संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2364 of 4582

Abhanga 2364

Whatever you gain by theft or greed turns to filth in your own hands, even if it looked like treasure when you took it.

When you are tempted to take something that belongs to someone else because it seems easy

When you see someone celebrating an ill-gotten gain and wonder how long it will last

When you look back at something you took shortcuts to get and realize it was not worth it

The verse

जायाचे अळंकार । बुडवूनि होती चोर ॥१॥ त्यांसी ताडणाची पूजा । योग घडे बर्‍या वोजा ॥ध्रु.॥ अभिलाषाच्या सुखें । अंतीं होती काळीं मुखें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे चोरा । होय भूषण मातेरा ॥३॥

Literal translation

The bride's ornaments — by drowning [them], they become thieves. For them, beating-worship — properly arranged. By greed's pleasure — at the end, faces become black. Tuka says: for the thief — the ornament becomes mud/manure.

What it means

THE ORNAMENT-THIEVES ABHANG. Second of the Sālōmālō-anti-plagiarist cluster (2363-2370).

The bride's-ornament-thief: jāyāchē aḷankāra — buḍavūni hōtī chōra — the bride's ornaments — by drowning, they become thieves. Jāyā = bride, wife. The bride's-ornaments — by-drowning (= concealing-them-fraudulently), they-become-thieves. Metaphor: Sālōmālō, by-stealing-Tukārām's-abhang-ornaments, is-like-someone who-conceals-a-bride's-jewels.

The beating-worship: tyāmsī tāḍaṇāchī pūjā — yōga ghaḍē baṛyā vōjā — for them, beating-worship — properly arranged. Tāḍaṇa = beating, striking. For-the-thieves, beating-worship is-the-proper yōga.

The greed-darkness: abhilāṣāchyā sukhē — antīm hōtī kāḷīm mukhē — by greed's pleasure — at the end, faces become black. By-the-pleasure-of-greed (abhilāṣa), at-the-end, faces-become-black (= disgrace).

THE CLOSING: Tukā mhaṇē chōrā — hōya bhūṣaṇa mātērā — Tuka says: for the thief — the ornament becomes mud/manure. Mātērā = mud, manure, refuse. For-the-thief, the-stolen-ornament becomes mātērā (mud/manure). The stolen-thing turns-into-its-opposite for-the-thief.

[T]

For someone today

For today: bride's ornaments — drowning makes thieves; for them, beating-worship; greed-pleasure blackens faces at end; for the thief, the ornament becomes mud .

Where this applies

When someone gains wealth or status through deceit and thinks they have won
When you are tempted to take credit or property that is not rightfully yours
When a person who cheated others eventually faces public disgrace
When you notice that something gained dishonestly never brings the satisfaction it promised

Nāma (the Name) Bhakti