Abhanga 2287
Guard what matters most to you from even the smallest compromise, the way your eye rejects even a speck of dust, since devotion is naturally rooted in its own particular object.
The verse
डोळ्यामध्यें जैसें कणु । अणु तें हि न समाये ॥१॥ तैसें शुद्ध करीं हित । नका चित्ती बाटवूं ॥ध्रु.॥ आपल्याचा कळवळा। आणिका बाळावरि न ये ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे बीज मुडा । जैशा चाडा पिकाच्या ॥३॥
Literal translation
As a particle in the eye — even an atom doesn't fit. Purify the hita like that — don't pollute [it] in chitta. One's own (child's) tenderness — doesn't come on another's child. Tuka says: the bundle of seed — like the eagerness of [its] crop.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| डोळ्यामध्यें जैसें कणु | "as a particle in the eye" |
| अणु तें हि न समाये | "even an atom doesn't fit" |
| तैसें शुद्ध करीं हित | "purify the hita like that" |
| नका चित्ती बाटवूं | "don't pollute [it] in chitta" |
| आपल्याचा कळवळा | "one's own (child's) tenderness" |
| आणिका बाळावरि न ये | "doesn't come on another's child" |
| तुका म्हणे बीज मुडा | "Tuka says — the bundle of seed" |
| जैशा चाडा पिकाच्या | "like the eagerness of [its] crop" |
What it means
No-atom-fits-in-eye-purify-hita + one's-own-child-tenderness-not-on-others abhang.
The eye-purity image: ḍōḷyā-madhyē jaisē kaṇu — aṇu tē hi na samāyē — as a particle in the eye — even an atom doesn't fit. Kaṇu = particle. Aṇu = atom, smallest particle. As a particle in-the-eye, even-an-atom-doesn't-fit (= the eye-rejects-even-the-smallest-foreign-thing). The classic eye-as-supreme-purity image — the eye-cannot-tolerate even-an-atom-of-impurity.
The hita-purity demand: taisē śuddha karīm hita — nakā chittī bāṭavūm — purify the hita like that — don't pollute [it] in chitta. Bāṭavaṇē = to pollute, defile. Purify the hita (= one's-true-good, the bhakti-substance) like-that; don't-pollute it-in-the-chitta.
The child-tenderness image: āpalyāchā kaḷavaḷā — āṇikā bāḷāvari na yē — one's own (child's) tenderness — doesn't come on another's child. Kaḷavaḷā = tenderness, compassion, parental-affection. One's-own-child's-tenderness doesn't-come on-another's-child (= parental-affection is-naturally-particular, not-universal). A natural-law-image.
The seed-and-crop: Tukā mhaṇē bīja muḍā — jaiśā chāḍā pikāchyā — Tuka says: the bundle of seed — like the eagerness of [its] crop. Muḍā = bundle, sheaf. Chāḍā = eagerness, ardor. The bundle-of-seed — like the eagerness of-its-(own)-crop. (= the seed has-eagerness-for-its-own-kind-of-crop, not for-another's.)
The full doctrine: just-as the eye-rejects-foreign-particles, and-as parental-affection is-particular-to-one's-own-child, and-as seed-bears-only-its-own-crop — so too the bhakta should-purify-his-hita and-not-pollute-it.
[T]
For someone today
For today: as a particle in the eye — even an atom doesn't fit; purify hita like that — don't pollute in chitta; one's own (child's) tenderness — doesn't come on another's child; Tuka says — the seed-bundle — like the eagerness of its crop.
Where this applies
- When you are tempted to let a small compromise slide in something you consider sacred or deeply important.
- When you feel guilty for loving your own child, family, or close circle more intensely than you love others.
- When you are trying to keep your priorities and values clear instead of letting them get muddled by outside pressure.
- When you notice that something meant for one purpose cannot simply be redirected somewhere else.