Abhanga 3068
Endless delay and avoidance do not end conflict, they only postpone a harder reckoning, and quiet patience should never be mistaken for consent.
The verse
बहु टाळाटाळी । होतां भोवताहे कळी ॥१॥
बरें नव्हेल सेवटीं । भय असों द्यावें पोटीं ॥ध्रु.॥
मुरगाळी कान । घुसमाडील सावधान ॥२॥
अबोलणा तुका । ऐसें कोणी लेखूं नका ॥३॥
Literal translation
Bahu tāḷāṭāḷī — much tāḷāṭāḷī (delaying-tactic); hōtām bhōvatāhe kaḷi — the kaḷi (conflict) goes-around. Bare navhela sevaṭīm — it will not be good at the end; bhaya asōm dyāve pōṭīm — let there be some bhaya in the belly. Muragāḷī kāna — (the Lord) twists the ear; ghusamāḍila sāvadhāna — will make (you) sāvadhāna. Abōlaṇā Tukā — Tukā (as) silent; aise kōṇī lekhūm nakā — don't anyone write-(him-off)-this-way.
What it means
A short 3-verse warning by Tukārām.
The argument: Much-delay → kaḷi-goes-around → bad-end; keep-fear-in-belly. The-Lord twists-the-ear, makes-savadhāna. Don't-write-off-Tukā as-silent — (his silence is-not-acquiescence).
The image muragāḷī kāna (twisting the ear) is the disciplinarian-image — the Lord-disciplines-by-twisting-the-ear. The closing — don't-take-Tukā-as-abōlaṇā (silent) — suggests-people-may-have-mistaken-Tukārām's-quiet-mode for-tolerance-of-corruption.
For someone today
Tukārām's warning. Much delaying — the conflict goes-around. It will not be good at the end — keep some fear in (your) belly. (The Lord) twists the ear — will make (you) alert. Do not take Tukā as silent — don't write-(him-off)-this-way. The verse permits the warning against mistaking silence for acquiescence.
मराठी: तुकारामांचा हा इशारा आहे. खूप टाळाटाळ केल्याने संघर्ष अधिकच फिरत राहतो. शेवटी बरे होणार नाही — पोटात थोडी भीती असू द्यावी. परमेश्वर कान पिरगाळतो — तुम्हाला सावध करतो. तुकारामाला मुका समजू नका — असे कोणी त्याला हिशोबातही धरू नका. या अभंगातून हा इशारा दिला जातो की मौनाला संमती समजण्याची चूक करू नये.
Where this applies
- When you keep putting off a hard conversation or decision hoping the problem will resolve itself
- When you assume someone's calm or silence means they are fine with what is happening
- When you need a reminder that avoiding accountability now just delays a harder reckoning later
- When you are the quiet one and worry people are mistaking your patience for approval