Abhanga 2849
Andharyāñcī kāṭhī — the kāṭhī (stick) of the andhaḷā (blind one); hirōnīyām kaḍā lōṭī — (he) hirōnīyām (snatching) — pushes (him) kaḍā (off the cliff, the edge).
The verse
अंधर्याची काठी । हिरोनियां कडा लोटी ॥१॥
हें कां देखण्या उचित । लाभ किंवा कांहीं हित ॥ध्रु.॥
साकर म्हणोनि माती । चाळवूनि द्यावी हातीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे वाटे । देवा पसरावे सराटे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Andharyāñcī kāṭhī — the kāṭhī (stick) of the andhaḷā (blind one); hirōnīyām kaḍā lōṭī — (he) hirōnīyām (snatching) — pushes (him) kaḍā (off the cliff, the edge). He kām dēkhaṇyā uchita — is this uchita (fitting, proper) for the dēkhaṇā (sighted, seeing one)?; lābha kimvā kāmhī hita — what lābha (gain) or what hita (welfare) (is in this)? Sākara mhaṇōnī mātī — calling mātī (mud) sākara (sugar); chāḷavūnī dyāvī hātī — confusing-and-giving (it) into (his) hand. Tukā says: vāṭē — on the path; Devā pasarāve sarāṭē — Deva, (you) pasarāve (spread) sarāṭē (thorny-burrs, prickly-spurs)!
What it means
A short protest verse against false-teachers. Andharyāñcī kāṭhī — hirōnīyām kaḍā lōṭī — the blind-man's stick — (he) snatches and pushes (him) over the cliff. The image: a sighted-person who, instead of guiding the blind-man, snatches his stick (his-only-aid) and pushes him off the cliff. The horror-image of the abuse-of-the-helpless.
He kām dēkhaṇyā uchita — lābha kimvā kāmhī hita — is this fitting for the sighted one — what gain or welfare? The rhetorical-question: what gain or welfare for the sighted-one in doing this? (None — it's pure-cruelty.)
Sākara mhaṇōnī mātī — chāḷavūnī dyāvī hātī — calling mud sugar — confusing-and-giving into (his) hand. The second-image: deceiving the blind-or-trusting-one by calling mud sugar and putting it in his hand. The false-teacher hands-mud-as-sugar to the seeking-bhakta.
The close: Tukā mhaṇe vāṭē — Devā pasarāve sarāṭē — Tukā: on the path — Deva, spread thorny-burrs! The protest-petition: Deva, spread sarāṭē (thorny-burrs) on the path (of such-false-teachers, so they-cannot-continue). The vehement-protest-to-the-Lord.
This is one of Tukārām's clearest protests-against false-teachers and their-abuse-of-the-spiritually-seeking. The blind-man-with-stick is the seeker who-has-only-this-much-aid; the sighted-person who-snatches-and-pushes-off-cliff is the false-teacher.
For someone today
A protest against false-teachers. (He) snatches the blind-man's stick — pushes (him) off the cliff. Is this fitting for the sighted one — what gain or welfare? Calling mud sugar — confuses-and-gives into (his) hand. Deva, spread thorns on the path! Two diagnostics for false-teaching: (1) does the teacher snatch-the-blind-man's-aid (the seeker's basic-faith-and-discipline) and push-him-off-cliff (into-confusion-or-doubt)?; (2) does the teacher call-mud-sugar (mislead with false-promises)? Tukārām's-protest is to the Lord himself — asking-divine-intervention to thorn-the-path of such-false-teachers. The verse permits vehement-protest in bhakti-mode.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's protest against false-teachers who-mislead-the-helpless
- Recognizing the blind-man's-stick-snatched false-guru image
- Mud-called-sugar — the false-teaching diagnostic
- The vehement-protest-to-Deva template for confronting religious-abuse