Abhanga 2908
Acting without regard for time, place, or consequence, like a donkey braying at random, invites trouble and shows a lack of any real sense of what is fitting or good.
The verse
न विचारितां ठायाठाव । काय भुंके तो गाढव ॥१॥
केला तैसा लाहे दंड । खळ अविचारी लंड ॥ध्रु.॥
करावें लाताळें । ऐसें नेणे कोण्या काळें ॥२॥
न कळे उचित । तुका म्हणे नीत हित ॥३॥
Literal translation
Na vichāritām ṭhāyāṭhāva — without considering theṭhāyāṭhāva(place-and-occasion); kāya bhunke tō gāḍhava — what does the donkey bray? Kelā taisā lāhe daṇḍa — whatever (he) does, (he) receives thedaṇḍa(punishment) accordingly; khaḷa avichāri laṇḍa — (the)khaḷa(wicked),avichāri(un-thoughtful) (is a)laṇḍa(rogue). Karāve lātāḷe — one should givelātāḷe(kicks); aise neṇe kōṇyā kāḷe — but (he) doesn't know at what time. Na kaḷe uchita — doesn't know theuchita(fitting); Tukā says: nīta hita — thenīta-hita(just, beneficial).
What it means
A short anti-fool polemic verse. Na vichāritām ṭhāyāṭhāva — kāya bhunke tō gāḍhava — without considering place-and-occasion — what does the donkey bray? The image: the donkey brays-without-considering-where-or-when; the fool acts-the-same-way.
Kelā taisā lāhe daṇḍa — khaḷa avichāri laṇḍa — (he) gets daṇḍa-as-he-acts — the wicked, un-thoughtful is a rogue. The diagnostic: the fool's-actions invite-punishment.
Karāve lātāḷe — aise neṇe kōṇyā kāḷe — one should give kicks — (he) doesn't know at what time. The application: kicks are appropriate sometimes; but the fool doesn't-know-when. Mature-action requires-discrimination-of-time.
The close: na kaḷe uchita — Tukā mhaṇe nīta hita — doesn't know the fitting — the just-and-beneficial. The fool's signature: no recognition of uchita (fitting) or nīta-hita (just-and-beneficial).
For someone today
A useful warning about the fool's ways. Without considering place-and-occasion — what does the donkey bray? Whatever (he) does, (he) gets the daṇḍa accordingly — the wicked, un-thoughtful is a rogue. One should give kicks — but (he) doesn't know at what time. (He) doesn't know the fitting — the just-and-beneficial. The verse names the fool's signature traits: he pays no attention to place or occasion; his own actions bring punishment on him; he doesn't know when actions are appropriate; and he has no sense of what is fitting, just, or genuinely beneficial. This is a diagnostic list for spotting a thoughtless, reckless person.
मराठी: हे मूर्खाच्या स्वभावाबद्दलचे उपयुक्त इशारा देणारे अभंग आहे. ठिकाण आणि प्रसंग न पाहता — गाढव काय भुंकतो? जसे करतो तसा दंड मिळतो — दुष्ट, अविचारी माणूस म्हणजे लंड आहे. लाथा घालाव्या लागतात — पण त्याला कोणत्या वेळी हे कळत नाही. काय उचित आहे हे कळत नाही — योग्य आणि हितकारक काय हेही कळत नाही. हा अभंग मूर्खाच्या ओळखीच्या खुणा सांगतो : तो ठिकाण किंवा प्रसंगाकडे लक्षच देत नाही; त्याच्याच कृतींमुळे त्याला शिक्षा भोगावी लागते; कोणती कृती केव्हा योग्य आहे हे त्याला कळत नाही; आणि काय उचित, न्याय्य किंवा खरोखर हितकारक आहे याचीही त्याला जाणीव नसते. विचारशून्य, बेजबाबदार माणूस ओळखण्यासाठी हे एक निदानात्मक वर्णन आहे.
Where this applies
- When you speak or act impulsively without reading the room or the moment
- When you keep repeating the same mistake and wonder why consequences keep landing on you
- When you are dealing with someone who never seems to learn from correction
- When you want to check whether your own actions actually fit the situation you are in