Abhanga 2283
For today: cloud-rain should instruct — guru shouldn't make a śiṣya — half-karma share; spend wealth in anna-satra and bhūtas — don't give son as paid pupil to high-jāti; don't sow in rock — no moisture — official follows; speak secrets with saints — wife as maid — indulged, she takes karma-share; test purely — not fooled by color — Tukā says — take that which doesn't break.
The verse
मेघवृष्टीनें करावा उपदेश परि गुरुनें न करावा शिष्य । वांटा लाभे त्यास केल्या अर्धकर्माचा ॥१॥ द्रव्य वेचावें अन्नसत्रीं भूतीं द्यावें सर्वत्र । नेदावा हा पुत्र उत्तमयाती पोसना ॥ध्रु.॥ बीज न पेरावें खडकीं ओल नाहीं ज्याचे बुडखीं । थीतां ठके सेखीं पाठी लागे दिवाण ॥२॥ गुज बोलावें संतांशीं पत्नी राखावी जैसी दासी । लाड देतां तियेसी वांटा पावे कर्माचा ॥३॥ शुद्ध कसूनिपाहावें वरि रंगा न भुलावें । तुका म्हणे घ्यावें जया नये तुटी तें ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: ★ The cloud-rain should instruct — but the guru shouldn't make a śiṣya — he gets the share of half-the-karma done. Spend wealth in anna-satra, give to beings everywhere — don't give the son as paid pupil to the high-jāti. Don't sow seed in rock — where there's no moisture at the base — the ready-one is cheated finally — the official follows. Speak secrets with saints — keep the wife as a maid — if one indulges her, she gets a share of the karma. Test purely — don't be fooled by surface color — Tukā says — take that which doesn't come to a break. ★
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मेघवृष्टीनें करावा उपदेश परि गुरुनें न करावा शिष्य | "the cloud-rain should instruct — but the guru shouldn't make a śiṣya" |
| वांटा लाभे त्यास केल्या अर्धकर्माचा | "he gets the share of half-the-karma done" |
| द्रव्य वेचावें अन्नसत्रीं भूतीं द्यावें सर्वत्र | "spend wealth in anna-satra, give to beings everywhere" |
| नेदावा हा पुत्र उत्तमयाती पोसना | "don't give the son as paid pupil to the high-jāti" |
| बीज न पेरावें खडकीं ओल नाहीं ज्याचे बुडखीं | "don't sow seed in rock — where there's no moisture at the base" |
| थीतां ठके सेखीं पाठी लागे दिवाण | "the ready-one is cheated finally — the official follows" |
| गुज बोलावें संतांशीं पत्नी राखावी जैसी दासी | "speak secrets with saints — keep the wife as a maid" |
| लाड देतां तियेसी वांटा पावे कर्माचा | "if one indulges her, she gets a share of the karma" |
| शुद्ध कसूनिपाहावें वरि रंगा न भुलावें | "test purely — don't be fooled by surface color" |
| तुका म्हणे घ्यावें जया नये तुटी तें | "Tukā says — take that which doesn't come to a break" |
What it means
★ THE CELEBRATED MEGHA-VṚṢṬI-UPADĒŚA ABHANG ★. The 5-maxim ethical-instruction abhang.
MAXIM 1 — Don't take śiṣyas: mēgha-vṛṣṭīnē karāvā upadēśa pari gurunē na karāvā śiṣya — vāṇṭā lābhē tyāsa kēlyā ardha-karmāchā — the cloud-rain should instruct — but the guru shouldn't make a śiṣya — he gets the share of half-the-karma done. Mēgha-vṛṣṭi = cloud-rain. ★ The cloud-rain should-instruct (= teach impersonally, to-all-equally); but the-guru shouldn't-make-a-śiṣya (a-personal-disciple) — because-he-gets-the-share of-half-the-(disciple's)-karma. ★ A striking Tukārām position: distancing-from-the-formal-guru-disciple-institution. Teach-like-the-rain (universally, impersonally); don't-bind-to-specific-disciples whose-karma will-attach-to-you.
MAXIM 2 — Charity but not selling the son: dravya vēchāvē anna-satrīm bhūtīm dyāvē sarvatra — nēdāvā hā putra uttama-yātī pōsanā — spend wealth in anna-satra, give to beings everywhere — don't give the son as paid pupil to the high-jāti. Anna-satra = food-distribution institution. Pōsanā = the one who is being fed (= paid pupil/servant). Spend wealth in anna-satra-and-charity; but don't-give-your-son to-be-fed (as paid pupil) by-the-high-jāti (= don't sell-your-child for-their-feeding-and-favor).
MAXIM 3 — Don't sow in rock: bīja na pēravāvē khaḍakīm ōla nāhīm jyāchē buḍakhīm — thītām ṭhakē sēkhīm pāṭhī lāgē divāṇa — don't sow seed in rock — where there's no moisture at the base — the ready-one is cheated finally — the official follows. Don't-sow-seed in-rock or-where-there's-no-moisture-at-the-base; the-ready-(money/effort) is-cheated finally — the divāṇa (official) follows-(to demand-taxes).
MAXIM 4 — Saints for secrets, wife as maid: guja bōlāvē santāñśīm patnī rākhāvī jaisī dāsī — lāḍa dētām tiyēsī vāṇṭā pāvē karmāchā — speak secrets with saints — keep the wife as a maid — if one indulges her, she gets a share of the karma. Speak guja (secrets) with-the-saints; keep-the-wife as-a-maid (= without-excessive-intimacy); if-indulged, she-takes-share-of-the-karma.
MAXIM 5 — Test purely: śuddha kasūni-pāhāvē vari rangā na bhulāvē — Tukā mhaṇē ghyāvē jayā nayē tuṭī tē — test purely — don't be fooled by surface color — Tukā says — take that which doesn't come to a break. Kasūni-pāhāvē = should be tested by rubbing (as gold is tested on a touchstone). Tuṭī = break, cut. Test by-rubbing; don't be-fooled by-surface-color; take that-which doesn't-come-to-a-break (= durable, eternal).
The 5-maxim format: each maxim is a-folk-pithy-rule, blending-Tukārām's-ethical-doctrine with-everyday-sense. The first-maxim (cloud-instruct-not-make-disciples) is the-most-striking and-most-cited.
[T]
For someone today
For today: cloud-rain should instruct — guru shouldn't make a śiṣya — half-karma share; spend wealth in anna-satra and bhūtas — don't give son as paid pupil to high-jāti; don't sow in rock — no moisture — official follows; speak secrets with saints — wife as maid — indulged, she takes karma-share; test purely — not fooled by color — Tukā says — take that which doesn't break.
Where this applies
- Cloud-instructs-but-guru-doesn't-make-śiṣya-half-karma-share. Mēgha-vṛṣṭīnē-upadēśa-guru-śiṣya-ardha-karma.
- Wealth-to-charity-but-not-son-to-paid-pupil.* Dravya-anna-satra-bhūtīm-putra-uttama-yātī-pōsanā.
- Don't-sow-in-rock-official-follows.* Bīja-khaḍakīm-ōla-thītām-ṭhakē-divāṇa.
- Secrets-with-saints-wife-as-maid-no-indulgence.* Guja-santāñśīm-patnī-dāsī-lāḍa-karma.
- Test-by-rubbing-take-the-unbreakable.* Śuddha-kasūni-rangā-na-bhulāvē-nayē-tuṭī.