संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2441 of 4582

Abhanga 2441

Your true nature stays what it is no matter what is imposed on you, but even real worth is wasted if it can't be put to use.

When someone tries to force you into a role or behavior that isn't really you

When you doubt yourself because of how others treat or label you

When you have genuine ability or worth but haven't connected it to anything useful

The verse

आणितां त्या गती । हंस काउळे न होती ॥१॥ सांडा सांडा रे मठारे । येथें गांठीसवें धुरें ॥ध्रु.॥ नाकेंविण मोती । उभ्या बाजारें फजिती ॥२॥ हुकुमदाज तुका । येथें कोणी फुंदो नका ॥३॥

Literal translation

Bringing such states — swans don't become crows. Abandon, you haughty ones — heaviness at the knot. Pearl without nose — disgrace in the open market. Commanding Tukā — no one fuss here.

What it means

THE SWANS-DON'T-BECOME-CROWS + PEARL-WITHOUT-NOSE ABHANG.

THE SWAN-IMAGE: āṇitām tyā gatī — hamsa kā'uḷē na hōtī — bringing such states — swans don't become crows. No-matter-what-states are-imposed, swans don't-become-crows. Swan = saint, crow = wordling. Echoes 2362's discrimination-image.

The pearl-without-nose: nākēmviṇa mōtī — ubhyā bājārē phajitī — pearl without nose — disgrace in the open market. A pearl with-no-hole (no piercing/no-thread-passage) is-disgraced in-the-bazaar.

[T]

For someone today

For today: swans don't become crows; pearl without nose is disgraced; commanding Tukā says — no fuss.

Where this applies

Swans-don't-become-crows. Hamsa-kā'uḷē-na-hōtī.

Bhakti