Abhanga 3126
Tukārām's observation. When the inner flaw has come to light — the outer show has burned away. The cause has gone inward — calling bad good (praising). Haste destroys; haste also pleases. Steadiness — no buddhi is steady in one. The verse offers this bhakti observation about haste and outward show.
The verse
जळालें तें बाहए सोंग । अंतर व्यंग पडिलिया ॥१॥
कारण तें अंतरलें । वाइट भलें म्हणवितां ॥ध्रु.॥
तांतडीनें नासी । तांतडीनें च संतोषी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे धीर । नाहीं बुद्धि एक स्थिर ॥३॥
Literal translation
Jaḷāle te bāhē sōnga — the outer-show has burned; antara vyanga paḍiliyā — when the internal-defect has fallen. Kāraṇa te antarale — the kāraṇa has gone-inward; vāiṭa bhale mhaṇavitām — calling-bad-good (praising). Tāmtaḍīne nāsī — haste destroys; tāmtaḍīne cha samtōṣī — haste also pleases. Tukā mhaṇe dhīra — Tukā says: dhīra; nāhī buddhi eka sthira — no buddhi is steady in-one.
What it means
A short 3-verse observation by Tukārām on-the-paradoxes-of-haste-and-show.
The observation: Outer-show burns when-internal-defect falls; kāraṇa goes-inward; praise-and-blame mix. Haste-both-destroys-and-pleases. Dhīra (steadiness) — no-buddhi is-steady-(in-one).
The closing is striking: there is no-steady-buddhi-in-one-thing — the buddhi is-always-mixed/oscillating.
For someone today
Tukārām's observation. When the inner flaw has come to light — the outer show has burned away. The cause has gone inward — calling bad good (praising). Haste destroys; haste also pleases. Steadiness — no buddhi is steady in one. The verse offers this bhakti observation about haste and outward show.
मराठी: तुकाराम एक निरीक्षण मांडतात. आतला दोष उघड झाला की बाहेरचा देखावा जळून जातो. खरे कारण आतच दडलेले असते, आणि लोक वाईटालाही चांगले म्हणून गौरवतात. घाईमुळे नाश होतो, तर तीच घाई कधी समाधानही देते. तुकाराम म्हणतात, स्थिरता अशी की, बुद्धी कधीच एका जागी स्थिर राहत नाही. अशा प्रकारे हा अभंग घाई आणि बाह्य देखाव्याच्या विसंगतीबद्दल भाष्य करतो.
Where this applies
- When you're keeping up an outward appearance that hides a real flaw underneath
- When you notice people praising something bad just to be agreeable
- When you act in haste and can't tell yet whether it will ruin things or satisfy you
- When you catch your own mind jumping from one conviction to another instead of staying steady