Abhanga 2206
A malicious person wears down even the sturdiest company, pounces on the smallest excuse to cause trouble, and rarely criticizes you honestly to your face.
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
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 tōḍī — the 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 sunē — he 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 kāma — doesn'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 māgā — Tuka 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
- When someone toxic keeps finding small excuses to pick fights with you
- When you notice a person's every word and thought is aimed at causing trouble rather than anything decent
- When gossip and criticism about you are circulating behind your back instead of being said to your face
- When you are deciding whether to stay close to someone whose company keeps wearing you down