Abhanga 3072
Youthful arrogance that disrespects others and wastes time on vanity and lust squanders the very life it should be building.
The verse
तारुण्याच्या मदें न मनी कोणासी । सदा मुसमुसी खूळ जैसा ॥१॥
अंठोनी वेंठोनीं बांधला मुंडासा । फिरतसे म्हैसा जनामधीं ॥ध्रु.॥
हातीं दीडपान वरती च मान । नाहीं तो सन्मान भलियांसी ॥२॥
श्वानाचिया परी हिंडे दारोदारीं । पाहे परनारी पापदृष्टी ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसा थोर हा गयाळी । करितां टवाळी जन्म गेला ॥४॥
Literal translation
Tāruṇyāñcyā made na manī kōṇāsī — with tāruṇya-mada, (he) does not respect anyone; sadā musamusī khūḷa jaisā — always musamusī like one mad. Amṭhōnī vemṭhōnīm bāmdhalā mumḍāsā — wrapped-up tightly the muṇḍāsā; phiratsē mhaisā janāmadhīm — roams public like a mhaisā (buffalo). Hātīm dīḍapāna varatī cha māna — (1.5)-pāna in hand, neck up; nāhī tō sanmāna bhaliyāmsī — no sanmāna for good-ones. Śvānāñciyā parī himḍe dārōdārīm — like a dog, roams door-to-door; pāhe paranārī pāpa-drṣṭī — sees paranārī with pāpa-drṣṭi. Tukā mhaṇe aisā thōra hā gayāḷī — Tukā says: such a great gayāḷī; karitām ṭavāḷī janma gelā — doing ṭavāḷī, janma passed.
What it means
The 2nd-of-3-stage-of-life biographical cluster (3071-3072-3073) by Tukārām.
The 4 portraits of tāruṇya-mada (youth-intoxication): 1. No-respect for-anyone; always-hot-blooded like-mad 2. Tight-turban; roams-like-buffalo in-public 3. Betel-in-hand, neck-up; no-honor-to-good-ones; like-dog-door-to-door 4. Sees-women-with-sinful-gaze
Closing: thōra-gayāḷī (great-idler); doing-mockery, janma-passed.
The portrait is vivid-and-specific, showing 17th-c Deccan-youthful-decadence: turban-wrapping-style, betel-leaf-display, buffalo-strutting, door-to-door-loafing, lecherous-staring. The image of mhaisā (buffalo) walking-in-public is striking — strutting-pride compared-to-the-dumb-animal.
For someone today
Tukārām's tāruṇya-portrait. With youth-intoxication, (he) does not respect anyone. (He is) always hot-blooded — like one mad. (He has) wrapped-up tightly the turban; roams the public like a buffalo. With betel-leaf in hand — neck held up — no honor for good-ones. Like a dog, (he) roams door-to-door; he sees other-women with sinful-gaze. Such a great idler — doing mockery, the janma passed. The verse permits the bhakta's recollection of youth wasted on decadence.
मराठी: तुकारामांचे हे तारुण्याचे चित्रण आहे. तारुण्याच्या धुंदीत तो कोणाचाच मान ठेवत नाही. तो सदैव वेड्यासारखा तापलेला असतो. घट्ट मुंडासे बांधून तो रस्त्यावर म्हशीसारखा फिरतो. हातात पान घेऊन, मान ताठ करून तो चांगल्या माणसांचाही मान राखत नाही. कुत्र्यासारखा तो दारोदार फिरतो; परस्त्रीकडे पापदृष्टीने पाहतो. असा हा मोठा आळशी — चेष्टा करण्यातच त्याचे आयुष्य गेले, असे तुका म्हणतात. या अभंगातून भक्ताची ही आठवण प्रकट होते की तारुण्य असे विलासात आणि उधळपट्टीत वाया गेले.
Where this applies
- 2nd-of-3-stage-of-life cluster (3071-3072-3073)
- Vivid 17th-c portrait of youthful-decadence
- Buffalo-strutting in-public canonical-image