Abhanga 1967

Tuka condemns gossip that hunts for a good person's faults, comparing it to unfair harassment, and says such conspiratorial talk deserves to be destroyed.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Sharp-condemnation-of-saint-fault-finders abhang. SHIFT IN TONE — from the welcoming/devotional cluster, Tukārām pivots to a sharp-rebuke-mode.

The opening insult: chāhāḍāchī mātā — vyabhichāriṇa tatvatā — the gossip's mother — adulteress in essence. Chāhāḍa = gossip, slander. The very mother-of-gossip is fundamentally-adulterous — Tukārām's strongest-form of condemnation: gossip is born-of-an-adulterous-source.

The fault-finding: pāhē santāmchē uṇē — chidra chaḷāvayā sunē — looks for saints' shortcomings — finds holes to harass — the daughter-in-law. Sunē = daughter-in-law (the proverbially-harassed figure in patriarchal-household). The gossip looks-for-saints'-shortcomings like-a-harassing-mother-in-law looks-for-holes-in-the-daughter-in-law.

The slipped-tongue: jēṇōm tyāchyā vāchē — kāhīm sōḍilē gāṭhīchē — by whose tongue — something untied from the purse. From-whose-tongue something-leaks (= secret-revealed) — the loose-tongue spills.

The closing-curse: Tukā mhaṇē ghāta — hvāvā aisī jōḍī māta — Tuka says: destruction — should be — such joining-of-words. Ghāta = destruction; jōḍī māta = joining-of-words (= conspiratorial-talk). Such conspiratorial-gossip-talk should-meet-destruction — Tukārām's sharpest-mode.

This is a shift-of-tone — from welcoming/longing to sharp-rebuke. Suggests a new theme begins here: defending-the-saints-against-detractors (a recurring Tukārām theme).

[T]

For someone today

For today: the gossip's mother — adulteress in essence; looks for saints' shortcomings — finds holes to harass — the daughter-in-law; by whose tongue — something untied from the purse; Tuka says — destruction — should be — such joining-of-words.

Where this applies

• When you catch yourself nitpicking someone's flaws instead of appreciating their good qualities
• When you're tempted to repeat gossip or a secret that isn't yours to share
• When you notice someone in your family or community constantly criticizing another person unfairly
• When you want to defend someone respected who is being unfairly targeted by rumor

Related verses

• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 4273 — If your time, money, and attention flow easily to everything except God and genuine goodne
• Abhanga 2403 — For today: people change as one approaches the Lord; now beautiful are those feet, my Moth