Abhanga 2084

Clear the tangles, walk the good path slowly and steadily, follow the tracks of those who came before, judge a leader by their full record, and finish what you promise all the way to the end.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Take-good-path-slowly + follow-prior-tracks + speech-filled-to-the-end abhang.

The opening: sārāvīm ligāḍē dharāvā supantha — jāvē usantīta haḷū-haḷū — ward off the tangles — take the good-path — go on the easy-stretch slowly-slowly. Set-aside the tangles; take-the-good-path (supantha); travel slowly-slowly on-the-easy-stretch (usantīta). Patient pilgrim's-counsel.

The prior-tracks: puḍhē jātiyāchē umaṭalē māga — bhāmbāvalē jaga āḍa-rānē — the tracks of those gone before — the world (gets) confused in cross-forests. Saints have-left tracks; the world gets-confused in-cross-forests (off-path). Follow-the-saints' tracks.

The leader: vēchalyāchā pāhē vara-vari jhāḍā — baḷāchā nidhaḍā puḍhiliyā — examine the accounts top-to-bottom — the (truly)-strong is the leader. Check-the-accounts-thoroughly; the truly-strong is-the-true-leader.

The closing — speech-filled-to-end: Tukā mhaṇē jaisī dākhavāvī vāṇī — tē dyāvī bharōnī śēvaṭa tōm — Tuka says: as the speech is shown — give it filled to the end. As-the-speech-promises (vāṇī = teaching), fulfill-it filled-to-the-very-end — don't-half-do it.

[T]

For someone today

For today: ward off the tangles — take the good-path — go on the easy-stretch slowly-slowly; the tracks of those gone before — the world gets confused in cross-forests; examine the accounts top-to-bottom — the truly-strong is the leader; Tuka says — as the speech is shown — give it filled to the end.

Where this applies

• When you feel the urge to rush forward on a new path instead of walking it slowly and steadily
• When you are choosing whom to follow as a guide or leader and are tempted to judge by appearance alone
• When you notice others around you wandering off track without any clear direction and feel confused yourself
• When you have made a promise or started teaching something and feel like quitting before it is finished

Related verses

• Abhanga 4273 — If your time, money, and attention flow easily to everything except God and genuine goodne
• Abhanga 4275 — Holiness comes from devotion, not birth: saints have risen from every caste, trade, and re
• Abhanga 3131 — Tukaram teaches that honoring people whose love for God is steady and whole hearted, even
• Abhanga 3507 — True honesty means admitting when your inner life still does not match your outer appearan