Abhanga 2138
For today: now why examine guṇa-dōṣa — I am a pile of pātakas; samāgama with patita-pāvana — each one's own dharma proceeds; by heavy-blow, iron meets parisa — yet it doesn't change otherwise; Tuka says — who asks for mud free — a piece of musk by association.
The verse
आतां गुण दोष काय विचारिसी । मी तों आहे रासी पातकांची ॥१॥ पतितपावनासवें समागम । अपुलाला धर्म चालवीजे ॥ध्रु.॥ घनघायें भेटी लोखंडपरिसा । तरी अनारिसा न पालटे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे माती कोण पुसे फुका । कस्तुरीच्या तुका समागमें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Now why examine guṇa-dōṣa — I am a pile of pātakas. Samāgama with patita-pāvana — each one's own dharma proceeds. By heavy-blow, iron meets parisa — yet it doesn't change otherwise. Tuka says: who asks for mud free — a piece of musk by association.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आतां गुण दोष काय विचारिसी | "now why examine guṇa-dōṣa" |
| मी तों आहे रासी पातकांची | "I am a pile of pātakas" |
| पतितपावनासवें समागम | "samāgama with patita-pāvana" |
| अपुलाला धर्म चालवीजे | "each one's own dharma proceeds" |
| घनघायें भेटी लोखंडपरिसा | "by heavy-blow, iron meets parisa" |
| तरी अनारिसा न पालटे | "yet it doesn't change otherwise" |
| तुका म्हणे माती कोण पुसे फुका | "Tuka says — who asks for mud free" |
| कस्तुरीच्या तुका समागमें | "a piece of musk by association" |
What it means
I'm-pile-of-pātakas + patita-pāvana-by-association-iron-meets-parisa abhang.
The opening — self-condemnation: ātām guṇa dōṣa kāya vichārisī — mī tōm āhē rāsī pātakāñchī — now why examine guṇa-dōṣa — I am a pile of pātakas. No-use examining-virtues; I'm-a-pile-of-sins.
The dharma-of-each: patita-pāvanāsavē samāgama — apulālā dharma chālavījē — samāgama with patita-pāvana — each one's own dharma proceeds. Meeting the-patita-pāvana (purifier-of-fallen) — each-one's-own-dharma proceeds: the patita-pāvana purifies; the patita is-purified; both-fulfill-their-dharma.
THE IRON-PARISA + MUSK IMAGES: ghana-ghāyē bhēṭī lōhaṇḍa-parisā — tarī anārisā na pālaṭē — Tukā mhaṇē mātī kōṇa pusē phukā — kasturīcyā tukā samāgamē — by heavy-blow, iron meets parisa — yet it doesn't change otherwise — Tuka says: who asks for mud free — a piece of musk by association. The iron must-be-struck-hard to-meet-parisa, but-by-the-meeting-becomes-gold; even-a-piece-of-mud, associated-with-musk, is-asked-for-eagerly. Two parallel images of-bhakti-association-elevating-the-low.
[T]
For someone today
For today: now why examine guṇa-dōṣa — I am a pile of pātakas; samāgama with patita-pāvana — each one's own dharma proceeds; by heavy-blow, iron meets parisa — yet it doesn't change otherwise; Tuka says — who asks for mud free — a piece of musk by association.
Where this applies
- When you feel too flawed or sinful to deserve grace and want to give up trying
- When you doubt that self-improvement through willpower alone will ever be enough
- When you wonder whether spending time with good, purifying company can actually change who you are
- When you feel worthless like a bit of mud, but sense that the right association could make you valued