संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2372 of 4582

Abhanga 2372

Speaking against or dishonoring the sacred Name pollutes the speaker and the listener alike, and those who mock saints eventually face the consequences.

When you choose to walk away from a conversation that mocks what you hold sacred

When you notice that spending time with contemptuous talk leaves a residue in your mood

When you catch yourself about to speak dismissively of someone else's genuine faith

The verse

नाम दुसी त्याचें नको दरषण । विष तें वचन वाटे मज ॥१॥ अमंगळ वाणी नाइकवे कानीं । निंदेची पोहोणी उठे तेथें ॥ध्रु.॥ काय लभ्य त्याचिये वचनीं । कोणत्या पुराणीं दिली ग्वाही ॥२॥ काय आड लावूं त्याचिया तोंडासी । आतां या जिभेसी काय करूं ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे संत न मनिती त्यांस । घेऊं पाहे ग्रास यमदूत ॥४॥

Literal translation

One who-blasphemes the Name — don't want darshan; that speech is poison. Inauspicious-speech, unbearable to ear — nindā's overflow rises there. What gain in his words — which purāṇa gave witness. What cover for his mouth — now what to do with this tongue [of mine]. Tuka says: those who don't honor saints — Yama-dūta seeks to take a bite of them.

What it means

THE ANTI-NĀMA-NINDAKA ABHANG.

The blasphemer-avoided: nāma dusī tyāchē nakō daraṣaṇa — viṣa tē vachana vāṭē maja — one who-blasphemes the Name — don't want darshan; that speech is poison. Nāma dusī = Name-blasphemer. The Name-blasphemer — don't-want-his-darshan; his-speech is-poison.

The poison-overflow: amangaḷa vāṇī nā'ikavē kānīm — nindēchī pōhōṇī uṭhē tēthē — inauspicious-speech, unbearable to ear — nindā's overflow rises there. Inauspicious-speech, unbearable; nindā's-flood rises-there.

The closing — Yama-dūta-takes-a-bite: Tukā mhaṇē santa na manitī tyāmsa — ghēūm pāhē grāsa Yama-dūta — Tuka says: those who don't honor saints — Yama-dūta seeks to take a bite of them. Those-who-don't-honor-saints — Yama-dūta (death's-attendant) seeks to-take-a-bite (grāsa). Connects to the 2351 Yama-cluster image — but here-inverted: Yama-dūta does-prey-on the-saint-blasphemers.

[T]

For someone today

For today: blasphemer's speech is poison; nindā's overflow unbearable; Yama-dūta takes a bite of those who don't honor saints .

Where this applies

When you are around someone whose cynical or mocking talk about faith drains your own spirit
When you have to decide whether to engage with someone who speaks contemptuously about what you hold sacred
When you notice how much a steady diet of negative talk wears down your inner peace
When you are tempted to mock someone else's sincere devotion