Abhanga 2194
A person who refuses to give up their faults and answers honest guidance with anger stays stuck, like a dead stump that can never send out a new shoot.
The verse
कुतर्याऐसें ज्याचें जिणें । संग कोणी न करीजे ॥१॥ जाय तिकडे हाडहाडी । गोर्हावाडी च सोइरीं ॥ध्रु.॥ अवगुणांचा त्याग नाहीं । खवळे पाहीं उपदेशें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कैंची लवी । ठेंग्या केवीं अंकुर ॥३॥
Literal translation
Whose jiṇē is like a dog's — no one makes sanga. Wherever he goes — bone-after-bone (driven-away) — only with the cattle-fold are his relatives. No tyāga of avaguṇas — seeing upadēśa, he gets aroused [angry]. Tuka says: whence a sprout — how a shoot from a stump?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कुतर्याऐसें ज्याचें जिणें | "whose jiṇē is like a dog's" |
| संग कोणी न करीजे | "no one makes sanga (company)" |
| जाय तिकडे हाडहाडी | "wherever he goes — bone-after-bone (= 'haḍ-haḍ', driven-away)" |
| गोर्हावाडी च सोइरीं | "only with the cattle-fold are his relatives" |
| अवगुणांचा त्याग नाहीं | "no tyāga of avaguṇas" |
| खवळे पाहीं उपदेशें | "seeing upadēśa, he gets aroused [angry]" |
| तुका म्हणे कैंची लवी | "Tuka says — whence a sprout" |
| ठेंग्या केवीं अंकुर | "how a shoot from a stump" |
What it means
Dog-like-life-bone-after-bone + no-sprout-from-stump abhang. Continues durjana-critique.
The dog-life: kutaryā'aisē jyāchē jiṇē — sanga kōṇī na karījē — whose jiṇē is like a dog's — no one makes sanga. Kutarā = dog (with derogatory tone). Such-a-one whose life-is-like-a-dog's — no-one-keeps-his-company.
The 'haḍ-haḍ' driven-away: jāya tikaḍē hāḍa-hāḍī — gōrhā-vāḍī cha sō'irīm — wherever he goes — 'haḍ-haḍ' (driven-away) — only with the cattle-fold are his relatives. Hāḍa-hāḍī (or haḍ-haḍ) = the shout used to drive-away dogs/cattle. Gōrhā-vāḍī = cattle-fold. Wherever-he-goes the 'haḍ-haḍ' (= 'shoo!') greets-him; only-with the cattle-fold is-his-kinship. (= his only-fellowship is with-the-mute-cattle.)
The unrepentant: avaguṇāñchā tyāga nāhīm — khavaḷē pāhīm upadēśē — no tyāga of avaguṇas — seeing upadēśa, he gets aroused [angry]. Khavaḷaṇē = to become-aroused, irritated. He doesn't-renounce his avaguṇas; on-seeing-upadēśa (instruction) he-gets-aroused (angry).
The no-sprout-from-stump image: Tukā mhaṇē kaiñcī lavī — ṭhēngyā kēvīm ankura — Tuka says: whence a sprout — how a shoot from a stump. Lavī = tender shoot, sprout. Ṭhēngā = stump, dead-stump. Ankura = sprout, shoot. Whence-a-sprout? How-can-a-shoot come-from a-dead-stump? (= the incorrigible-one is-like-a-dead-stump from-which no-new-life can-emerge.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: dog-like life — no sanga; 'haḍ-haḍ' wherever he goes — only cattle-fold relatives; no tyāga of avaguṇas — aroused at upadēśa; Tuka says — whence sprout from stump.
Where this applies
- When someone offers you honest feedback and your first reaction is defensiveness or anger
- When you notice you keep pushing people away and only feel at ease with those who expect nothing of you
- When you're holding onto a habit or flaw you already know is unhealthy but refuse to let go of
- When you wonder why good advice never seems to actually change anything in you