Abhanga 2674

When you see someone making a choice that looks bitter or self-defeating from outside — taking neem, running fast as if fleeing — do not put a stick across their path. They may be taking neem to remove disease; they may be fleeing a thief you don't see. The general principle: the one whose work it is — only he knows how to do it. Conversely, when your own work looks bitter to others and they try to interfere, you can use this verse as the framework: they are putting a stick across my path; they don't see the thief or the disease; only the one whose work it is knows how to do it. The closing line is the actual cost: the nidhāna (treasure) requires jīva-baḷī — offering the life as sacrifice. The bitter-looking choice is the condition.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A 4-verse multi-analogy verse on when intervention is interference. The opening: aisā kōṇī nāhī jyā nāvaḍē — kanyā putra ghōḍē dārā dhana — no one to whom these don't appeal — son, daughter, horse, wife, wealth. The list is the standard kuṭumba-vitta (family-and-wealth). Tukārām acknowledges: nobody finds these naturally-unappealing; the renouncer is going against universal-attraction.

The dhrūpada offers the first medical-analogy: nimba ghētē rōgī kavaṇiyā sukhē — harāvayā duḥkhē vyādhi pīḍā — with what pleasure does the patient take neem — to remove disease and pain. The patient does not take neem (bitter) for pleasure; the bitterness is accepted to remove disease. Anyone watching from outside might think: why is he eating that bitter thing? he shouldn't. But the patient knows what he is doing.

The second analogy is more dramatic: kāya paḷē sukhē chōrā lāgē pāṭhī — na ghalāvī kāṭhī āḍa tayā — what flees in pleasure when the thief chases at his heels — let no one put a stick across his path. The man fleeing the thief is not enjoying his run; he is running to escape. Do not block his path with a stick — do not stop him because he looks like he is fleeing fast. The runner has his reason.

The third verse states the principle: jayāñchē kāraṇa tō chi jāṇē karūm — nayē kōṇām vārūm āṇikāsī — the one whose work it is — only he knows how to do; let no one interfere. The general principle: when the kāraṇa (cause, business) is someone else's, you do not interfere by another's logic.

The close names the condition for the treasure: sāmpaḍē nidhāna — dyāvā ōmvāḷūn jīva baḷī — the treasure is found — by offering the jīva as sacrifice with āratī-circling. Ōmvāḷūn (the gesture of circling-with-the-āratī-flame around a beloved-person to ward off ill) + jīva baḷī (offering the jīva as sacrifice). The nidhāna (treasure) is conditional on this kind of self-offering.

For someone today

When you see someone making a choice that looks bitter or self-defeating from outside — taking neem, running fast as if fleeing — do not put a stick across their path. They may be taking neem to remove disease; they may be fleeing a thief you don't see. The general principle: the one whose work it is — only he knows how to do it. Conversely, when your own work looks bitter to others and they try to interfere, you can use this verse as the framework: they are putting a stick across my path; they don't see the thief or the disease; only the one whose work it is knows how to do it. The closing line is the actual cost: the nidhāna (treasure) requires jīva-baḷī — offering the life as sacrifice. The bitter-looking choice is the condition.

Where this applies

• Refraining from interfering with someone whose renunciation or hard-choice looks bitter from outside
• Defending one's own bitter-looking choices with this analogy-pattern
• Recognizing the nidhāna (treasure) condition: jīva-baḷī — offering the life
• The principle: jayāñchē kāraṇa tō chi jāṇē karūm — only the doer knows how