संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2392 of 4582

Abhanga 2392

The true test of a person is whether joy and anger can dissolve quietly within them, and steady endurance through the world's blows is what eventually earns people's respect.

When a small setback feels unbearable because you have not built inner steadiness.

When strong joy or anger rises in you and you must choose whether to let it settle rather than react.

When hardship keeps hitting you and you are tempted to give up staying calm and steady.

The verse

पाठेळ करितां न साहावे वारा । साहेलिया ढोरा गोणी चाले ॥१॥ आपणां आपण हे चि कसवटी । हर्षामर्ष पोटीं विरों द्यावें ॥ध्रु.॥ नवनीत तोंवरी कडकडी लोणी । निश्चळ होऊनी राहे मग ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जरी जग टाकी घाया । त्याच्या पडे पायां जन मग ॥३॥

Literal translation

If not making pāṭhēḷa, even wind not borne — once borne, the beast carries the sack. This is the touchstone for oneself — let joy-anger dissolve in the belly. Fresh-butter sizzles until — then becomes still. Tuka says: if the world strikes blows — then people fall at his feet.

What it means

THE SELF-TOUCHSTONE + WORLD-STRIKES-THEN-FALLS ABHANG. Continues 2391's pāṭhēḷa-discipline theme.

The wind-and-sack: pāṭhēḷa karitām na sāhāvē vārā — sāhēliyā ḍhōrā gōṇī chālē — if not making pāṭhēḷa, even wind not borne — once borne, the beast carries the sack. Without-resilience, even-wind unbearable; with-resilience, even-a-beast carries-the-heavy-sack.

THE SELF-AS-TOUCHSTONE: āpaṇām āpaṇa hē chi kasavaṭī — harṣa-marṣa pōṭīm virōm dyāvē — this is the touchstone for oneself — let joy-anger dissolve in the belly. Kasavaṭī = touchstone, test. For-oneself, this-is the-touchstone (= the test of-one's-own-progress); let joy-and-anger dissolve in-the-belly. The internal-test: can-joy-and-anger dissolve-within?

The butter-stills: navanīta tōmvarī kaḍakaḍī lōṇī — niśchaḷa hō'ūnī rāhē maga — fresh-butter sizzles until — then becomes still. Fresh-butter sizzles-on-fire; then-becomes-still (= once-fully-clarified, it-is-no-longer-disturbed).

THE CLOSING PARADOX: Tukā mhaṇē jarī jaga ṭākī ghāyā — tyāchyā paḍē pāyām jana maga — if the world strikes blows — then people fall at his feet. If-the-world strikes-blows (against him); then-people fall-at-his-feet. The paradox-of-saintly-endurance: the-very-blows that-seem-to-defeat the-saint are-what-make-people-fall-at-his-feet.

[T]

For someone today

For today: without resilience, even wind is too much; touchstone is internal — joy-anger must dissolve ; butter stills after sizzling; if the world strikes — then people fall at his feet .

Where this applies

When small annoyances or setbacks feel unbearable because you have not built up any inner steadiness
When you feel a surge of joy or anger and have to decide whether to react or let it settle inside you
When you are going through a difficult, agitating phase of growth and wonder if calm will ever come
When criticism or hardship keeps coming at you and you are tempted to give up staying steady

Bhakti