Abhanga 3035
The company you keep changes you, the way sandalwood leaves its scent on whatever it touches, so seek out those whose words are worth hearing.
The verse
अमृताचीं फळें अमृताची वेली । ते चि पुढें चाली बीजाची ही ॥१॥
ऐसियांचा संग देई नारायणा । बोलावा वचना जयांचिया ॥ध्रु.॥
उत्तम सेवन सितळ कंठासी । पुष्टी कांती तैसी दिसे वरी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे तैसें होइजेत संगें । वास लागे अंगें चंदनाच्या ॥३॥
Literal translation
Amrtāñcīm phaḷe amrtāñcī velī — amrta's fruits, amrta's vine; te chi puḍhe chālī bījāñcī hī — that very (one) is thechālī(flow) of thebījaalso. Aisiyāñcā samga deī Nārāyaṇā — give suchsanga, Nārāyaṇa; bōlāvā vachanā jayāñciyā — (those) whosevachana(is worth) speaking. Uttama sevana sitaḷa kaṇṭhāsī — excellent partaking — cools thekaṇṭha; puṣṭī kāṇti taisī dise varī — strength-luster accordingly shows on the outside. Tukā mhaṇe taise hōijeta samgē — Tukā says: so we become by thesanga; vāsa lāge ange chamdanāñcyā — fragrance attaches to the body (like) chandana's.
What it means
A canonical 3-verse sant-sanga-petition by Tukārām.
The argument: 1. Amrta-vine yields amrta-fruits whose-seed-flow-is-also-amrta — sants are amrta in all-parts 2. Give-such-sanga, Nārāyaṇa — those-whose-vachana-is-worth-speaking — petition 3. Excellent-partaking-cools-throat; strength-luster-shows-outside — sant-sanga's-bodily-effect 4. So-we-become-by-sanga — like-chandana's-fragrance-attaches-to-body — transformation-by-association
The chandana-fragrance image is canonical: just-as-chandana-attached-to-body-makes-body-fragrant, so sant-sanga-makes-the-bhakta-sant-like. This is the guṇa-transfer-by-sanga doctrine.
Compare-Tukārām's-own 2810 (saints-list), 3032 (sants'-feet-head).
For someone today
Tukārām's canonical sant-sanga-petition. Amrta's fruits, amrta's vine — that very (one) is the flow of the seed also. Give such company, Nārāyaṇa — (those) whose words (are worth) speaking. Excellent partaking — cools the throat; strength-and-luster accordingly shows on the outside. So we become by the company — like the fragrance of chandana attaches to the body. The verse permits the canonical sant-sanga-petition with the chandana-fragrance image.
Where this applies
- When you're choosing who to spend your time with.
- When you notice your own mood or character shifting after being around someone.
- When you want steadiness and calm and wonder where that comes from.
- When you're picking mentors or friends whose words you can trust.