Abhanga 2698
A sharp diagnostic verse. Some people have no rhythm in their work; teaching doesn't reach the filthy; they don't know the propriety of word-conduct; foolish-buddhi misses the right-time; base-lineage tries to purify itself by mouth-tricks. The discipline: a clean rebuke is better than much-engagement. Bahumati — much-engaging-discussion — is sometimes the worse-choice. The verse permits saying no clearly and walking away rather than maintaining the polite-engagement that prolongs the amangaḷa sanghaṣṭanī (inauspicious-contact).
The verse
लचाळाच्या कामा नाहीं ताळावाळा । न कळे ओंगळा उपदेश ॥१॥
वचनचर्येची न कळे चांचणी । ऐसी संघष्टनी अमंगळ ॥ध्रु.॥
समय न कळे वेडगळ बुद्धि । विजाती ते शुद्धि चांच चाट ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे याचा धिक्कार चि बरा । बहुमति खराहूनि हीन ॥३॥
Literal translation
The lachāḷā (lazy-coward)'s work has no tāḷa-vāḷa (rhythm-and-timing); the ongaḷā (filthy-one) does not understand upadēśa (teaching). He does not understand the chāñchaṇī (precise-probing-propriety) of vachana-charyā (word-conduct); such sanghaṣṭanī (association, contact) is amangaḷa (inauspicious). The vēḍagaḷa-buddhi (foolish-mind) does not know the samaya (right-time); vijātī (base-lineage) is 'purified' by chāñch chāṭa (mouth-trick, tongue-lap). Tukā says: rebuke (dhikkāra) alone is good — bahumati (much-discussion, polite-engagement) is lower than a donkey (kharāhūnī hīna).
What it means
A sharp dismissiveness-verse. Lachāḷāñchyā kāmā nāhī tāḷavāḷā — the lazy-coward's work has no rhythm. Tāḷa-vāḷa (timing-and-rhythm) — the lachāḷā cannot keep proper cadence in anything. Ongaḷā (the dirty-one, the slovenly) — upadēśa (teaching) doesn't get through.
The dhrūpada: vachana-charyēñcī na kaḷē chāñchaṇī — aisī sanghaṣṭanī amangaḷa — the propriety of word-conduct is unknown to him; such association is inauspicious. Chāñchaṇī (precise-probing, careful-discrimination) — the lachāḷā cannot discriminate appropriate-from-inappropriate speech. Therefore association with him is amangaḷa — inauspicious.
The second verse: samaya na kaḷē vēḍagaḷa buddhi — vijātī tē śuddhi chāñch chāṭa — the foolish-buddhi doesn't know the right-time; base-lineage is 'cleansed' by tongue-trick. Samaya (the right-moment) — fools don't recognize timing. Vijātī... chāñch chāṭa — base-lineage purified by lip-lick — the cosmetic-purification of inherent-low-quality by superficial-talk.
The close gives a counterintuitive instruction: dhikkāra chi barā — bahumati kharāhūnī hīna — rebuke alone is good — much-discussion is lower than a donkey. Bahumati (much-engagement, polite-prolonged-discussion) — Tukārām says this is worse than the donkey. A clean dhikkāra (rebuke) is better than extended-engagement with the lachāḷā. The donkey image is dismissive: the donkey at least keeps quiet; the bahumati-engager makes noise without producing value.
For someone today
A sharp diagnostic verse. Some people have no rhythm in their work; teaching doesn't reach the filthy; they don't know the propriety of word-conduct; foolish-buddhi misses the right-time; base-lineage tries to purify itself by mouth-tricks. The discipline: a clean rebuke is better than much-engagement. Bahumati — much-engaging-discussion — is sometimes the worse-choice. The verse permits saying no clearly and walking away rather than maintaining the polite-engagement that prolongs the amangaḷa sanghaṣṭanī (inauspicious-contact).
This is the complement to 2696's fajita-khōrā-mhaṇatām-baravā-ugā-rahā (mocker — say good and stay quiet): sometimes silence works; sometimes a clean rebuke is needed. The verse argues that bahumati (extended polite-engagement) is the worst of the three options.
Where this applies
- Recognizing when prolonged engagement is futile with the lachāḷā
- Choosing between three responses: rebuke, silence, or bahumati (extended-engagement)
- The diagnostic bahumati kharāhūnī hīna — much-discussion lower than donkey
- The foolish-buddhi-doesnt-know-the-right-time social-discernment