संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2483 of 4582

Abhanga 2483

Things that share the same origin, like buttermilk and butter or a saint and an ordinary person, can still differ greatly in value, so learn to tell them apart rather than treating everything as equal.

When you meet someone who speaks confidently about spiritual matters and wonder whether their words carry the same weight as a realized saint's

When you find yourself flattening real differences in wisdom or devotion because it feels more polite to call everyone equal

When you are trying to understand why Tukaram praises equality at Pandharpur in one verse but insists on discernment about saints in another

The verse

दह्यांचिया अंगीं निघे ताक लोणी । एका मोलें दोन्ही मागों नये ॥१॥ आकाशाचे पोटीं चंद्र तारांगणें । दोहींशी समान पाहों नये ॥ध्रु.॥ पृथ्वीचा पोटीं हिरा गारगोटी । दोहोंसी समसाटी करूं नये ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तैसे संत आणि जन । दोहींसी समान भजूं नये ॥३॥

Literal translation

From curd come buttermilk and butter — don't ask both at the same price. Sky has moon and stars — don't see them as equal. Earth has diamond and pebbles — don't equate. Tuka says: similarly saints and people — don't worship as equal.

What it means

THE SAINTS-AND-PEOPLE-NOT-EQUAL ABHANG. Three analogical-arguments.

Three concentric analogies — each-pair has-same-origin-but-different-value:

Curd → buttermilk + butter — don't-ask-both-at-same-price (both-from-curd-but-different-substance)
Sky → moon + stars — don't-see-as-equal (both-in-sky-but-different-brightness)
Earth → diamond + pebble — don't-equate (both-from-earth-but-different-value)

THE CONCLUSION: taisē santa āṇi jana — dōhīmsī samāna bhajūm nayē — similarly saints and people — don't worship as equal. Saints-and-ordinary-people are-not-to-be-worshipped-as-equals. The discernment-principle: same-origin doesn't-imply-same-value.

Note: This is-not-anti-egalitarian — it's-pro-discernment about-spiritual-attainment. Compare 2481's at Pandharī no-one has-abhimāna (where social-equality reigns at-the-bhakti-place) — but-the-spiritual-status of-saints is-not-the-same-as-ordinary-people.

[T]

For someone today

For today: curd → buttermilk-butter different price; moon and stars not equal; diamond and pebble not equal; saints and people not to be worshipped as equals.

Where this applies

When you assume that anyone who talks about spirituality has the same depth of realization as a true saint
When you catch yourself treating all opinions or teachers as equally valid just because they come from the same tradition or community
When you struggle to explain why some experiences or people feel more precious than others even though they seem similar on the surface
When you want language for honoring genuine spiritual attainment without putting down ordinary people

Sant-sang / Sant-pūjā Bhakti