Abhanga 2189
The essence within everyone is the same, so cut away thorn-like, corrupting influences and sit only in the company of people who match your true nature.
The verse
ऐका जी संतजन । सादर मन करूनि ॥१॥ सकळांचें सार एक । कंटक ते तजावे ॥ध्रु.॥ विशेषता कांद्याहूनि । सेवित्या घाणी आगळी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ज्याची जोडी । ते परवडी बैसीजे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Listen, O saints — with respectful mind. The essence of all is one — thorns are to be rejected. [The durjana is] special more-than onion — the stink-on-tasting is greater. Tuka says: whose pair — [should] sit in that company.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐका जी संतजन | "listen, O saints" |
| सादर मन करूनि | "making the mind respectful" |
| सकळांचें सार एक | "the essence of all is one" |
| कंटक ते तजावे | "thorns — those are to be rejected" |
| विशेषता कांद्याहूनि | "[the durjana is] special more-than onion" |
| सेवित्या घाणी आगळी | "the stink-on-tasting is greater" |
| तुका म्हणे ज्याची जोडी | "Tuka says — whose pair" |
| ते परवडी बैसीजे | "[should] sit in that company" |
What it means
Thorns-be-rejected + worse-than-onion-stink-on-tasting abhang. Continues 2188's durjana-critique, now addressed to the saint-circle.
The opening — address-to-saints: aikā jī santa-jana — sādara mana karūni — listen, O saints — making the mind respectful. Direct-address to the-saints: please-listen with-attentive-mind.
The essence-and-thorns: sakaḷāñchē sāra ēka — kaṇṭaka tē tajāvē — the essence of all is one — thorns are to be rejected. The essence-of-all (= the Lord) is-one; thorns (= the durjana-elements) are-to-be-rejected.
The onion-stink image: viśēṣatā kāndyāhūni — sēvityā ghāṇī āgaḷī — [the durjana is] special more-than onion — the stink-on-tasting is greater. Kāndā = onion. Sēvityā = on-eating, on-using. Ghāṇī = stink, foul-smell. Āgaḷī = greater, surpassing. More-distinctive than-onion (which is-itself-rejected-in-bhakti-cuisine for-its-strong-smell); the durjana's stink-on-tasting is-even-greater. (= bhakti-cuisine rejects-onion-and-garlic for-strong-rajasic-smell; the durjana is-worse-than-onion in-this-respect.)
The closing — like-for-like company: Tukā mhaṇē jyāchī jōḍī — tē paravaḍī baisījē — Tuka says: whose pair — [should] sit in that company. Jōḍī = pair, match. Paravaḍī = company, set, suitable-row. Whose-pair — should-sit in-that-company. (= like-attracts-like; the-durjana sits with-the-durjana, the-sant with-the-sant.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: listen, O saints — with respectful mind; essence of all is one — thorns to be rejected; [durjana] special more-than onion — stink-on-tasting is greater; Tuka says — whose pair — sit in that company.
Where this applies
- When you're choosing which friends or community to spend most of your time with.
- When you keep excusing a draining or toxic relationship because ending it feels difficult.
- When you notice a habit or influence in your life that quietly spoils everything else around it, like onion in a dish it doesn't belong in.
- When you're building a supportive or spiritual circle and wondering who truly belongs in it.