संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2206 of 4582

Abhanga 2206

For today: durjana's pair — sajjana's slipper-strap snaps; sees slightest pretext — runs to harass; doesn't say Rāma-Rāma — only this work; Tuka says — if your share — nindā from behind.

When you'd remark on durjana-snaps-the-sajjana's-slipper-strap + nindā-from-behind — durjanāchī-jōḍī-sajjanāchē-khēṇṭara-tōḍī; nimitya-uṇē-chaḷāvayā-sunē; Rāma-Rāma-manē-vāchē-chi-kāma; bhāgā-nindā-karī-māgā

The verse

दुर्जनाची जोडी । सज्जनाचे खेंटर तोडी ॥१॥ पाहे निमित्य तें उणें । धांवे छळावया सुनें ॥ध्रु.॥ न म्हणे रामराम । मनें वाचे हें चि काम ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भागा । आली निंदा करी मागा ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: The durjana's pair — the sajjana's slipper-strap snaps. He sees the slightest pretext — runs to harass with sun (= dog-shout, instigation). Doesn't say Rāma-Rāma — mind and speech — only this work. Tuka says: if it's [your] share — if nindā comes, do it from behind.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
दुर्जनाची जोडी "the durjana's pair"
सज्जनाचे खेंटर तोडी "the sajjana's slipper-strap snaps"
पाहे निमित्य तें उणें "he sees the slightest pretext"
धांवे छळावया सुनें "runs to harass — with sun (= dog-shout, instigation)"
न म्हणे रामराम "doesn't say Rāma-Rāma"
मनें वाचे हें चि काम "mind and speech — only this work"
तुका म्हणे भागा "Tuka says — if it's [your] share"
आली निंदा करी मागा "if nindā comes, do it from behind"

What it means

Durjana-pair-snaps-sajjana-slipper + nindā-from-behind abhang.

The slipper-strap image: durjanāchī jōḍī — sajjanāchē khēṇṭara tōḍīthe durjana's pair — the sajjana's slipper-strap snaps. Jōḍī = pair, set. Khēṇṭara = slipper, sandal. Tōḍī = snaps, tears. The (mere) pairing-with the durjana causes the sajjana's slipper-strap to-snap. (= the durjana's-company is so-corrosive that even-the-leather-strap-of-the-sajjana's-sandal breaks.) A bizarre, hyperbolic-image of contamination.

The pretext + dog-shout: pāhē nimitya tē uṇē — dhāmvē chaḷāvayā sunēhe sees the slightest pretext — runs to harass with sun. Sunē = with sun! (a sound used to set-on dogs; akin to the 'haḍ-haḍ' of 2194). He sees-the-slightest-pretext, then-runs to-harass with 'sun!' (= setting-the-dogs-on).

The no-Rāma-Rāma: na mhaṇē Rāma-Rāma — manē vāchē hē chi kāmadoesn't say Rāma-Rāma — mind-and-speech — only this work. Doesn't-say Rāma-Rāma; mind-and-speech are only-(occupied-with)-this-(harassing)-work.

The closing — nindā-from-behind: Tukā mhaṇē bhāgā — ālī nindā karī māgāTuka says: if it's [your] share — if nindā comes, do it from behind. If-nindā-comes (= if-defamation-is-your-portion), do-it-from-behind (= the-coward's-way). (= the durjana attacks-from-behind, never-frontally.) Or: if-nindā comes-(to-you), let-it-be-done-behind-your-back (= ignore-it).

[T]

For someone today

For today: durjana's pair — sajjana's slipper-strap snaps; sees slightest pretext — runs to harass; doesn't say Rāma-Rāma — only this work; Tuka says — if your share — nindā from behind.

Where this applies

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