Abhanga 2283
Give and teach generously without binding yourself to burdens you cannot carry, and always test what is real before you trust its surface.
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
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
- When you are asked to become someone's formal teacher or mentor and wonder how personally involved you should get.
- When you want to be generous but are tempted to trade a family member's future for money or favor.
- When you are pouring savings, effort, or hope into a venture that realistically has no chance of working out.
- When you are deciding who deserves your deepest trust, and how much slack to give the people closest to you.