonder why